Welcome to the French Today Blog

January is decidedly not a post-holiday slump month in Paris. The cultural calendar is rich and full and life is good. There is a particularly notable January event that is a must-not-miss if you love to shop for French Chic, and, are lucky enough to be in France.

Before we continue our discussion of the wines of Burgundy, I must remind you that due to the format of these blogs, the information that I am presenting is a general view, and there are, and will be exceptions to most everything.

S'habiller, mettre un pantalon, porter un pantalon, être en pantalon... all these expressions can be quite confusing. This should clear things up.

1 - S'habiller and se déshabiller

These French verbs describe the act of getting dressed and undressed. They are usually NOT followed by a direct object (like a piece of clothing).
Example: le matin, je m'habille. Le soir, je me déshabille. (In the morning I get dressed. In the evening, I undress).

Leyla learned this sing at school, so we thought we'd share it with you. This is one of the most famous Christmas song, made famous in 1946 France by the singer Tino Rossi (see link below). The original version is much longer, but most children only learn that part:

Far from me to proselytize, but this recording of the French Catholic mass might interest some people. I know some of my students will attend services regularly, even when in a foreign country.

For the Holidays, I created and recorded a realistic dialogue to introduce you to both the French traditions and precise vocabulary used in France around Christmas and the Holidays. Pay close attention to the many uses of "on". This post comes with audio. Enjoy, and happy holidays!