Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Learn French 22: Du Vin

Learning a new language is being like a child. you need to twirl your tongue and say words that are completely new to you. Imitation is your best weapon.

Du Vin
Wine




Du vin  

Wine is an integral part of French Cuisine. The vineyards in France are some of the oldest in the world and their beautiful landscape is a pleasure to the eye. Fruit picking, grape production is a major agricultural activity in France.







Je bois du vin.
I drink some wine.

Les Français boivent beaucoup de vin.
The French drink a lot of wine.



Culture tip:

One of the oldest wines stretching back over 20 centuries are the wines from Bordeaux. The vineyards of Bordeaux are the largest fine-wine vineyards in the world. The diversity of the win-growing districts allows for the production of many types of wines such as reds, dry or sweet whites, rosés, light reds and sparkling whites. The Bordeaux vineyards include 6,000 châteaux (castles), historical villages, medieval cities, archeological sites and ancient Roman churches.

https://www.visitfrenchwine.com/en/vineyard/visit-the-bordeaux-vineyards-wine-tourism


Learn French 21:L' Université

Learning a new language is like going back to school. LSRW skills to be applied. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.



L'Université
University






Je vais à l'université.
I go to the university.

Les professeurs d'université sont gentils.
The University professors are kind.

The word Université is the same as in English. 
A university that is an institution of higher education and research that awards academind degrees in various disciplines.
Type out which university you are or were in. 

Culture Tip:

One of the oldest and most famous Universities in France is Univeristy os Sorbonne. Sorbonne University is a public research University in Paris France. It was founded in 1257. With 32 Nobel Prize winners, Sorbonne University has a long tradition of academic excellence. The University now merged in 2018, with Pierre et Marie-Curie along with other institutions is a sought for valuable education.





Monday, April 27, 2020

Learn French 20: Théâtre

Learning a new language is like watching a play. Once you feel you are one of the characters, the play seems real.

Théâtre


French Theatre is called le théâtre. 






J'adore le théâtre
I love watching plays.

On va regarder la piece au théâtre.
We go to watch plays at the the French Theatres.

Culture Tip:

The Comédie - Française or Théâtre  -Francais is one of th few state theatre in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. The Theatre has also been known as "La Maison de Molière". In the 18th Century, the Comédie - Française was often enjoyed by the French nobility, since the price to watch theatre was expensive.




Learn French 19: Sortir

Learning a new language is like setting out for a ride. It could be bumpy, it could be smooth sailing. Enjoy the ride and focus on the destination.


Sortir
To go out/ to leave

This is a verb and it is used very often.
It is commonly seen as SORTIE which means EXIT.



Je sors avec mes amis.
I go out with my friends.

Le professeur dit "Sortez"    
The teacher says "Get out"/"Leave"

Culture Tip:

A fresh baked baguette, a chilled glass of wine, an elegant beret and a delicate slice of cheese, that is how you fill the perfect French stereotype. Cheese is truly a part of the French identity and you can’t leave Paris without trying a few different varieties! 
Cheese is actually so popular in France that it is a part of the meal. The French usually have some cheese in between the main course and the dessert. Along with salad or grape, it should be served at room temperature with a glass of wine or brandy. The “plateau de fromage“, the cheese board, should propose at least three variety with among them a cooked cheese, a veined cheese and a soft cheese with a rind.




Learn French 18: Rester

Learning a new language is like learning math. The basics are as important as the new vocabulary.

Rester

This word "rester" looks similar to the word "rest" in English but it does not mean the same.
Instead it means to remain or to stay or to stay back.







Il faut rester chez soi.
It is necessary to stay at home.

Il me reste 4 oranges.
4 oranges are remaining with me.

Je vais rester à Paris pour quatre jours.
I am going to stay at Paris for four days.



Culture Tip:

French wine is famous all over the world. French Wine originated in the 6th century BC, with the colonization of Southern Gaul by Greek settlers. Viticulture soon flourished with the founding if the Greek colony of Marseille. Wine has been around for thousands of years in the countries on the Mediterranean but France has made it a part of their civilization and has considered wine-making as an art for over two thousand years. The Gauls knew how to cultivate the wine and how to prune it.



Sunday, April 26, 2020

Learn French 17: Quarante

Learning a new language is like a quirky question, you can answer only if you understand the question. Let's be quirky.

Quarante


The word quarante means the nunber forty (40).

Il y a quarante élèves dans la classe.
There are 40 students in a class.

Il faut rester chez vous pour quarante jours.
It is necessar to stay home for 40 days.






Conversation:

Marc: Il y a combien d'élèves dans la classe?

Annie: Il y a quarante élèves dans la classe.


      The words il y a and dans have been discussed in the earlier sessions.


Culture tip:

Quarante has a connect with the word quarantine. 
The word quarantine is defined as a strict isolation, originally of 40 days of detention or isolation imposed upon ships, persons, animals, or plants on arrival at a port or place, when suspected of carrying some infectious or contagious disease.





Thursday, April 23, 2020

Learn French 16: Piscine

Learning a new language is like learning a new sport. It is tough in the beginning but with practice, it gets perfect.






La piscine 
The swimming pool





Je vais à la piscine.
I go to the swimming pool.

La piscine est grande.
The swimming pool is big.

Il y a une piscine près de mon école.
There is a swimming pool near my school.

Swimming is an important exercise, leisure activity and sport in France. Snchronised swimming is practiced.


Culture Tip:

The film Life of Pi, adapted from the book with the same name written by Yann Martel has an interesting reference to the word Piscine.
Pi, the protagonist, whose full name is Piscine Molitor Patel, got his name from a champion swimmer, who named him after a swimming pool in France. At school, he was called “Pissing” because Piscine sounds like that word. He then began using the nickname Pi, which recalls the number beginning with 3.14 and having no end that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. 

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/l/life-of-pi/life-of-pi-at-a-glance

Monday, April 20, 2020

Learn French 15: Ordinateur, Oui

Learning a new language is like an orange, it can be a fruit and a colour. It opens up an array of opportunities and at the same time allows you to blend with a new culture. Let's go for it.



Ordinateur
Computer

Oui
Yes


J'ai un ordinateur dans ma chambre.
I have a computer in my room.

Je joue aux jeux videos sur mon ordianteur.
I play video games on my computer.

L'ordinateur est utile? Oui, l'ordinateur est très utile.
Is the computer useful? Yes, the computer is very useful.

The computer has become a very important place in our lives. It has become a neccessity.
One can use the word portable with it.
Portable - able to carry.
l'ordinateur portable - The laptop

The second word is OUI - it means Yes.
Obviously one knows when you use it. However I have used Oui in one of the sentences.



Culture tip:

In 1955, IBM brought a new computer to France. They needed a word for the device and  IBM decided to create something new instead.
François Girard,  (the head of the advertising department) at IBM France, thought that computer was too similar to calculatrice (calculator) and wanted to find a better name for the new electronic machine intended for information processing.
In an effort to find a good french name, François Girard asked his old humanities professor, Jacques Perret, for advice.
Monsieur Perret had a suggestion based on a rare word, ordonnateur: someone who puts things in order. The word comes from le verbe ordonner, meaning to put in order, to order, to arrange, which comes from le mot latin: ordinare.
Monsieur Perret’s idea was more cumbersome than the final word: ordinatrice
électronique.
Eventually, IBM settled on ordinateur as le mot for the new product. At firstz, IBM wanted to keep the word ordinateur as a trademark, but l’ordinateur became too popular and entered the french language as a normal word.

Ordinare → Ordonner → Ordonnateur → Ordinateur











Sunday, April 19, 2020

Learn French 14: Ne verb pas

Learning a new language is like travelling. The journey may be long but the beauty of the destination is worth the time spent. Half way through, we go ahead with the right kinda spirit.









Ne verb pas 
The phrase ne .... verb is used in a sentence and the ... is the verb.

 



Taking sentences earlier mentioned.

Il voyage pour son loisir.
Il ne voyage pas pour son loisir.

Je suis étudiant.
Je ne suis pas etudiant

J'habite dans un appartement.
Je n'habite pas dans un appartement.

NOTE: ne turns to n' in front of a vowel

The sentences have been taken from the following blogs.

https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-5-etudiant.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-3-cafe.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-11-les-loisirs.html


Culture tip:
We shall discuss some expressions that contain the negation vocabulaire

1. Il ne faut pas se fier aux apparences. 
Literal translation: “One should not trust appearances.”
Meaning: This saying is the English equivalent of “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” or “Looks can be deceiving.” It means that you should get to know someone before you make judgments about him/her. In short, “Don’t make assumptions.”
2.  Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard. 
Literal translation: “One should leave nothing to chance.”
Meaning: Here’s another no-fuss, no-frills saying. This one means “Plan ahead.”




Saturday, April 18, 2020

Learn French 13: Marché

Learning a new language is like looking for something new. You never know what you will get.
Let's start.


Marché - Market

This is a very common word.




Je vais au marché
I go to the market.

Le marché se trouve au centre-ville.
The market is in the centre of the city.

J'achète des fruits et légumes au marché.
I buy fruits and vegetables at the market.


In France, going to the market is an important part of weekend routine.The French look forward to the Sunday market. Chef along with assistants go to the market to buy the freshest fruits and vegetables.

Culture tip:
Paris was one of the first European cites to implement a system of formal, centralized and covered market places. Les Halles, a vast centralized wholesale market, was known to be in existence at least by the 13th century. The French system of organised, designated central retail markets was extensively studied by architects in London with a view to emulating the system and ultimately eradicating the informal supply of produce via street vendors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketplace









Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Learn French 12: Les Loisirs

Learning a new language is like pursuing a hobby. It keeps you happy. What's your mantra for happiness?

Loisir



Les loisirs - hobbies/leisure time
To have a hobby as simple as taking a walk is the "me time" everyone wants to have. 
Divel into your hobby and you are refreshed to get back to work.





Mes loisirs sont la natation, la photographie et le cyclisme.
My hobbies are swimming, photography and cycling.

Il voyage pour son loisir. 
He travels for leisure.

Quels sont vos loisirs?
What are your hobbies?

The new words are:
La natation -  Swimming
La photographie - Photography
le cyclisme - Cycling
voyage - travel

Culture tip:

Sometime back cycling was the hobby that topped the list of the French. Now a statistics in 2019 showed that walking, hiking and long walks are the top leisure activities. France is a diverse country with varied landscape. The French prefer to travel within the country and explore different terrains.
With Saturdays and Sundays being weekly holidays, the French take short trips more often than before. 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1014592/main-activities-leisure-france/

Learn French 11: Klaxonner

Bonjour! Learning a new language is like watching the news. Waiting for information that may help you in someway. You never know where a new language takes you. Let's gather today!



Klaxonner - To horn

Now this is a word used less frequently unless you are talking about traffic. I chose this word because I like the way it sounds. Also they aren't many words beginning with K, the other choice was Kiosque. 




Vers minuit, les voitures, moins nombreuses, continuent de klaxonner sur la promenade.
Towards midnight, the cars, less in number, continue too horn on the promenade.

Défense de klaxonner
To Horn is banned

Culture tip
Facts can wait. here are some rules. One has to follow them.
1.  It is illegal to sound the car horn in a French city except in case of possible collision.
2. All passengers in a car are required by law to wear safety belts, even in the rear seat.
3. You are required by law to carry a number of items in the back of your car. These include: a self-test breathalyser kit conforming to French safety NF standards, a reflective triangle and a vest, to be used in case of breakdowns or other car emergencies.

Check out more on the link.
https://www.completefrance.com/travel/driving/14-things-you-should-know-about-french-driving-etiquette-1-5025691





Sunday, April 12, 2020

French Class 10: Jardin

Learning a new language is like gardening. What you sow, so you reap. Let us sow a new word today and reap it lifelong.

Jardin - garden



Jardin means garden.
It is a masculine noun. 
Nouns in French are either masculine or feminine.








Il y a un jardin autour de ma maison.
There is a garden around my house.

Le jardin est beau.
The garden is beautiful.

Il ya beaucoup de fleurs dans le jardin. 
The are a many flowers in the garden.

Most of the words here have been discussed earlier.
The new words are:
autour de - around
beau - beautiful
ma - my    

The word garden instantly brings an image of colourful flowers and a vivid green surrounding.
Type in the name of your favourite garden.

Culture tip:
Monet's garden at Giverny.
Just an hour from Paris, the village of Giverny was the home of Claude Monet, and an inspiration to many of his masterpieces. Some of his most famous paintings were of his garden in Giverny, famous for its rectangular Clos Normand. Claude Monet's property became a Museum opened to public visit in 1980 after completion of large-scale restoration work. The house became a popular tourist attraction particularly in the summer when the flowers are in bloom.

















Friday, April 10, 2020

French Class 9: Il y a


Learning a new language is like waking up early and doing an extra task. Here is a new word is at your behest



Il y a - there is/there are
This phrase is used often.



Il y a is a phrase.
It means there is or there are.
The words il, y, and a have individual meanings.
il - he/it
y - there
a - has
We collectively use it as a phrase here.

It also means it has been.
Here the examples discussed are w.r.t there is or there are.

Il y a un hôtel près d'ici.
There is a hotel near by/close by.

Il y a beaucoup d'étudiants dans la classe.
There are many students in the class.

Il y a un bon café au centre-ville.
There is a good café in the centre of the city.

Some words here have been discussed earlier.
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-8-hotel.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-5-etudiant.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-4-dans.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-3-cafe.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-2-bonjour.html

Next time you want to say there is, use this phrase.
The word Voilà is also used to say there is.


Culture tip:

The Louvre, located in Paris, France, is the largest art museum in the world with an area size of 782,910 square feet. This museum is considered a historic monument in Paris and is part of the Louvre Palace, which was built in the 12th century.Today, it is home to around 38,000 pieces of art. The Louvre is also the most visited museum in the world, receiving 7.4 million visitors every year.



Thursday, April 9, 2020

French Class 8: Hôtel

Bonjour! Learning a new language is watching a film. You want to know what happens next. Without waiting any further, here is the next word.

Hôtel


Pendant les vacances, j'habite dans un hotel.
During the vacation, I stay at he hotel.

L'hotel se trouve pres d'ici.
The hotel is nearby here.

L'hotel est grand.
The hotel is big.




The word hotel is similar to the word in English. 
In fact the word Hotel in English has its origin from French.

Culture tip:
The oldest hotel in France is the Hotel Westminster, which claims to be the longest continuously open hotel in Paris. Named in the honour of the Duke of Westminster and his patronage to the hotel during the 19th century, the Westminster is decorated with his coat of arms ever so discretely. The hotel opened in the early 19th century has remained open at 13, Rue de la Paix, ever since. 

ccc



Wednesday, April 8, 2020

French Class 7: Gâteau

Bonjour! Learning a new language is like having dessert after a meal. It completes the meal. So let's go ahead. Bon appétit.



Gâteau  is cake.

Un gâteau is a cake
le gâteau is the cake.

A touch of grammar with the vaocbulary adds value to the word.


The sentences with gâteau contain a phrase, je voudrais discussed earlier:

Je voudrais un gâteau.
I would like a cake.

Je voudrais un gâteau au chocolat.
I would like a chocolate cake.

Je voudrais un gâteau aux fraises.
I would like a strawberry cake.


Conversation:
Marc: Bonjour Annie
Annie: Bonjour Marc.
Serveur: Vous choisissez? ( Have you chosen?/decided)
Marc: Je voudrais un café. Et vous Annie?
Annie: Je voudrais un gâteau au chocolate.
Serveur: D'accord Madame et Monsieur.
...
Serveur: Voilà votre café et votre gâteau au chocolat.
Marc et Annie: Merci. (Thank you)
Serveur: Bon appétit.

Now you can order coffee or cake at a café in France.
Type out your favourite cake in the comments. 

Culture tip:
Why Cake at Birthdays?
Well, Cakes represent our best culinary offering honouring our most loved people. In "olden times" when refined sugar, spices , nuts and dried fruit were expensive, it was a honour to be honoured with cake. Today cake isn't expensive and we have a variety to choose from. But the message remains constant. 
Cake says "you are important and we love you"





Tuesday, April 7, 2020

French Class 6: La fête

Learning a new language is like staying at home and exploring different corners of your house. Today's corner is the festive corner.




La fête - the festival, the celebration

La Fête Nationale - The National day
La Fête de la Musique - The festical of Music/ World Music day
La fête des mères - Mothers' day

The word fête is used to describe a grand festival or any kind of a simple celebration also.

La fête de la musique se passe le 21 juin chaque année.
World Music Day is celebrated/takes place on 21 Juin every year.

La fête Nationale (de la France) a lieu le 14 Juilet chaque année.
The National Day (of France) takes place on 14 July every year.

Celebrate a festival, a success or just life itself. Every day is a celebration. Each day comes with an opportunity, a new aura of enthusiasm. Life is a celebration. 

Type out your favourite festival in the comments. Easily login through Google.

Culture tip:
La Fête Nationale is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille. 
First let us understand what is Bastille. Bastille was a fortress in Paris, formally known as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France
Louis XIV used the Bastille as a prison for upper-class members of French society who had opposed or angered him.The Bastille held a large cache of ammunition and gunpowder. 
The Storming of the Bastille set off a series of events that led to the overthrow of King Louis XVI and the French Revolution. The success of the revolutionaries gave commoners throughout France the courage to rise up and fight against the nobles who had ruled them for so long.



Monday, April 6, 2020

French Class 5: Étudiant

Bonjour! Learning is like lighting a lamp. It lights up not only itself but also the surrounding. Let's begin today.



Today's word is étudiant.
It means student.


Je suis étudiant.
Je suis étudiante.


The étudiant with an e stands for a student (feminine)
The e has an acute accent (l'accent aigu)

While pronouncing étudiante, there is a stress on the t, and the listener understands the student is feminine.

Je suis étudiant
I am a student.






Je suis is an important phrase it means I am

Je suis professeur.  I am a teacher/professor
Je suis medecin.     I am a doctor.
je suis avocat.         I am a lawyer.
je suis journaliste.  I am a journalist.

Conversation:

Marc: Bonjour. Je m'appelle Marc. Et vous?
Annie: Bonjour. Je m'appelle Anne.
Marc: Je suis professeur. Et vous?
Annie: Je suis journaliste.
...
Marc: Bonne soirée
Annie: Bonne soirée.


Begin the sentence with je suis, google your profession and type it out in the comments section. Yes here is a word for blogger too!

https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-4-dans.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-3-cafe.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-2-bonjour.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/03/french-class-1-sappeler.html

Now you can introduce yourself in French, say what you do and you can order yourself a cup of coffee.

Culture tip:

The modern era of French Education began at the end of the 19th century. Jules Ferry, a minister of Public instruction in 1841, is  widely credited for creating the modern school by requiring all children between the ages of 6 and 12, both boys and girls to attend. He also made public instruction mandatory, free of charge, and secular.
Before Jules Ferry, it was Napoleon who began French University and Secondary education systems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_France

This post is written as a part of #BlogchatterA2Z



Saturday, April 4, 2020

French Class 4: Dans

Bonjour! Learning a new language is like dancing. One step at at time, each one in sync with the other. Let's roll!




Dans means in. It is a preposition. It show the relation between 2 nouns.

J'habite is a phrase used here. J'habite means I stay.

J'habite dans un appartement.
J'habite dans une maison.


                                        



                                 


un appartement - an apartment
une maison - a house

J'habite dans un appartement - I stay in an apartment.
J'habite dans une maison - I stay in a house.

Conversation: 

Marc: Bonjour, je m'appelle Marc. Et vous?
Annie: Bonjour, je m'appelle Annie.
Marc: J'habite dans une maison. Et vous?
Annie: J'habite dans un appartement.
...
Marc: Bonne soirée Annie
Annie: Bonne soirée Marc.

Vocabulary is as important to a language as grammar. As children, we picked up new words that eventually led to sentences. Happy learning!


Culture tip:

The apartment culture which is an integral part of today's housing options came from Paris. 
Paris embraced the apartment in 1800's. It was initially called "Parisian flats" by the Americans who came to Paris for their cultural education.
Throughout the nineteenth century "the apartment house" dominated Parisian urban landscape.
Two reasons were primarily identified for its success:
1. Apartments provided spatially compact housing in a city with increasing population.
2. Apartments provided opportunity for investing in relatively inexpensive and profitable properties.


This post is written as a part of #BlogchatterA2Z












Friday, April 3, 2020

French Class 3: Café

Hello! Learning a new language is like drinking coffee. Once done you want a refill. So here is today's refill.



Café is a universal word.
It is coffee, a beverage.
It also means a café, a small and informal establishment serving various refreshments.

Je voudrais un café.
I want/would like a coffee.

Il y a un café près d'ici.
There is a café nearby here.




This word is different from the word cafeteria in English.
Merriam-Webster. com defines it as a restaurant especially one for staff or workers, where people collect their meals themselves and carry them to their tables to eat.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cafeteria?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld

A conversation at a café:

Serveur: Bonjour Madame
Annie: Bonjour, je voudrais un café.
...
Serveur: Bonne soirée Madame.
Annie: Bonne soirée.

Je voudrais une tasse de café
I would like a cup of coffee

The vocabulary related to greetings and expressions in French can be viewed here:
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-2-bonjour.html

Now you can order your coffee at a café in France the right way. 


Culture Tip:
La Semaine du Goût
The Week of Taste or La Semaine du Goût, a registered trademark, is an event around taste and gastronomy, created by Jean-Luc-Petitrenaud in 1990, a culinary jounalist, that takes place for a week during October. It is  partnered by the Minister of Agriculture and Food.Throughout France it promotes culture and culinary heritage and eating well. One of its stated objectives is to educate consumers especially children about tastes.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Semaine_du_Go%C3%BBt

This post is written as a part of #BlogchatterA2Z