Making or refusing an invitation is always tricky: finding the right words in French to do so with tact is essential. Furthermore, the grammatical constructions, verbs and tenses don’t always match between French and English. So you need to train a lot on this concept so the French way becomes natural to you…
A lot of my students make this common mistake. When being thanked for something nice they’ve done, they want to say “my pleasure” and translate it into “mon plaisir” in French. This does not sound too good in France.
Un, une, des, du, de la (or de ?)… I’ll explain clearly the French partitive & indefinite articles: “some” vs. specific quantity (+ audio recordings)
Learn to say the date in French: Le or no le ? That is the question… Learn a simple solution and avoid mistakes + many examples + an ≠ année
Each country has its own driving rules as logical or illogical as they may be. You may not be aware of these French driving rules.
As D-Day approached, Andy became part of the Transportation Plan, without of course knowing why he had been moved from bomber escort service. In May he wrote: “Turner was presented with a P51D today. What a beauty.
It’s often hard to decide whether you should use “madame” or “mademoiselle” in French. Of course, you know the basic rule: married: use madame, not married: say mademoiselle. However the reality is much more subtle than that.
Dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower, anyone? Here’s my newest discovery in Paris: the restaurant “les Ombres” in Paris. A bit expensive, but fantastic cuisine and the best view in Paris!
Did you know that in France, before drinking, you have to wait for everybody’s drink to be on the table? Even in a restaurant. Here are my 7 tips on how to “politely” drink wine the French way.
Having lived 18 years in the Boston area, I’ve had my share of boiled lobsters with clarified butter… Let me give you a French way to cook lobster at home that will have your “papilles gustatives” (taste buds) singing “la Marseillaise”!
Slower and natural readings of the French poem “Les Conquérants” de José Maria de Hérédia – listen to my clear French audio recording and read the English translation of the poem.
Yes, I know, you spent hours studying French Slang and Idioms, and they’re so much fun. However slang is very time sensitive: some expressions are no longer used (you’ll sound like an old-timer) and some are exclusively used by teens.
Slower and natural readings of the French poem “L’Abeille” de Paul Valéry – listen to my clear French audio recording and read the English translation of the poem.
Practice your French with this intermediate free French story w/audio : “un spectacle de Guignol” (a traditional French puppet show) in Paris’ Montsouris park.
How do you say white and blue collar in French? The various French social classes and class pertinent vocabulary and expressions. Tips and mistakes to avoid.