What To NEVER Say in French

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  • čas přidán 26. 07. 2021
  • Are you making these common spoken French mistakes? Let’s find out...
    🎓 Join my Everyday French crash course (free): www.commeunefrancaise.com/wel...
    Does that French word really mean what you think it means? That’s what we’ll explore in today’s lesson. I’m sure that you’ve heard or seen these French words and phrases before, and they DO belong in French vocabulary… but they are often misused by non-native speakers in everyday French conversation.
    In this compilation of some of my most popular videos, I’ll introduce you to 5 words that are commonly misused in French and explain why you should NEVER say them when speaking yourself. Let’s dive in!
    Take care and stay safe.
    😘 from Grenoble, France.
    Géraldine

Komentáře • 347

  • @Oslohiker
    @Oslohiker Před rokem +3

    "Rude even in French standards".... Lol.... That made my day....

  • @yubantwo2086
    @yubantwo2086 Před 2 lety +59

    I used bien fait while visiting French friends. They broke out laughing shaking their heads telling me no, no, no. After their laughter subsided their suggestion for what I wanted to say was: Bien joué (praying that's the correct spelling) "well played" for "well done". I will rewatch this video because it is full of useful tips. Merci!

    • @Marcel_Audubon
      @Marcel_Audubon Před 2 lety +6

      seems like an awful lot of guffawing over a little slip ... are you sure they're your friends?

    • @chitlitlah
      @chitlitlah Před 2 lety +6

      I learned that from Tintin. "Bien joué, mon brave Milou."

  • @IapetusRetroStuff
    @IapetusRetroStuff Před 2 lety +31

    Interesting. "Bien fait" is exactly like the Portuguese "bem feito", word by word, literally it means well done but it is not used much in this literal way but in an idiomatic way meaning it serves you well (for having done something bad/wrong now you are suffering the consequences).

  • @eleveneleven572
    @eleveneleven572 Před 2 lety +11

    I had to correct a friend recently who was proudly using "de rien" in conversation.
    Unfortunately he was not saying "de rien" but "derrière".
    He was recieving some strange looks.

    • @davidwise1302
      @davidwise1302 Před 2 lety +3

      Back in the 1930's my father then living in Texas would go to Mexico with his friends where they made use of the Spanish they had learned. And when in doubt, just use the English word with an "O" at the end. So, when the weather is rather cool, he was saying "Mucho culo." Later he learned he was saying "big butt."
      Decades ago we went to a performance by an Irish band. When they played the Londonderry Air (the music to "Danny Boy") they made sure to call it the "London Derrière."

    • @marccano5061
      @marccano5061 Před rokem +1

      You should have slapped him!
      To get his attention,,,,tu aurais lui donné une claque pour lui faire comprendre,,,,that's ol school french 🥖

  • @jimhresco1728
    @jimhresco1728 Před 2 lety +16

    I was sitting in an office waiting room and a man entered asking me a bunch of questions in French.😳
    I asked if he spoke English.
    He said, "non."
    We both laughed for awhile.
    That we understood. 👍😌

  • @davidwise1302
    @davidwise1302 Před 2 lety +6

    Outdated words. Again from my German experience, I went into a stationary store in order to buy a pen, "eine Feder" (literally "une plume"). They had no idea what I wanted and, assuming I was French (there was a French Army base nearby) even suggested "un crayon." When I spotted one on my way out, I learned it was called a "Kugelschreiber" (a "ball writer"), en français "un stylo". And yet a standard pattern sentence in learning French is still "La plume de ma tante est sur la table."
    When we learn a foreign language, we are learning a version at the time that our textbook was written ... at best. Languages change constantly. We're trying to learn a moving target.

    • @jd3422
      @jd3422 Před 2 lety +1

      I love the David Sedaris story of never being able to get it straight if an object is masculine or feminine. "Is it un stylo or une stylo?" He was able to bypass that in a way that I thought was hilarious: "Deux stylos, s'il vous plaît."

    • @davidwise1302
      @davidwise1302 Před 2 lety +1

      @@jd3422 So then the strategy is: when you don't know what you're doing, double down!

  • @bilahn1198
    @bilahn1198 Před 2 lety +11

    It's like "Good job!" in English. It depends, but it can sound insincere or condescending. It is often used talking to children.

    • @EliMardirossian
      @EliMardirossian Před 2 lety +1

      It's not even a matter of condescension here; 'bien fait' literally means 'serves you right!' Lmao

    • @EliMardirossian
      @EliMardirossian Před 2 lety

      Oh just noticed she actually explains it in the vid lmao i left my comment before watching it

    • @SirAntoniousBlock
      @SirAntoniousBlock Před rokem

      @@EliMardirossian No it doesn't literally mean it, it depends on the tone and context like every language.

  • @ColonelFredPuntridge
    @ColonelFredPuntridge Před 2 lety +16

    One of my best friends in college was the daughter of a professor of French. She spent summers in France and was absolutely fluent. The choir I sang with (which specialized in Russian vocal music, but that's another story) was planning a tour of USSR and Europe, which would include Paris. I had taken a little French in high school, but I didn't remember much. So I asked her for a few French phrases I could use. She laughed and said: "There's only one thing you will need to say in French while you are in Paris, dear. Say: 'Je parle français comme une vache espagnole.' And then, say whatever you need to say, in English."

    • @towaritch
      @towaritch Před 2 lety +3

      Cette expression parait il est une deformation de " Basque espagnol"...

    • @mydogdeli
      @mydogdeli Před rokem

      @@towaritch C'est vrai? Oh là là, ça c'est bien plus logique, mais je vois bien pourquoi on l'a modifiée.

    • @frahn1702
      @frahn1702 Před rokem

      😂

  • @josedosanjos2200
    @josedosanjos2200 Před 2 lety +8

    Thank you so much for the french lesson.

  • @BP-or2iu
    @BP-or2iu Před 2 lety +8

    An English tip for you: “classical” is not used how you said it... a “classical” trap. It’s a “classic” trap. “Classical” generally refers to thinks like Roman or Hellenistic art and history, or Western Art Music which is colloquially (and technically erroneously) referred to as Classical music in English.
    Also, English speakers never say “my friend” either so I’m not sure why they put it on French people. Middle Easterners and Arabs in general are the people I know who say “my friend” in English. And the Mexicans when you go down to Mexico and they’re trying to sell you stuff. Though I don’t hear them say “mi amigo” in Spanish so that’s curious.
    But the video is great and I always learn a lot when I watch you! Thanks!

  • @shelleymesser1176
    @shelleymesser1176 Před 2 lety +11

    Merci pour tous les exemples! Votre leçon était très bien faite! 😊

  • @angelodiazrodriguez5186
    @angelodiazrodriguez5186 Před 2 lety +4

    Una buena explicación Géraldine...¡gracias!👋🇬🇧

  • @minneapolisandbeyond8891
    @minneapolisandbeyond8891 Před 2 lety +30

    Excellent video, every minute of it. We can all handle longer videos since they go more in depth, which a lot of us like!

    • @paweolejnik1169
      @paweolejnik1169 Před rokem

      tbh, 30 mins to explain 3 phrases :) ...but I loved the explanation :)

    • @kt.1116
      @kt.1116 Před rokem

      Short is better. When video is too long you get distracted.

  • @jubilanda98
    @jubilanda98 Před 2 lety +26

    Bien fait actually means the same thing in Portuguese, when we want to say "You deserved it" we say "Bem feito!"

  • @janetmackinnon3411
    @janetmackinnon3411 Před 2 lety +8

    What a pretty collar! And thank you for the information.

  • @rouxanne-laure8938
    @rouxanne-laure8938 Před 2 lety +5

    Moi qui ne faisais pas des prouesses à la fac (d’anglais à Rennes), en traduction, je trouve vos cours très instructifs pour comprendre certaines subtilités des deux langues et comment les expliquer. Merci 🙏

  • @MC-tg1xk
    @MC-tg1xk Před 2 lety

    Merci pour les recommandations!

  • @sarnabchakraborty1323
    @sarnabchakraborty1323 Před 2 lety +1

    Thank you so much for such an amazing video.

  • @mujkocka
    @mujkocka Před 2 lety

    This has in what shared to know for while! Merci d’avoir pour partagér

  • @hannofranz7973
    @hannofranz7973 Před 2 lety +2

    Great advice. Thank you very much.

  • @ST-zi8pp
    @ST-zi8pp Před 2 lety

    Merci Madame Géraldine !

  • @celineliu4148
    @celineliu4148 Před 2 lety +2

    Merci pour les explications, ils sont claires et utiles.

  • @frenchwitharno8046
    @frenchwitharno8046 Před 2 lety +2

    Très informative, Super!

  • @daniel6678
    @daniel6678 Před 2 lety +3

    So useful!!

  • @basselsabri
    @basselsabri Před 2 lety +4

    Will LIKE first, and then WATCH!
    Because I know I will LOVE it. ☺️

  • @KGANZZ
    @KGANZZ Před 2 lety +21

    The direct translation of bien fait to well done is actually quite accurate, considering the phrase "well done" is often used sarcastically, meaning the opposite (similar to "good job"/bon travail).
    E.g You ate too many sweets, and now you're sick? Well (bloody) done.

    • @kerryh3833
      @kerryh3833 Před 2 lety +1

      Thats what came into my head when she was talking about it

    • @crease205
      @crease205 Před 2 lety +1

      Its not “quite accurate” in the sense everyone else outside of you would understand it so dont say it’s “quite accurate”. You then go on to clarify what you mean and put it in context (👍) but dont say “its quite accurate”.
      Dont assume other people who speak one or two of hundreds of languages around the world would find it “quite accurate” at first glance.

    • @kerryh3833
      @kerryh3833 Před 2 lety +1

      @@crease205 what are you moaning about? There's plenty of Brits that know perfectly well that a certain tone on "well done" means they're being sarcastic. Jeez.

    • @crease205
      @crease205 Před 2 lety +2

      @@kerryh3833 Youre so disconnected from the world arent you darling? I dont dispute anything of what you said in your reply. I stand behind you on that sentiment (means I agree). I meant dont assume that because the concept in the op (original post) is clear to you, it’ll be clear to speakers of hundreds other langs that may have watched this vid. I merely challenged calling it “quite accurate” Get it? Got it. 👍🏻

    • @thegypsyphoenix1738
      @thegypsyphoenix1738 Před 2 lety

      Or “way to go!” 🙄 (eye roll is important) lol

  • @junebower153
    @junebower153 Před 2 lety +32

    love these videos. So helpful. And here's a tip for you, Geraldine. "less mistakes" is a mistake in English. It should be "fewer mistakes". anything you can count uses "fewer". For example, "fewer chairs". vs water. "less water". Hope that helps.

    • @yummypasta92
      @yummypasta92 Před 2 lety +2

      Grammatically it is incorrect but it doesn't sound too weird to me to say "less mistakes", I think even English people make mistakes like that

    • @jennifersemple411
      @jennifersemple411 Před 2 lety +12

      Yes, June, you are so right - MANY (supposedly educated) English speakers now use “less” when it should be “fewer”. I am constantly shouting “FEWER!” at the television. I think I am so aware of the correct usage from years of teaching English as a second language abroad that I really notice how badly it is now used in Britain.

    • @manfredneilmann4305
      @manfredneilmann4305 Před 2 lety +2

      @@jennifersemple411 and also in the US!

    • @TesterAnimal1
      @TesterAnimal1 Před 2 lety +1

      @@yummypasta92 sounds weird to me. “Less” for a number of things grates.

    • @katehobbs2008
      @katehobbs2008 Před 2 lety

      Lol I was about to say the same thing 🤣

  • @karmacounselor
    @karmacounselor Před 2 lety

    Merci 😊

  • @Niesty
    @Niesty Před 2 lety

    Merci

  • @wallykaspars9700
    @wallykaspars9700 Před 2 lety

    Merci beaucoup pour cette video.

  • @roberttradd1224
    @roberttradd1224 Před 2 lety

    Thank you so very much. I learned many things from this video

  • @minookalantari
    @minookalantari Před 2 lety

    Merci beaucoup

  • @ruthmcintyre2313
    @ruthmcintyre2313 Před 2 lety

    J'adore! (I hope I've used this appropriately.)

  • @moodbeast
    @moodbeast Před 2 lety +8

    There’s a store called Madewell that sold a sweater that said Bien Fait. Hopefully they’re in on the joke.

  • @bifeldman
    @bifeldman Před 2 lety +21

    Always charming and informative.

  • @tobi2844
    @tobi2844 Před rokem

    Merci beaucoup Géraldine !!

  • @john-bk7ew
    @john-bk7ew Před 2 lety +1

    Really like your enthusiasm, thank you. I once said "Pas terrible" to someone and offended them. I thought it meant not bad ... just the opposite.

  • @macorey54
    @macorey54 Před rokem

    I didn't know the facts about 'bien fait', but I never heard of the other phrases. I learned French 1967 - 1972, but it was mostly book French and I didn't travel at that time except back & forth to college.

  • @Albert-fe8jx
    @Albert-fe8jx Před 2 lety

    Bonjour Mme G. Video, c'est super. Subscribed. I'm very pleased that you are offering this without charge. I'm familiar with very outdated expressions. This video was on point.
    I believe I was taught to say 'plus de pain' as 'plu de pain' , not pronouncing the 's'.

    • @milie7200
      @milie7200 Před 2 lety +4

      If you want more bread, when you say « plus de pain », the S must be pronounced :
      For exemple « je voudrais plus de pain ».
      If there is no bread left, the S is silent « plu de pain » :
      For instance : « il n’y a plus de pain » is pronounced il n’y a plu de pain

    • @Albert-fe8jx
      @Albert-fe8jx Před 2 lety +1

      @@milie7200 Merci. Je suivee.

  • @cullankobbyjnr6543
    @cullankobbyjnr6543 Před 2 lety

    Bonne. Bravo!

  • @shantaramhicks1029
    @shantaramhicks1029 Před rokem +1

    Bravo et merci!

  • @Jess-gr1qf
    @Jess-gr1qf Před 2 lety +9

    I have two questions:
    1. “Nous/On” - is it more common to use “on” in spoken French rather than “nous”, or is it ok to use both interchangeably?
    2. I learned once that “je t’en pris” means “you’re welcome” but many times I’ve heard it used to say “please.” Is “s’il vous plâit” an outdated way of saying please in spoken French, or are both acceptable?

    • @milie7200
      @milie7200 Před 2 lety +5

      « Je t’en prie. » means indeed you’re welcome, you may also hear French people say « De rien! » it is more colloquial than « Je t’en prie ».
      « Je t’en prie! » /« Je t’en supplie! » can be used to beg but not to say please in a normal conversation: Je t’en prie, aide moi! / Please, I beg you, help me!
      « S’il vous plaît » / « S’il te plaît » is absolutely not outdated, it’s basic politeness. If you never use it, you will be seen as a rude person.
      Je te prie ( different from je t’en prie) can be used to sort of say please in a formal way: Je te prie de trouver ci-joint… / Please see attached… though in a formal context one would more likely use « vous » and not « te » : Je vous prie de trouver ci-joint… (if you don’t already use « tutoiement » with that person)
      Hope this helps!

    • @arriesone1
      @arriesone1 Před rokem +1

      The French never use nous when talking, it’s always ‘on’. But I believe nous would be used in written french.

    • @canaisyoung3601
      @canaisyoung3601 Před rokem

      @@arriesone1 Or if you're just getting started on learning French and your teacher wants you to learn the basic/formal/written French before you take on the informal, colloquial French.

  • @yvesdelavignette2676
    @yvesdelavignette2676 Před 2 lety +5

    Bien joué (Well played), Beau travail (Nice Job), Joli ! (Nice!), T'as fait ça comme un chef (You mastered it), Nickel ! (... untranslatable), ...

  • @emgar135246
    @emgar135246 Před 2 lety +7

    C’est drôle, parce que 'bravo' en espagnol (en Mexique quand même ) peut être utilisé comme 'bien fait' pour dire 'serves you right'.

    • @jean-noelthomas
      @jean-noelthomas Před 2 lety +3

      En français aussi "Ah ben bravo!" is negative...

  • @caribeandude1
    @caribeandude1 Před rokem

    In Spanish we say "bien hecho", but not necessarily to congratulate someone for a job "well done" An example would be, " I reprimanded him for being late to the meeting". "Oh? "Bien hecho" In the case of a job well done we're more likely to say "Hiciste un buen trabajo, te felicito" ("You've done a good job, I congratulate you"

  • @sandinsadayarathne8762
    @sandinsadayarathne8762 Před 2 lety +1

    thank u very much.... tres bien....
    i love your videos

  • @JohnKaman
    @JohnKaman Před rokem

    It doesn’t help to keep identifying mistakes. It jus makes me more timid in my expression and I live in Paris. Lighten up!

  • @josephciolino2865
    @josephciolino2865 Před rokem

    wonderful video. thank you.

  • @TesterAnimal1
    @TesterAnimal1 Před 2 lety +1

    Intouchables is such a great film!

  • @justme-hh4vp
    @justme-hh4vp Před rokem

    13:01 make fewer mistakes....
    Mistakes are countable therefore use fewer not less.

  • @LouielamsonTranNguyen
    @LouielamsonTranNguyen Před 2 lety +3

    It's too late for me to learn French language today!!
    Wonderful lesson.

    • @SirAntoniousBlock
      @SirAntoniousBlock Před rokem

      Never too late, if you've learned the words to songs you can learn 100 French sentences commonly used, no need to worry about the feared French grammar it's all contained.

  • @kitchfacepalm
    @kitchfacepalm Před 2 lety +1

    Lumière has a French accent in the version française. The rolled R used to be more common (even in Paris) and is also still used in some French accents.

    • @Matty88K
      @Matty88K Před rokem +1

      That much of a roll wouldn't be Parisien. Perhaps in the Southwest, and among people who speak Occitan, Catalan, or Spanish. I lived in Paris '69-'75, Didn't hear heavily rolled r's, except in Provence.

  • @reginalancaster2245
    @reginalancaster2245 Před 2 lety +6

    Merci bien! Je apprends beaucoup avec toi, parce que je veux parler bien avec mes amies françaises!!!

  • @jpaulobiem
    @jpaulobiem Před 2 lety +1

    'Bien fait' c'est la meme chose en portugais. Très intéressant.

  • @ma3languages483
    @ma3languages483 Před 2 lety +1

    thank you very much give me and us more actual conversation between two people who are native please to acquire the actual accent and idiom of french it is my opinion thank you very much

    • @janedmunds4218
      @janedmunds4218 Před 2 lety +1

      You can get that kind of thing from Easy French videos. They ask questions of French people on the street. But Geraldine is wonderful with her kind of teaching. Elle est super, fantastique, etc.!

  • @learnurduwithsara1068

    wao c'est très utile. Merci!

  • @dazita
    @dazita Před 2 lety

    Actually in La Guajira ( A Colombian region), bien fait also has that meaning!

  • @DiamanteDea
    @DiamanteDea Před 2 lety

    You should have a million subs!!

  • @nothingbutgianttrees1995
    @nothingbutgianttrees1995 Před 2 lety +3

    5:08 Videogames have taught me even the nicest compliment can sound like an insult if the intonation or timing is wrong :'')

  • @paules3437
    @paules3437 Před rokem

    0:55. Oops. If you misuse "bien fait," you don't "fall into a classical trap" (as she states); you fall into a CLASSIC trap.
    "Classical" refers to ancient times or, in the arts, the 18th century (approx). Mozart was the apotheosis of "classical music;" Jacques Louis David is the greatest "classical" painter of the age.
    "Classic" refers to anything that is a "prime illustrative example" of something: a low-level tennis player might fall into the CLASSIC trap of being drawn into the net only to be passed by his opponent's shot. A movie that is a "classic" is one that has stood the test of time and still retains its admirable qualities. Orwell's "1984" is a classic, but it is not classical.
    We all know language is full of traps! I appreciate the energy Mme Lepère brings to these lessons.

  • @polyglot8
    @polyglot8 Před 2 lety +1

    Thank you. I didn't know that "vedette" was outdated. Is "Il y a belle lurette" outdated?

  • @clydecessna737
    @clydecessna737 Před 2 lety

    I have found the Geneva Swiss say "Bonjour" in that heavy duty way with an emphasis on the "Bon".

  • @rwh777
    @rwh777 Před rokem

    Now that you mention it, even in English, if used in a sarcastic context, "Well done" kind of means something like 'you deserved it" or "what did you expect?"

    • @Gottenhimfella
      @Gottenhimfella Před rokem

      I think her point was that in France it may be taken as sarcasm regardless of context or tone.

  • @stuartdryer1352
    @stuartdryer1352 Před 2 lety +2

    I didn't realize vedette was outdated. Thanks for letting me know. I've read several Simenon novels recently in French, and I'm curious how many of the words and phrases that I'm having to look up are outdated. For example, in one he repeatedly used souliers for shows.
    The thing I like best about eating in France, besides the food itself, is that the waiters are professional and ghost-like.

    • @manfredneilmann4305
      @manfredneilmann4305 Před 2 lety +2

      ...souliers for *shoes

    • @stuartdryer1352
      @stuartdryer1352 Před 2 lety

      @@manfredneilmann4305 I was typing too fast. Thanks!

    • @claudinelipinski5912
      @claudinelipinski5912 Před 2 lety +4

      "star" is used for actors or singers but you can sometimes hear : c'est une vedette de la télé".

    • @james-p
      @james-p Před 2 lety +3

      I agree about the waiters - I much prefer their efficient and professional attitude over the "Hi, I'm Kimberly and I'll, like, be your server tonight! How's everybody do-ing?? Perfect!" etc. ad nauseum lol
      I still see souliers used today, but fairly rarely. From what context I can glean, it seems the word > is used for shoes in general, and the word > seems to be used for fine dress shoes and sometimes fine slippers also. I could be wrong, but I tend to see > used at high-end shops like Corthay and Aubercy, so that's my best guess.

    • @iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643
      @iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 Před 2 lety +2

      Yes. Souliers is a bit outdated. But can be used. It’s correct. Chaussures is the most used word nowadays. Godasses is slang.

  • @sallyfinkel8110
    @sallyfinkel8110 Před 2 lety +1

    I was surprised to see "on est allees" with the extra "es" for feminine plural. I didn't realize you make the agreement with the subject "on" depending on who "on" is referring to.

    • @maximeroux696
      @maximeroux696 Před 2 lety +1

      Well, I assume you already know these rules: with the verb "être" the participle past has to agree with the subject. Meanwhile "we" is "nous" , you're not supposed to use "on" as an equivalent when writing French (a rule we ignore wonderfully). So officialy you have to make the agreement but officialy "on" is not supposed to be plural. So you can basically make the agreement or not, it's up to you :)

  • @kerryh3833
    @kerryh3833 Před 2 lety +1

    Laisse tomber = leave/let it be. You seem to use laisse more in places English use the word Leave (obviously not the "leave" associated with physically leaving)

    • @nancy_keys
      @nancy_keys Před 2 lety +1

      Indeed. We also say "laisse-moi tranquille" for "leave me alone".

  • @davidsouza2830
    @davidsouza2830 Před 2 lety

    Here i Brazil we say "Bien fait" ("Bem feito" in portuguese) in the similar way as in French, we use it with a ironic sense of congrats.

  • @Gottenhimfella
    @Gottenhimfella Před rokem

    I get the feeling "mon vieux" or simply "vieux" is (surprisingly) still relatively _au courant_ in France. And, for congratulations, "chapeau"... They both seem like expressions which would have a short shelf life.
    Perhaps one or both is a bit like "cool" in Anglo Saxon countries, which is hardly ever considered dated.

  • @antarjones7888
    @antarjones7888 Před 2 lety

    Can you use for well done?

  • @vivianjones7834
    @vivianjones7834 Před rokem +1

    Bien fait ! means Serves You Right ! in Ireland!!

  • @annakozoriz
    @annakozoriz Před 2 lety

    Geraldine, bonjour. What books would you recommend to start reading as a beginner in French? Please

    • @emerprendiville1515
      @emerprendiville1515 Před rokem

      I don't know what Geraldine woujd recommend but when we holiday in Brittany I always pick up some younger children's books in the supermarkets or French markets , I find these helpful as they have everyday , interactive language. Also they are short enough to keep me on board ( with Google translate & a pencil !) Might not suit everyone I accept but works for me.😅

  • @adad-nerari4117
    @adad-nerari4117 Před rokem

    Bravo Géraldine,cette video sera très utile à nos amis anglophones. Si je peux me le permettre, je dirais qu'on peut aussi dire "Bien joué !" pour "Well done !", même si on n'est pas en train de jouer. Quant à "Bonjour,mon ami !", si un Français me le disait je trouverais ça,en effet, un peu condescendant ; en revanche un "Bonjour,mon ami !" dit avec un accent étranger ne me choquerait pas du tout, j'y verrais même une intention d'être aimable.

  • @christopherdieudonne
    @christopherdieudonne Před 2 lety +6

    I live in France and I still hear people say, "une gonzesse" *a lot* . Of course, a lot of people say, " une nana" but I don't think "une gonzesse" isn't as rare or outdated as reported in this video.

    • @aasenprivate5199
      @aasenprivate5199 Před 2 lety +6

      It is sexist.

    • @christopherdieudonne
      @christopherdieudonne Před 2 lety

      @@aasenprivate5199 If you say so, but I've also heard lots of French women use it as well so ....

    • @ivansmith654
      @ivansmith654 Před 2 lety +2

      Hello Christopher Dieudonné, I am Franco-American living in France and have been for 20 years this time around! I am also a Cajun I speak French from the Napoleonic era meaning out of date for France but not on the Bayou and my nickname in Cajun French is a swear word in French! Back in the day when the British soldiers, the Redcoats ruled their call us those names because anyone stupid enough to live on the Bayou got this nickname! The Cajuns or AKA Acadians were not allowed to have or own land and the only thing left other than water was the Bayou If you're asking, it's the "C" word in both English and French it is about women in the most insulting way! I was given this nickname by a true blooded Cajun because he believes my mother is a witch of white magic she gave him a health tip, and it worked on him so white magic and no one touches a witch of white or black magic or a gater would eat you, so I was given this nickname in honor to my mother because he believes she saved his life, and he owes her his life and he would give up his life to protect her! I am talking about the lower Bayou, the wild side of the Bayou the one place on the Bayou you will not find a Redcoat walking check out the movie Southern Comfort with Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe a great movie the Cajuns are fun people but don't take their food away from them! Check out Acadians history, many women and children die at the hands of the Redcoats!
      You do know your last name Dieudonné is French, meaning "God given" in English!
      Here is a deeper description of "Gonzesse": In 1864, gonzesse, a "chick" designates a prostitute or the wife of a pimp. The Treasury of the French language specifies that the term can also be used to speak of a "girl of light manners" but also, to characterize a "coward, cowardly man". Yes a lot of French use gonzesse and the value of the word has slipped some, but it is still considered insulting on some level by most people even by very that use the word gonzesse! I never did go to French school but I hear most French school teach you what bad words are in French and to use them or sometimes a teacher could hit you over the hand with a twig or a wooden ruler! My mother was in a French Christian boarding schools for orphans and the nuns were mean and tough because no one like orphans and no one miss an orphan! In France, there are two levels or classes of the French language the low class French speakers vulgar French slang (argot in English it is slang) unofficial French and then the right way, the holy way or god's way of speaking! The French lady here trying to be nice, and polite, (French school training) however I am not! To help you understand the value of gonzesse it would be like saying a woman is a bitch! Just to help confuse you even more, there is a town here in France called Bitche France, no that is how it is spelled in French, Google it, and you will see for yourself! The French language is said to be among one of the hardest language in the world, to learn even for the French people! Just so you understand, I know nothing of my French verbs or conjugation or the use of gender nouns (la and le male and female) and yet many French think I do know correct French because I do speak real good French my mother is French, and I was born in Paris but as a Swamp-rat kid on the bayou we did not care because when a gater is after you the one thing we don't say is the male gater or female gater is about to eat me what you do is run but you don't run in a straight line you zig and zag as you run but kind of slowly and the gater cannot see you!
      If it helps you any, I do know in the video a few small mistakes were made when she spoke in English, (who is French) but the video is done now, and I don't know her so will she care now; who knows she may never even see this her email most be full all the time now!
      PS I gave you a thumbs up because your half right unofficially! This is the land of exception to everything and anything at anytime, just about when ever you want it!

    • @ginetterondeau1569
      @ginetterondeau1569 Před rokem +1

      In Quebec we dont use gonzesse

  • @masteroflanguages4572
    @masteroflanguages4572 Před 2 lety +2

    Bien joué is another way of saying well done.

    • @johngalvin3763
      @johngalvin3763 Před 2 lety +2

      i only use it with regards to playing a sport

    • @LubaFan
      @LubaFan Před 2 lety +1

      But isn't life itself the ultimate sport...? 🤔

    • @Maverick-re3zp
      @Maverick-re3zp Před 2 lety +1

      @@LubaFan no

  • @alexmancunian7774
    @alexmancunian7774 Před 2 lety +2

    Une fille
    Ça a le cœur tout rempli de chansons
    Qui refleurissent à toutes les saisons
    Pour l’amour d’un garçon.

  • @russella7263
    @russella7263 Před 2 lety

    So Bien Fait is a sarcastic Well Done. We do that in English to.

  • @jean-pierrebeaujeu774
    @jean-pierrebeaujeu774 Před 2 lety

    bien joué

  • @anamariaortizaguirre935

    Je dirais Chapeau!

  • @jonathanturk1152
    @jonathanturk1152 Před 2 lety +1

    I used to say “C’est bien accompli!” to mean someone did a good job.

    • @kiorodjirane8517
      @kiorodjirane8517 Před 2 lety +1

      Well, a french person will understand what you mean by that but we don't use that. 'Beau Travail!', 'Parfait!', 'C'est très bien!' are some you can use instead.

  • @joni3503
    @joni3503 Před rokem +1

    Bien fait. In Dutch we have a similar expression "net goed", it means, you got what you deserved...it's not very nice to say.

  • @gregjohnson2920
    @gregjohnson2920 Před rokem

    i really like the ideas she has for teaching but she goes through it all very fast and I have to rewind a lot, so many subjects in such a short time, I think maybe I am not ready to learn with her, I think she is teaching a super advanced class,

  • @harrygardner9219
    @harrygardner9219 Před 2 lety +1

    Does copain/copine have the same implication as ami/amie?

  • @wolfthequarrelsome504
    @wolfthequarrelsome504 Před rokem +1

    How would you like your steak?
    I said "bien fait".
    I wondered why the serveur looked worried/confused.

  • @writeplando
    @writeplando Před 2 lety +3

    Hello, thank you for this useful video. Is Mademoiselle still commonly used as a title for unmarried women in French? Or are all women referred to as Madame, like all men are referred to as Monsieur?

    • @stuartdryer1352
      @stuartdryer1352 Před 2 lety

      I am also curious about this.

    • @bridgetleonard6702
      @bridgetleonard6702 Před 2 lety +4

      @@stuartdryer1352 I lived in Paris for 4 and a half years and people always called me madame. Mademoiselle is used for actual girls not for women in their 20s or 30's.

    • @stuartdryer1352
      @stuartdryer1352 Před 2 lety +1

      @@bridgetleonard6702 That's what I would have expected now. I just wanted to be sure.. Thanks for this!!!!!!!!

    • @claudinelipinski5912
      @claudinelipinski5912 Před 2 lety

      It depends on the age of the woman.

    • @iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643
      @iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 Před 2 lety +2

      Madoiselle is often used. But mainly towards teen agers or very young women. After 25-30 years old, a woman should be called Madame, being married or not.

  • @djlondon7956
    @djlondon7956 Před 10 měsíci

    I've got a reverse tip for French speakers when speaking in English... The regular and equal French cadence / stress of syllables is not OK in English where we "eat our words". If you speak English with this equal cadence and stress it can be quite stressful and tiring for the other party. It often sounds overly insistent and rather headache-inducing 😂 As if someone is hitting you on the head with a medium-weight hammer in time with a metronome. You're welcome!

  • @michaelbednarski4601
    @michaelbednarski4601 Před 2 lety

    --Je suis éxcité(e) de te voir!
    "I am excited to see you!"
    I am told that the two sentences do not mean the same thing.

    • @MinJany
      @MinJany Před 2 lety +2

      Excité means horny. Excited in "I'm excited to see you" = je suis ravi(e) de te/vous voir.
      Excited in another context can mean "agité" in French.

  • @frankfertier34
    @frankfertier34 Před 2 lety

    Marcel Gotlib; merci pour lui.

  • @cat_city2009
    @cat_city2009 Před 11 měsíci

    "bien fait" is the equivalent of American Southerners saying "bless your heart."

  • @spencergee6948
    @spencergee6948 Před 2 lety

    In the UK there is a very popular TV series about Poirot. He is always saying ' Mon Ami'!

  • @rose_yts
    @rose_yts Před 2 lety +1

    Can you say 'trés bien' for something well done? Thanks for this video.

    • @manfredneilmann4305
      @manfredneilmann4305 Před 2 lety +1

      *très

    • @LubaFan
      @LubaFan Před 2 lety +1

      @@manfredneilmann4305 Bonne réponse à la question. Bien fait. 😜
      @Raquel C
      Where I come from (Canada) we use "très bien" that way. Same usage as the English "very good", or "well done."

    • @iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643
      @iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 Před 2 lety +2

      Très bien, or c’est très bien/c’est parfait/c’est super… are acceptable answers.

    • @rose_yts
      @rose_yts Před 2 lety +2

      @@LubaFan Merci, thank you :)

    • @rose_yts
      @rose_yts Před 2 lety +1

      @@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 Thank you :)

  • @JonathonV
    @JonathonV Před 2 lety +8

    Merci, Géraldine ! One question: is it normal to use “avoir” when referring to food or drink like you did at 23:21 ?
    I was always told to use “prendre” instead, because “avoir” implied ownership. That lesson was bundled up with other “prendre” expressions in French. In English you can “take a shower” or “have a shower”; you can “take a seat” or “have a seat”. In French, though, we were told to use “prendre” in those expressions because using the item was different from possessing it. Is that a fair analysis?

    • @sammyytube5999
      @sammyytube5999 Před 2 lety +4

      I am not a professor. But in my studies I understood it to be ok to use avoir in the context of asking a question or getting a food, not eating it. That is with the exception of coffee which always uses prendre whether your are asking for it or drinking it. For example: Puis-je avoir le gateau? On peut avoir une verre d'eau? Je vais prendre un cafe avec mon gateau. Perhaps someone will confirm this.

    • @juniper617
      @juniper617 Před 2 lety +1

      @@sammyytube5999 Confirmed.

    • @sammyytube5999
      @sammyytube5999 Před 2 lety +1

      @@juniper617 Merci!

    • @ginetterondeau1569
      @ginetterondeau1569 Před rokem

      On utilise prendre mais on peut aussi dire avoir mais c - utilisé

  • @slowlearner4341
    @slowlearner4341 Před 2 lety +3

    Comme d'habitude, Géraldine... Votre vidéo était "bien fait". C'est ce que nous devons savoir. Les dictionnaires ne peuvent pas contenir tout ce qui cache un langage quotidien. Merci beaucoup!

  • @gabymotaa
    @gabymotaa Před 2 lety

    The bein fait is used in the same contexts in Portuguese. “Bem feito” also doesn’t mean “well done”

  • @deny2294
    @deny2294 Před 2 lety

    literally yesterday though we went to a kebab place and the person behind the counter greeted us with the "bonjour, mon ami!" sequence
    what should I understand from that?

  • @james-p
    @james-p Před 2 lety +3

    There was an episode of the TV series "Pan Am" where the French stewardess called out > at a restaurant and I seriously cringed! And the actress* was a native francophone too, so she should have known better! But it was set in the early 1960s - maybe the term was still used then? But I mainly cringed at the thought of Americans watching the show and then doing that in France. TV is where most of my mistakes came from haha.
    *Karine Vanasse is Québécoise but she can speak metropolitan French very well, too.

    • @milie7200
      @milie7200 Před 2 lety +1

      My grand-parents would often use « Garçon! » when I was a kid in the 90´s (but my parents never used that expression, it was already a bit outdated). So for a TV show set in the 60’s having a character saying « Garçon! » isn’t awkward at all.

  • @ellabraitman6336
    @ellabraitman6336 Před rokem

    In Hercule Poirot serious series of British productions, Poirot says "mon ami" all the time to different people.

  • @KevinBrown-bn3nz
    @KevinBrown-bn3nz Před 2 lety

    bien fait, well done, as used in american english can have both a positive and negative meaning also. if a person has obviously failed or made a mistake, we can point that out by saying, "Well done! Can you do that again?" it is sarcasm. But the American trend for a compliment on something well done is simply, Good Job. Maybe that translates to, Bon Bouffe?

    • @booti386
      @booti386 Před 2 lety

      "Good job" = "Bon travail" in french

  • @mariancrow5402
    @mariancrow5402 Před 2 lety

    pour bien fait, en anglais, on dirait "he had it coming". on dit, des fois, "looks good on you" et aussi, "couldn't happen to a nicer person".

  • @mikemason746
    @mikemason746 Před 2 lety

    Very helpful lessons, but I kept getting distracted by the evolving bangs.

  • @sketchur
    @sketchur Před 2 lety +9

    I like saying « bien joué » when gaming. And is « bon travaille » (“good job”/“good work”) reasonable ??

    • @hananoush4109
      @hananoush4109 Před 2 lety +3

      “Bien joué” can be used in other circumstances than gaming, better if you are not in a formal setting.
      Don’t know what you mean by “reasonable” but “bon travail” is right to say, means what it means for once 😜 and is more formal in my opinion 🙃

    • @TesterAnimal1
      @TesterAnimal1 Před 2 lety +2

      I use that with my new French climbing amis when they complete a climb. Seems to work.