Flirting with French Giveaway: Some Very Coy Phrases
William Alexander has always wanted to be French. One petite problem: He can’t actually speak French. So, he immerses himself in the language, studies hard, travels to France, and discovers that — voila! — he still can’t really speak French. But the beauty is in the struggle, as he describes in delightful detail in his upcoming book, Flirting with French. (And you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Flirting with French below!)
Here he points out some particularly tricky phrases where you might not be saying exactly what you think you’re saying…
French is a beautiful, expressive language, but it’s frightfully easy to express oneself quite incorrectly.
Here are some French phrases that mean entirely something else in French from what you might think — and some can make the innocent abroad sound like anything but!
“Je suis fini!”
You might think you’ve said, “I’m finished,” because, well, that’s the literal translation of Je suis finis.
What you really said is, “I’m dead.” The correct French for I’ve finished is J’ai finis — literally, “I have finished.”
“Avez-vous des préservatifs?”
You might think you’ve said, “Do you have any jam?”
What you really said is, “Do you have any condoms?” Not to worry. In France, both are often available at breakfast.
“Je suis chaud”
You might think you’ve said, “I’m hot.”
What you really said is, “I’m hot.” As in “hot for you, babe!” Go with j’ai chaud.
“Il est sale?”
You might think you’ve said, “Is it on sale?”
What you really said is, “Is it dirty?”
“J’ai un petit problème”
You might think you’ve said, “I have a little problem.”
What you really said is, “I have a huge problem.” (Alt meaning: “Boy, did I ever screw up this time!”)
“J’aime voler”
You might think you’ve said, “I like to fly.”
What you really said is, “I like to steal.”
“J’aime voler”
You might think you’ve said, “I like to steal.”
What you really said is, “I like to fly.” (Since French uses the same verb for “to fly” and “to steal” the intended meaning is left to the listener.)
“Avez-vous un basket?”
You might think you’ve said, “Do you have a basket?” to put your groceries in.
What you really asked is to put your groceries in a sneaker. (Hope you get a clean one!)
“Garçon!”
You might think you’ve said, “Waiter!”
What you really said is, “Boy!” signaling that you are a typically witless, obnoxious American who learned French from Lucille Ball reruns, and who should have no expectations of ever seeing said waiter again — until he brings the inflated check.
— William Alexander
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Reader Rating: 0 Votes
Great book, I’m sure! These examples are hysterical!
My youngest speaks French fluently. He wants to be a linguist/translator. He’s currently studying Japanese. I speak Southern. My accent won’t let me get the accents of other languages but I love to hear them.
This book is essential for any francophone, to understand a language you must understand the culture. William Alexander has accomplished this in stellar fashion.
My textbook French is over 30 years old. With or without these distinctions, I’m likely to make a fool of myself when I finally see Paris. Still, I’d like to win just to brush up a little while I’m saving money for the dream trip of my life!
I just returned for a month in France a week ago, and I certainly could’ve used this book! It sounds terrific! (I LOVED 52 loaves, buy the way.)
I just returned for a month in France a week ago, and I certainly could’ve used this book! It sounds terrific! (I LOVED 52 loaves, buy the way.)
I just returned for a month in France a week ago, and I certainly could’ve used this book! It sounds terrific! (I LOVED 52 loaves, buy the way.)