Say “Good bye” to Confusion with Greetings in French!

by Emily Chardac

It is with sadness that this will be the last entry of my insider’s view of the French language and culture through LanguageVine. I’d rather call this my ‘see you real soon’ blog instead. That being said, I thought it would be appropriate to conclude this adventure with how to say “good bye” in the various social settings within the French culture.

Let’s get started! As I’ve written before, greetings in French are very important. How to say “hello” and “good bye” are an essential part of a French conversation. You must learn how to do them right. (I don’t want to say it’s as rigid as a conversational ‘procedure’ but a conversation isn’t complete without proper greetings.) Of course you’re familiar with “bonjour” (hello) and other ways to greet someone. But what about wrapping up a conversation?

Among close friends and relatives, two or four cheek kisses are seen as the culturally appropriate way to greet.

If you’re with friends, you will start and finish a conversation with two or four kisses and a verbal au revoir (good-bye.) Two kisses if you’re just friends and four kisses if you’re close friends or family. What I like about the links below (from about.com) is that they are audio files that will allow you to hear the correct pronunciation of each of the expressions.

À bientôt, À tout à l’heure (See you soon)
À plus, À plus tard (See you later)
(pronunciation of plus)
À demain (See you tomorrow)
À la prochaine (Until next time)

Bonne journée (Have a nice day)
Bon après-midi (Have a nice afternoon)
Bonne soirée (Have a nice evening)
Bonne nuit (Good night)

Adieu (Farewell)

I would highly advise not using adieu in any conversation. In French, it’s like saying ‘good bye’ forever. In some situations you could be misinterpreted. To be safe I would recommend saying au revoir. If you are going to see someone within a few hours of your departure, then I would recommend saying à bientôt or à tout à l’heure. Don’t say au revoir in these situations.

Thank you for reading all of my blogs and being a loyal reader with LanguageVine. This isn’t the end of the road in sharing my adventures with you. For now, let’s end this with à la prochaine, and you can continue to follow LanguageVine on Twitter (@languagevine).

 

Enjoy Five Unforgettable Days in Paris!

by Emily Chardac

Do you have a limited budget or can’t get more than one week off work to travel? Check out this five day plan to jump start your travel itinerary. Whether you’re a student, a single, a foodie, or a romantic, there is something for everyone in Paris, also known as the “City of Light.” Before we get started, check out my travel tips and what to do when you arrive at the Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Day 1: You’re going to be a bit jet-lagged, so build that into your day. Go to your hotel and take two hours for yourself to nap, shower, relax, and eat. Some easy things to do on your first day:

• take a boat tour along the Seine River
• grab a French pastry at a local bakery and enjoy the Luxembourg Gardens
• have a cup of coffee and people watch
• walk along the left bank

Plan on checking in early because you’ll be tired and you’ll want to make sure you’re energetic for day two.

Day 2: You went to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, so go for it! Don’t forget to visit the Champ de Mars, les invalides, and the American Chuch in Paris.

• Bonus: Walk between each attraction to “take in” the atomosphere.

When in Paris, be sure to see the eternally popular Eiffel Tower, one of the city's most iconic attractions!

Day 3: Today you’ll be busy. Walk across the historic Pont Neuf and go to the Louvre to see your favorite art pieces. Be realistic, it will take 2-5 hours to get through the Louvre if you wish to see the most popular attractions. After you’ve seen the Mona Lisa, finish the day doing some shopping on the Rue de Rivoli.

• Bonus: Louvre admission is free the first Sunday of every month
• Bonus: Shopping during les soldes

Day 4: Visit the Sacre Coeur (my personal favorite) in Montmartre. Take pictures of the Parisian skyline (beautiful both during the day and night). Then, visit the Place du Tetre. Continue your walking through into the famous Montmartre neighborhood. Don’t forget to check out the Moulin Rouge.

Day 5: Don’t make any plans, do whatever inspires you or catch up on something you wanted to spend more time seeing.

Happy traveling and bon voyage! Do you have any travel tips or personal experiences from a successful and short trip to Paris? I’d love to hear what you have to say!

 

Not in France? You can still enjoy French TV!

By Emily Chardac

There is nothing like sitting down with a gigantic bowl of popcorn watching a French movie on French TV via my computer. (Sometimes I connect my computer to my TV and pretend I’m still in France!) From local news of a region in France that I love to a French TV series to a movie, I can get it all at the convenience of the Internet. Keep in mind that France is +6 hours for the East Coast, +7 hours for the Midwest, +8 hours for the Mountains, and +9 hours for the West Coast. I know this can complicate things if you’re going to watch something live, but get creative!

I have to smile to myself when I’m watching TV in France because many of the most popular TV series are American with French voice overs. Check out Friends and CSI in French. If you’d rather watch something with subtitles, here are episodes of CSI – Las Vegas, High School Musical, or Glee Interview. The great part about watching a series through YouTube is that you can replay a section that you may not understand. (Tip: When you hear the studio audience laughing, replay until you understand the joke.)

In the US, some of the major TV networks are ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, or the CW. In France, the major TV networks are TF1, France 2, France 3, Canal +, and M6.

Want to watch live French TV? Check out these links!

• TF1 steaming videos
• France 1 streaming videos
• M6 streaming videos
• Live movies and series

Practice your French vocabulary while enjoying your favorite French TV shows and movies!

Have any tips to understanding a foreign language? We want to hear them!

Ordering Food in France with a Side of Humor!

by Emily Chardac

Have you ever wondered how you would handle yourself in a restaurant in French? If you’re in Paris, you’re probably going to be in English-speaking company. Sure, you could attempt to speak English or even point to what you think you’d like to order, but to have the most valuable experience, try to speak French! Use your witty humor for an ice breaker and to excuse yourself.

The first time I ordered food in French was at a crêperie, which is a place that sells only crêpes. There was one that looked so good. It was a banana crêpe with nutella and whipped cream. The only problem is that when I spoke in French, I pronounced whipped cream (chantilly) exactly how it looks in English. You know, shan-til-lee.

The waiter blushed, laughed, and said in French, “Can you please repeat that?”

I repeated. “Shan-til-lee.”

“Again! Repeat!” the waiter mocked in a friendly way.

I joked with the waiter, in French, “Well you say whipped cream in English. Let’s hear it!”

The waiter said in English with his Parisian accent, “Your accent is just too nice.” Then he switched back into French. “We say chan-tee-yee. Now I will go get the delicious crêpe you ordered!”

This tasty crêpe is made of fraise, banane et chantilly (strawberry, banana, and whipped cream). Delicious!

If you can, use humor to your advantage like I did. Not only will it help you work on your French vocabulary, but you will have a great story to share with friends. Humor, at least for me, is the best way to overcome language barriers and cultural awkward moments. Have you ever been in an awkward language or culture situation? I’d love to hear about it!

Check out this awesome link about ordering food in French.

This Year, Enjoy a French-Inspired Valentine’s Day!

by Emily Chardac

Valentine’s Day should be celebrated by everyone. It’s one of my favorite holidays because I love to make everyone around me feel special (and I may even treat myself to a couple of chocolates, too)! In France, Valentine’s Day isn’t celebrated in the same way as it is in the United States. In fact, I don’t believe there are special Valentine’s day cards, candies, or advertisements on the TV. I’d like to tip you off so you don’t make the same mistake I did with my French college boyfriend — I spent hours preparing a special day and he just didn’t understand all of the effort. Of course he appreciated my gestures, but it took me a bit of time to explain. I guess in the end I won his heart, and maybe, just maybe, it was because of Valentine’s Day.
I hope my ideas make your day special, for your partner, a friend, a family member, or yourself. Enjoy!

Try out some of these French-inspired gift ideas for a wonderful holiday with your loved one this year!

More ideas:

• If you are crafty, make your own Valentine cards with happy tape. Hand write French terms of endearment.
• If you are tech savvy,  make a video Valentine card with you speaking French sweet nothings.
• Borrow your partner’s iPod a few days before V-Day and fill it with your favorite love songs.
• Make a romantic breakfast… for dinner. Here are some ideas for a French themed breakfast.

How to ‘Feel Better’ when Traveling through Paris!

By Emily Chardac

Bonjour everyone! I regret I was not able to write a blog for you last week, I was under the weather (and still am) with a cold that won’t let up. Speaking of weather, Milwaukee was in the middle of a snow blizzard last night. We have about 18 inches of snow and 5 foot snow drifts. The great part of having a cold and bad weather at the same time is that it was a paid snow day for everyone. It got me thinking, though, for all of you who anticipate traveling to France in 2011. What if you’re not feeling well in France? Will you know what to do?

If you decide not to take traveler’s insurance or if you are not covered under your American health insurance plan, don’t panic because you can still receive medical treatment in France (even if you are American)! You can see a doctor for about 30 euros. You can also have a doctor visit you for a slightly higher cost, probably about 50 euros. If your French isn’t at the level where you think you can fully express yourself, the American Hospital of Paris and the British Hospital would be nice options for you.

A Pharmacie Sign Next to the Centre Pompidou Building in Paris

You may even already know the kind of medicine you need for your ailment, without going to a doctor. In this case, you will need to find a pharmacie (which is usually designated with a green cross in France) or grocery store. Tip: Don’t expect to find the same American over the counter medicines.

• Helpful French health insurance tips from an English-speaking expat
• Common English-to-French words for various ailments

It might make you feel better to know that I was quite sick when I first arrived in Paris as a student. I don’t know if it was my nerves or food that I ate, but I needed a medicine to calm down an angry stomach. I walked to the pharmacie in my neighborhood and explained my symptoms. Even though I couldn’t articulate every ache and pain, I was able to tell the pharmacist when my concern started and my symptoms. I walked out of the pharmacy with two medicines for about $25. Within a few days I was feeling like myself.

On a happier note, I can’t wait to share next week’s blog with you. I will be writing about French-inspired valentine gifts you can create for that special someone. Have a great week!

Want to visit Paris right now but can’t? Read this instead!

By Emily Chardac

Bonjour, hello, everyone. I hope you are enjoying le weekend. I’m looking forward to relaxing, and I’m in the mood for some crêpes with nutella and bananas tomorrow. I plan on taking pictures and sharing my review with you in a future blog.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share with you the plans I am making for my next visit to Paris. You’ve heard of the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysées, and the Louvre; but Paris isn’t full of tourist attraction. It’s a huge city. In fact, there are nearly 11.8 million people who call Paris “home” and is easily over 2,000 years old. (I am imagining baking a cake to celebrate Paris with 2,001 candles. Something tells me this would be no easy task.)

The beautiful Jardin des Tuileries in Paris

To start, you need to know how the city of Paris is organized. Unlike most American cities that have square blocks to divide things, Paris is a city with squiggly, narrow streets that appear to cross every which way you turn. There are 20 individual sections of Paris called arrondissements, which spiral outward (like a snail) starting at Notre Dame. The most popular tourist attractions can be found in arrondissements one through eight.

Been there done that! Now I’m ready to find the insider’s Paris, like where to buy the best cup of coffee or find the best deal on a self portrait. This is what I have on my list.

1. Located by the Opera Garnier, Espressamente illy is known as having the perfect Italian expresso.
2. I think the best crêpes are sold by some of the street vendors. In one day, I will find the perfect crêpe in the Latin Quarter and Montmartre! However, my colleague recommends a place in the Latin Quarter, on the Rue Mouffetard — a non-traditional crêperie called Au P’tit Grec. Greek crepes anyone? Oui, s’il vous plait!
3. I will also purchase the most beautiful scarf in my budget on the Rue Mouffetard, right next to Place de la Contrescarpe the famous Hemingway hangout.
4. After observing the artists’ work, I will find someone to draw my portrait in the Place du Tertres.
5. Because I anticipate enjoying Paris during the summer, I will have my bathing suit ready for Paris Plage. (Which probably won’t be the same day I eat my two crêpes!)
6. I will take full advantage of les soldes (sales) in the month of July. I hope to find an awesome pair of boots.
7. I had the best dinner in Chinatown during one of my last visits. I will return and eat my meal out of a pineapple. (Delicious by the way!)

Language Vine Marketing Director Rebecca McNeil at her Favorite Crepe Place in Paris, Au P'tit Grec!

What will you put on your ‘Paris To Do List’? Or if you’ve traveled there before, what would you recommend to our readers who are thinking about visiting this beautiful city? I look forward to reading your responses!

Bisous,

Emily