Panel 1: “Hello, Ma’am. I would like a doctor.” Panel 2: “I’d like a thing for my nose.” Panel 3: "Please, I would like something for allergies. To stop the nose from running.” Panel 4: “Hello Ma’am. I'm allergic to the outdoors. Maybe you have something to help me? . . . . F**k.”
This cartoon demonstrates my current level of French. I have the vocabulary to string my thoughts together in a basic way, but frequently as soon as someone answers me, I am totally lost.
So while we are home I am trying to keep listening to as much French as possible. I’ve mentioned that my tutor and I were watching Call My Agent as the basis for our lessons. Not only was this great because in life I love to discuss TV plots and characters, but by watching a French show set in Paris I was learning how people actually speak to each other as friends and co-workers.
For instance, you just can’t believe the number of times they say “putain.” Putain means “whore” in French but it is their equivalent of f**k, and they use the expletive in the same way we use ours. That is to say, everywhere and all the time. As a noun, as an adjective, as an adverb, and all by its putain self.
Let’s revisit one of the all time most famous moments from The Wire in which no other word but “f**k” is used in the entire scene (NSFW for language and nudity - duh, The Wire). https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3n34oj
My tutor and I have now finished Call My Agent and have moved onto Lupin (also on Netflix). It’s a very fun story about a “gentlemen thief” starring Omar Sy. Among other things, you will learn 50 new slang words for money, such as la thune (cash or dough), l'oseille (literally sorrel but also slang for cash and dough) and le pognon (the big bucks).
I discovered an amazing app called Lingopie, which is specifically for watching TV as a way to learn new languages. Call My Agent and Lupin are both available. While you watch a show through the app you can have subtitles in English or in French. The entire French script is on one side of the screen. You can click on any word in the subtitles, and not only does it translate it, but it adds it to your flashcards so you can study it later.
And I am still doing Duolingo every day. It has become part of my morning routine when I’m not awake enough to deal with email or news. With my cup of coffee, it is the perfect task to start the day. It’s a lot like doing Wordle or the crossword.
I will leave you with one phrase from a wonderful illustrated guide to French colloquialisms from the New Yorker.
Jusqu’à la prochaine fois (until next time)
Carolyn & Roberto
Learning French resources
Lingopie- for watching TV
Quizlet App - flashcards on your phone
Reverso - better and more detailed translations than Google Translate
French Word of the Day (plus news from France in English)
Learning French with Alexa - Blog and Podcast
Buy us a cup of coffee? We’re offering a New Year’s Special that will give you 50% off for a whole year! (which means only $2.50 per month.) Offer ends January 15.