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Bastille Day: Background & Vocabulary

Another July 14th is just around the corner. You may know it as Bastille Day, but here in France, it’s called “La Fête Nationale” or “le quatorze juillet.” What’s it all about? Simply put, it’s the date that marks the start of la Révolution française (the French Revolution) and represents the day on which France won her independence from the unchecked and absolute power of the monarchy.

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French Health Food Vocabulary

The gastronomic delights of Paris can make even the most health conscious people want to fling caution to the wind and indulge in the many temptations available. But if you want to eat healthy in Paris, there’s little excuse for not doing so. Paris’s legendary markets offer wondrously fresh and healthy fruits, vegetables, grains and meats. And every year, it gets easier and easier to find quality bio (organic) foods, whether at restaurants, market stalls or in supermarkets.

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Learning the Gender of French Nouns: Part I

Assigning genders to French nouns is often one of the most daunting aspects of learning French. This is particularly true for Anglophones. Since nouns have no gender in English, it can be difficult for an English speaker to take seriously the idea of referring to a dining room table (la table) as a “she” or thinking of lipstick (le rouge à levres) as in any way masculine. (Keep reading to learn an easy way to remember French noun gender.)

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7 Verbs that Have No Direct Translation in French

When you imagine a word that has no direct translation into another language, it’s easy to imagine the existence of some exotic, complex word. For example, take the French verb “entarter.” This means, “to hit someone in the face with a pie”. Somehow that seems like exactly the kind of word that would have no direct translation in to English (or possibly any other language). But how about the verb “to kick?”… “To hug”? Seemingly basic English verbs such as these have no direct counterpart in French.

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How To Handle A Plateau in Your French Language Learning

ave you hit a plateau with your French language learning? You know… that maddening period when– despite your best efforts – it seems that you’re not retaining anything new, not speaking a jot better, still making the same mistakes, and will never, ever become fluent. Don’t worry. This happens to almost everyone who learns a new language. Keep reading to learn how to push forward and see progress in your French.

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7 Polite French Phrases to Learn before Visiting Paris

The French – Parisians, in particular – have a reputation for being rude. But the behavior that foreigners perceive as rudeness is often the result of cultural misunderstandings. To avoid any such misunderstandings, learn the following 7 French phrases before visiting Paris. With these phrases at the ready, we think you’ll see that Parisians are much more friendly than they’re reputed to be!

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Retourner, Revenir, Rentrer: What’s the Difference?

Some French verbs are more complicated than others for Anglophones, most especially those that don’t have an exact counterpart in English. Such is the case with the verbs retourner, revenir and rentrer. While each of these verbs do generally indicate someone going back to a place, they must each be used in a specific – and different – set of circumstances. Keep reading to learn more!

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