Learning a language – any language is not a piece of cake! We don’t just learn the language; we explore, decipher, investigate- solve mysteries. Or so it seemed to me- while I was learning French. French is no doubt a beautiful language. However, I had my share of panic and confusion that made me question why I ever chose this language.
Here’s a list of some things that intimidated me but didn’t stop me!
Pronunciation
Although French sounds melodious and soothing, learning to produce those sounds right is a task. There are many silent letters. For example, ‘heureux’ is just ‘ha-ra’ with ‘eux’ silent. The ‘r’ sound is also twisted to pronounce. It is something like ‘khr’. There are even accent marks (aigu-é, grave- à, è, ù, circonflexe-â, ê, î, ô, û, cédille -ç, tréma- ë, ï, ü) that govern the pronunciation of sounds in a word. So, it is not all that difficult to recognise the pronunciation. Also, we cannot connect the spellings with sounds- cent, sans, sang are all pronounced as ‘saw’ with a nasal undertone!
Spellings
I was glad French script is the same as English, but that’s not all. French has some really strange spelling rules. This is so because of the silent letters that are written but not pronounced. It is so because these letters were once pronounced in French but with time, the pronunciations changed. However, the spellings remained the same. The good part is the spelling rules in French are more constant than English with fewer exceptions.
Numbers
Mathematics is scary already. Learning numbers in a new language could be worse. Learning the numbers was all fine till I reached 69. But then 70 is soixante-dix – meaning sixty and ten and goes on as sixty and eleven, sixty and twelve…
80 is quatre-vignts which means four twenties! 99 is quatre-vingt-dix-neuf which means four-twenty-ten and nine. It can be crazy! However, it is only a matter of practice and time.
English- Same but not the same
French is a lot like English. Many spellings are the same as in English. But they are pronounced differently. Words like different, international, main, radio would be read differently by a French speaker and an English speaker.
There are also many words in French that appear to be the same as English but have different meanings. False friends! For example, librairie does not mean a library but rather a bookstore. A library is called a ‘bibliotheque’ in French.
Despite all the confusion, knowing English does help in learning French. That’s how I used it a stool rather than a hurdle.
Grammar!
French grammar is complex. It has a large number of tenses. Each tense has rules for conjugating verbs and more so, there are exceptions there too! Not just people but everything and even abstract concepts have genders so getting those le, la, les can be frustrating for those who don’t use such rules in their first language. With higher levels, the grammar keeps getting more complex, but the best part is when you know how to use it and use it well that too.
So, these were some reasons why I sometimes thought of quitting the language. I may have been frustrated and confused at times, but je suis tombé amoureux de la langue (I fell in love with the language)!
Wait…you thought the article was over ? Well not yet !
There are many French expressions that I love but here’s a list of some strikingly quirky ones.
Avoir le cul entre deux chaises
Translation: To have one’s ass between two chairs
Meaning: To sit on the fence (avoid making a decision)
Haha! I wonder how many times I have had my ass between two chairs all my life or how many chairs there have been!
Ah, la vache!
Translation: “Oh, the cow!”
Meaning: Oh God!
It is a popular expression used for showing surprise. So, if you visualise it, you may end up laughing in serious situations. It can be considered close to the expression “Holy Cow”.
Cracher dans la soup
Translation: Spit in the soup
Meaning: to treat what's given to you or what's available to you with neglect and disdain, to bite the hand that feeds you
Sassier French version of “jis thaali mein khaya usme ched karna”!
Raconteur des salades
Translation: To tell salads
Meaning: To tell lies
The French are indeed fond of their food. They even narrate them! The English expression ‘spinning yarns’ is equivalent to it.
Peigner la giraffe
Translation: To comb the giraffe
Meaning: To do something unnecessary
Woah. Why would anyone comb the giraffe anyway? This saying is pretty realistic.
Avoir la cafard
Translation: To have the cockroach
Meaning: To feel blue or feel down
Eww. Just hope no one is having a cockroach right now!
Péter plus haut que son cul
Translation: to fart higher than one's ass
Meaning: be conceited, think highly of oneself
How many people do you know who ‘péter plus haut que son cul’? Stinky, right!
Avoir un chat dans la gorge
Translation: To have a cat in the throat
Meaning: To have a sore throat
Oh! That sounds pretty scary!
Je crève la dalle
Translation: To burst rocks
Meaning: To be hungry
The mother’s going to be shocked to hear the kids are not starving but bursting rocks!
Ça me fait une belle jambe
Translation: It gives me a beautiful leg
Meaning: Not to care, couldn’t care less
Many of us would love to say that! And we do love have beautiful legs, right?
Like all languages, French is full of witty and hilarious expressions. Of course, it’s so more when we take them too literally. Can you think of such comical phrases or expressions in any other language?
-Akansha Tigga
Full-time Faculty, ELTIS