Bri Dietz

And this year for Halloween I am a lazy pirate

Rrrrrrr

things to do when you’re bored:

filling a notebook with random conversation phrases overheard from strangers

writing 100 poems in one week (inspired by @alwaysbringabookwithyou)

creating moodboards for your friends

learning lyrics in a foreign language

reading challenges of any kind

creating playlists for different moods, seasons, times of the day

turning an unused notebook into an art journal

writing short stories on words from a random dictionary page

learning everything about a certain year or historical period

listing 100 places you want to visit

imagining the best version of yourself and jot down first steps to become them

trying and rating new skincare/beauty products

how to sound more like a french native speaker 🌿

The following points are 5 classic French conversational techniques and mannerisms to help you sound just a bit more truly français:

1. The tactical use of bah

Fairly difficult to translate, the French bah is used rather regularly and can make your speech pattern sound very authentic.

In answer to an obvious question perhaps:

“Tu aimes bien la pizza?” (Do you like pizza?)

“Bah oui, bien sur!” (Well, yes, of course!)

Or something like the following:

“Tu adores le brocoli?” (Do you love broccoli?)

“Bah non! Je déteste!” (No, I hate it!)

Or as a deep, elongated syllable to fill gaps while you think:

“Qu’est-ce que tu fais le weekend?” (What are you doing on the weekend?)

“Baaaaaahh, en fait je ne sais pas encore.” (Well…actually I don’t know yet)

2. Add quoi to the ends of sentences

This one is also not easy to translate, but it would be the French equivalent of “whatever” or “innit.” So, you might imagine that it shouldn’t be used when talking formally, but it’s used often in casual conversation and can perfectly round off a sentence.

“C’est quoi, ça?” (What is that?)

“Euuh, je ne sais pas exactement mais je pense que c’est une sorte de nourriture, quoi.” (Um, I’m not really sure but I think it’s a type of food or whatever.)

3. Using eh, ah and hein like there’s no tomorrow

Whether it’s to fill space while you think or to provoke a response, these elongated vowels are very useful when speaking French. They can be heard very often in conversation.

For example, in English we add “don’t you?”/ “aren’t you?”/ “isn’t it?” to the end of statements to toss the conversational ball back into the other person’s court. The French will simply say “hein?”

“Il fait beau aujourd’hui hein?” (It’s nice weather today isn’t it?)

Try it with raised eyebrows for added French effect.

4. Sufficient use of voilà here, there and everywhere

The slangy English phrases “so, yeah” or “so, there you go” would probably be best translated into French as “voilà.”

When you can’t think of anything else to say at the end of a sentence, you can’t go wrong with a voilà. Sometimes even two. Voilà voilà.

5. Not forgetting the classic French shrug

In response to a question to which you don’t know the answer, respond the French way with an exaggerated shrug, raised eyebrows and add a “baaah, je sais pas, moi!” for good measure.

beautiful french words ✿

ange – angel (masc.)

baleine – whale (fem.)

bisou – kiss (masc.)

brindille – twig (fem.)

brûler – to burn

brume – mist (fem.)

câlin – hug (masc.)

chaleur – heat (fem.)

chatoyer – to shimmer

chaussettes – socks (fem.)

chouchou – my little cabbage, said as a term of endearment (masc.)

citronnade – lemonade (fem.)

citrouille – pumpkin (fem.)

coquillage – seashell (masc.)

croquis – sketch (masc.)

dépaysement – the feeling of being in another country, the weird feeling you get from things being different from what you’re used to.  (masc.)

doux – soft

écarlate – scarlet

éclatant – brilliant, dazzling, gleaming

effleurer – to touch or brush against

empêchement – something that keeps you from doing something (masc.)

épanoui – blooming, joyful, radiant

éphémère – ephemeral

étoile – star (fem.)

feuilles – leaves (fem.)

flâner – to stroll aimlessly

floraison – bloom (fem.)

grelotter – to shiver

hirondelle – swallow (bird) (fem.)

libellule – dragonfly (fem.)

loufoque – wild, crazy, far-fetched

luciole – firefly (fem.)

myrtille – blueberry (fem.)

noix de coco – coconut (fem.)

nuage – cloud (masc.)

orage – thunderstorm (masc.)

pamplemousse – grapefruit (masc.)

papillon – butterfly (masc.)

parapluie – umbrella (fem.)

pastèque – watermelon (fem.)

piscine – swimming pool (fem.)

plaisir – pleasure (masc.)

pleuvoir – to rain

plonger – to dive

retrouvailles – the feelings of seeing someone again after a long time (fem.)

sirène – mermaid (fem.)

soleil – sun (masc.)

sortable – someone you can take anywhere without being embarrassed

tournesol – sunflower (masc.)

“Fairy tales are more than moral lessons and time capsules for cultural commentary; they are natural law. The child raised on folklore will quickly learn the rules of crossroads and lakes, mirrors and mushroom rings. They’ll never eat or drink of a strange harvest or insult an old woman or fritter away their name as though there’s no power in it. They’ll never underestimate the youngest son or touch anyone’s hairpin or rosebush or bed without asking, and their steps through the woods will be light and unpresumptuous. Little ones who seek out fairy tales are taught to be shrewd and courteous citizens of the seen world, just in case the unseen one ever bleeds over.”

— S.T. Gibson (via sarahtaylorgibson)

A view of Monet’s house and own inspirational garden: Giverny, France.