French Blog

Today, the Transparent French Blog features an age-old song called “Trois jeunes tambours” (“Three Young Drummers.”) Its theme may start like in so many fairy tales, but -you are warned, mes amis- it does not exactly end like one… If anything, it serves as proof that French folks in old times knew fully well how to [...]

A few days ago, a fan of the Transparent French Blog asked a question related to the expression “il faut que“, calling it a “French verb.” Since it’s not the first time we see such a mistake happening, it is maybe best to remind everyone what this expression stands for, and how to use it [...]

The most famous fountain in the city of Lyon was made by a Frenchman whose name is not likely to tell you much: Auguste Bartholdi, originally from the Alsace region. Doesn’t really ring a bell, non? His other work, however, is one of the best known monuments in the world. Ever heard of New York‘s Statue of Liberty, [...]

How to make and bake the French Lorraine classic madeleines in just dix étapes très faciles (ten very easy steps)! A slightly different approach by le chef Pierre-Dominique of Larousse Cuisine (yes, the same as the famous French dictionary) ► CE DONT VOUS AUREZ BESOIN (What you will need): Two cups of farine (flour) Six separated œufs (eggs) Twenty cuillères à soupe (tablespoons) of melted and cooled butter [...]

- Allô, allô, how is le monde (the world) going? - Oh, well, you know, we’ve had tiny little things: International economic crisis, hyperinflation and unemployment, wars and famines. Oh, and a few natural disasters here and there. But, other than that…  “Tout va très bien, madame la Marquise” (“Everything is Just Fine, Madame the Marchioness”)   * [...]

New French learners often get confused about how to pronounce some words en français. One such French word is *PLUS.* Indeed, one can sometimes hear French speakers pronounce it as “PLUSS” (with the “s“), and other times as “PLU” (without the “s.”) So, how to tell the difference? l’astuce (the trick) is actually quite easy. Make [...]

At the beginning, it was nothing but an informal “underground” social meeting. Over the following years, however, it blossomed into a high-profile rendez-vous, bringing together every doigt vert (green thumb) in and around the French capital Paris! The “graines“ (“seeds”) of the event, so to speak, were planted some thirty years ago, in the small town of Thiais, south of Paris, when les amoureux [...]

Today’s topic is a particularly exciting one: Selected just for you, the fans of the Transparent French Blog, our Top Five French idiomatic expressions which use the verb SAUTER (To JUMP.) Now, sans transition (without further ado), let us jump right to it, shall we, mes amis? Ever tried le saut à ski (ski jumping)? * * * NUMÉRO [...]

Out of the Côtes-d’Armor in the Brittany Peninsula, bordering the shores of Saint-Malo, from whence hailed and sailed the seafaring ancestors of the legendary Surcouf, ”le roi des corsaires“ (“the King of Corsairs”), came up a cheerful tune. The theme revolved around  a local demoiselle whom everybody called “Marie la dondaine.“  But what’s a “dondaine“, anyway? Is it the name of a navire à voile (sailing ship), [...]

Formal French is of course essential to learn if you want to master le français, but French slang is also  a “must”, especially if you plan to actually go to France. You also need French slang to understand French movies, songs—and even graffiti, for example! We’ll focus today on one particular expression that French people [...]