It's typically French!!!

Bonjour tout le monde,

Today, it is the last day of 2018. I am sure that some of you, are celebrating New year's day eve. Maybe you are wondering how people in France, celebrate this event.

There are two types of people who celebrate New year's day. Those celebrate the 31st of December on evening and those, the 1st of January.

December of 31 is called the Saint-Sylvestre. This evening, people invites mostly their family or their friends, or both at home. Some prefers to celebrate somewhere else such at clubs, at a restaurant or going to a dancing dinner.
The dinner lasts a long time because there are a lot of meals. Moreover, French like spending their time to eat and talk around a table. Children are less patient and play between two meals.
At midnight, they wish to each other a happy new year and a good health. They use party favors. Children are very happy to play with these. The party can last up to 4 o'clock or more. It is up where you celebrate New year's eve/ New year day. Night clubs'parties can finish at 4:00 am. Then, for those who have still energies, carry on by eating a soup labelled la soupe à l'oignon (onion soup) or warm croissants with coffee or other hot drinks at home.

On new year's day, French people celebrate this event but it is quieter, less noisy. Some relatives or friends come to wish a happy new year on afternoon. Traditionally, hosts often offer a brioche with a hot drink, or sparkling alcohol drink or champagne. On the evening, guests are off.
In the past, in countrysides, people visited their neighbours or some friends in the village. This tradition is lost now. In the early of 80's, this began to disappear.






Do you want to know some expressions or word in French? 

Bonne année et bonne santé can be translated by happy new year and have a good health.
Meilleurs voeux can be translated by best wishes.
Le réveillon, la veille du nouvel, can be translated by  new Year's Eve.
Souhaiter la bonne année can be translated by wishing the new year's day.
Les cotillons can be translated by party favors.
Fêter le nouvel an can be translated by celebrating the new year
Faire de nouvelles résolutions (que tu ne tiendras pas.....) can be translated by  making new resolutions (that you will not hold .....) 😂

J'aime- je n'aime pas

Do you know how to express when you like or don't like something? There are a lot of way to say if you appreciate or not. Let 's find out!

The basics


Positive sentence: J'aime                   

Sentence with aimer + complement.

J'aime les fruits. I love fruits.
         complement

Sentence with aimer + Verbe in infinitive.

J'aime manger. I love eating.
           verbe

Sentence with aimer + Verbe in infinitive +complement.

J'aime manger les fruits. I love eating fruits.
             verbe   complement

Negative sentence: Je n'aime pas

Sentence with ne pas aimer + complement.

Je n'aime pas les fruits. I don't love fruits.
                  complement

Sentence with ne pas aimer + Verbe in infinitive.

Je n'aime pas manger. I don't like eating.
                      verbe

Sentence with ne pas aimer +  Verbe in infinitive +complement.  I don't like eating fruits.

Je n'aime pas manger les fruits.

                       verbe   complement


Other expressions to say that you like or dislike.

There are many other expressions to say

J'adore  》 I love, I adore.
Je déteste 》I hate.
Je m'intéresse à 》 I am interested in, I am fond of.
Je ne m'intéresse pas à  》 I am not interested in, I am not fond of.
Je suis fou de  》 I am crazy about.
Je ne suis pas fou de  》 I am not crazy about.
Je suis fan de   》I am a fan of.
Je ne suis pas fan de  》  I am not fan of.

Adding adverbs 

To intensify your feeling, you can add adverbs after j'aime, je n'aime pas : beaucoup, peu, bien, pas du tout....

Il n'aime pas du tout le vélo. He doesn't like riding bike at all.

Les enfants aiment beaucoup le chocolat mais ils aiment peu la soupe. Children like chocolate but they like a bit soup.

At the GPs - Chez le médecin

It is summer time and I guess that some of you travel. If you visit a French speaking country, it is good to know some vocabularies.

When we are on holiday, we may be unwell. It is easy to speak with a GP when we are in our country but when it happens abroad and moreover  the language is different, the situation could be difficult. Today, I will teach you some expressions, some words if ever you have to go the GP -le médecin-

First, I will tell you how it works in France.

When you address to a GP, call him or her, Docteur (Doctor).
It is better to get an appointment. When you go, let you know at the receptionist that you are here and give your name, the GP's name where you will see (if there are several ones in this medical center). If you don't see a receptionist, don't worry sit down and wait in the waiting room. The GP will have a look at it. When It is your turn, the GP will tell why you are there. S/he needs to know what do you suffer from. S/he  measures your blood pressure, the heart rate, your weight. Then, s/he auscultates you to diagnose you pain or other. S/he gives to you a prescription. The rate of a consultation is from 25 €.
GP secteur 1 : 25 €
GP secteur 2 : over 25 €

If in your country, it exists an European Health Insurance Card, order it. It can help you at the GP, the hospital, the dentist or the pharmacist.

At the pharmacy, you give the prescription to the pharmacist and will give you the medicine.

Vocabularies and expressions

At the GPs: chez le médecin (généraliste)
To get an appointment: prendre un rendez-vous
The medical centre: le cabinet médical/le centre médical/la maison médicale
The waiting room: la salle d'attente
Measuring the blood pressure: mesurer la tension artérielle
Measuring the heart rate: mesurer le rythme cardiaque
The weight: le poids
European Health Insurance Card: carte européenne d'assurance maladie
A prescription: une ordonnance
The pharmacist: le pharnacien, la pharmacienne
The pharmacy: la pharmacie

To greet a GP: Bonjour Docteur !
To thank a GP: Merci Docteur !
To leave a GP: Au revoir Docteur !
Get on the scale: montez sur la balance/ sur le pèse-personne
What are you suffering from: de quoi souffrez-vous
Where is your pain? Oú avez-vous mal ? Oú est la douleur ? Vous avez mal oú ?
I have fever: j'ai de la fièvre
My child has fever: mon enfant a de la fièvre
I have a sore throat: J'ai mal à la gorge
My child has a sore throat: mon enfant a mal à la gorge
I have a headache: J'ai mal à la tête
My child has a headache: mon enfant a mal à la tête
I have a bellyache: J'ai mal au ventre
My child has a bellyache: mon enfant a mal au ventre
I have nausea: j'ai des nausées
I have diarrhea: j'ai la diarrhée
It is twenty-five euros: ça fera vingt cinq euros.

More vocabularies? Please, drop me a comment and I will reply you or join my group Learning French is easy on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/570490083285288/?ref=bookmarks

To go further in your French learning, I give lessons online.

Fete des meres Mother Day

Today, this is Mother Day.

Every year, the last Sunday on May, children (and older!) in France celebrate mother day.

A long process

In ancient times, Mother's Day was born. But it was only for a mother. In ancient history, people believed in many deities. The Greeks celebrated Rhea (the mother of the gods). In France, the birth rate declines at the end of the 19th century.

Since 1866, natalist groups and movements have emerged and encourage birth rates in France. Step by step, the promotion of birth rates is gaining and there are many ideas to encourage the growth of large families.

Then a french teacher, Prosper Roche. He taught in a village which the name is Artas (Isère). On June 10th 1906, he organized a special ceremony for two mothers of nine children. Then, in 1920,  Mother Day concerned only mothers who had several children. This event was officialised in 1929 by the government for all mothers. The target was to encourage natality.

In 1942, Maréchal Pétain, who was at the head of  "le régime de Vichy", encourages the French to celebrate motherhood.

Nowadays

From 1950, Mother Day is celebrated every year, the last Sunday on May. This celebration, then becomes commercial and then replaces the pro-natalist ideals.

At the approach of Mother's Day, or the same day, some town halls hold ceremonies to award medals to mothers of many families.

Children, younger and older, give a present to their mother. At school, pupils make a present. In the past; the necklace noodles was very famous. It was a simple and easy activity for little kids. Year after year, other crafts dethroned it. This present of Mother Day became a symbol.

 The popular present is a bunch of flower. The florists will tell you!
Some children take the initiative to do housework and cooking and tell their mother to have a rest.
This day is the opportunity to gather all the children and a meal is given in honour of Mother day.



Do not mingle es - est - et

ES EST OR ET?

Can you make the difference between ES EST and ET? 

Although they sound alike, there is a difference between these words. Let ‘s see this difference.

My name is Céline and I help learners in the French language. 

ES 

It comes from the verb to “être” (to be) and it is conjugated by the 2nd singular person: tu. 

For example: Tu es content ?

Be careful! The final letter is mute. 

EST

Est is the verb être (to be) conjugated by the 3rd singular person (ex: il-elle-on) or by someone or something that we talk about. 

Le chat est malade. 

The cat is sick.

If you have a doubt about the spelling, you can swap est by était.

Le chat était malade.

 ET

Et is a conjunction which is used for several functions: to connect 2 words or 2 clauses and to enumerate several things for example. 

Anne et Nathalie mangent un croissant.

Anne and Nathalie are eating a croissant.

Le cuisinier ajoute dans la casserole, du thym, des feuilles de laurier et du poivre.

The chef adds in the saucepan, thyme,  bay leaves and pepper.

Tous les matins, Pierre se lève et prend sa douche.

Every morning, Pierre gets up and has a shower.

Interjections and onomatopoeia - Les interjections et les onomatopée

Interjections are used to express our emotions: joy, pain, disappointment, astonishment ; to give an order, to call someone. These are short words and come out spontaneously:

Allo !               Hello, hullo
Ah !                 Ha!
Aie !                Ouch!
Allez !             Come on!
Bravo !            Well done! 
Chut !              Shut!
Eh !                 Hey!                                           

Euh !               Haw!
Hourra !          Hurray!
Oust !              Shoo!
Ouf !               Phew!
Ouille !           Ouch!
Oh la la !        Oh Dear!
Oh !                Oh !
Pfff !               Pfff!
Zou !              Shoo!
Zut !               Heck!

Onomatopoeia are used to imitiate sounds:

Bla bla               to end a sentence like etc
Boum                 to imitate something exploding  
Ding dong          to imitate a door bell
Dring                 to imitate a phone bel
Gla gla               to express when you are cold
Glou glou           to imitate water which sink          
Grr                     to express a an anger
Miam miam       to express a good taste
Vlan                   to imitate a slamming door
Vroum                to imitate the noise of a car

Poisson d'avril!

Poisson d'avril. What does it mean?

On April 1st, above all children make pranks and stick at the back of someone a fish made in paper. When the fish is discovered, the child who sticked the fish say "poisson d'avril!" and it is the same for pranks.

I have never wondered where does it come from this tradition. As I am curious, I made a research about the origin.

We don't know exactly the real story. A lot of versions were told. The most known remains that Charles IX, in 1564, instaured the first day of year was on January 1st instead of on April 1st.  On April 1st everybody used to offer gift each other. The pope Gregoire XIII spread the gregorian calendar to Christian nations in 1582. From January 1st 1565, was the new year day.

Why this day became a foolish day?

Some people met difficulties to remember the new year day and some ignored the reform (No TV, no Internet at that time! 😉). They carried on celebrating the new year day on April 1st. To mock at them, some guys made jokes or hung a fish at the back of their victim. When the fish was found out the jokers shouted "Poisson d'avril"! They also made fake presents.

 

Why a fish?

Once again, I read different stories. One told that fishing were not allowed due to the reproduction of fish and it was a period which was benefit for fishers. 

The other told that fish is a symbol of the end of fasting (careme). It was forbidden at this period to eat meat for christians. Prankers offered fake fish. the fish was the graphic symbol of Christianism, a sign of recognition. It is made wich two arks. Fish "poisson" would come from the corruption of passion "passion". A corruption is a phonetic transformation of a word.


 A few expressions about fish

Etre comme un poisson dans l'eau (to be like a fish in water): To feel well or to be at your ease in the place where you are or what you do.

Finir en queue de poisson (ending in fishtail): an event or a story which ends roughly and disappointingly.

Faire une queue de poisson (making a fish tail): turning down for a vehicle abruptly in front of the car which it just overtaken.

Noyer le poisson (drowing the fish): muddling up somebody

Avaler la mer et ses poissons (swallowing the sea and the fish inside): to have thirty a lot.

Engueuler quelqu'un comme du poisson pourri (calling somebody every name under the sun): to insult somebody or shouting after someone.

This is the link if you want to print and cut:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1280&bih=816&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=ICO-WujgJsSLgAbWz5GgBw&q=poisson+d%27avril&oq=poisson+d&gs_l=psy-ab.1.3.0j0i67k1j0l8.3396.11962.0.17002.21.13.0.0.0.0.2438.3606.7-1j0j1.2.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..19.2.3604....0.zMRwK2D2quQ#imgrc=FsyhoBEXRw_gdM:

Do not mingle son and sont

Son is a possessif adjective.
Son chat. Her/his cat.
If you have a doubt,  swap son by mon.
Mon chat.
Son is always in front of a noun.

Sont is a verb from être (its infinitive).
Ils sont jumeaux. They are twin.
To know if it is the right spelling, swap this by « étaient » (être conjugated in past tense).
Ils sont à Lyon. Ils étaient à Lyon.

Do you understand ? If you are some questions, don’t  hesitate to drop them in comments.


If ever you want to know more about French Grammar, this book will be useful

http://amzn.to/2DPAkhq

Valentine's day in France

On February 14th, lovers celabrate this day in several countries. Its origin comes from Great Britain in the XIVth century. This day was chosen because people thougt it was this day that birds mate. Valentin de Terni, a monk or a priest in the IIIrd century was martyrized under the imperor Claude IInd the gothic. He became the saint patron of lovers in 1496.

Love, a question of business?

Each year, a few weeks before the event, shops sell items concerning love: cards, hearts appears everywhere (on mugs, on clothes, underwears, on cushions....). You can see a lot of red in shops.
Chefs restaurateurs, florists, perfumers, jewellers take the opportunity to do the promotion of their goods or their menus. Even bakers make special cakes. It is a commercial celabration too.



In 2016, 24,8 millions of euros were been expended for flowers and other plants. Forists sells mostly roses and the favorite colour remains the red one.

Perfumes for women is a good business when it is Saint-Valentin day. In 2013, total sales recorded   80,7 millions € of sales revenues.

Underwears for women are a famous present too. If men offer underwear for their partner, women buy for themselves an underwear to wear for this event. A brand of this sector declares than his sales triple or quadruple during the week of  Saint Valentin.Chef restaurateurs are very happy. The rooms are full. tables are booked mainly by men. French spend from 40 to 100 euros per persons. A restaurant online sees bookings doubled quickly.

Unlike restaurants, master chocolatiers don't make a big sales revenues this day and travel agencies too.

         
                                     

And what about lovers?

It is a celabration which is waited by lovers. The fact to wish a happy Saint-Valentin makes happy and it is enough. But for some persons, they feel obliged to offer a gift in oder not to offense their partner. This event is celabrated different ways : with gift or without, a dinner at home or in a restaurant. That depends of the budget and of the character of each.