Words and phrases
Note that these phrases are pronounced using the French rules, and not the English ones. Thus, the stress most often falls on the final syllable, the final letter is silent (unless it's "r" or "à" or "é"), consequent words are pronounced without a pause between them, unaccented "e" is usually pronounced as [ @ ], and final "n" is nasalized as /~/ (see SAMPA for a guide to phonetic symbols).
- à bientôt! -- See you later!
- à la -- in the manner of
- à la carte -- each item separately
- à la mode -- fashionable (or, in North America, "with ice cream")
- Adieu! -- Good bye!
- Au revoir! -- See you again! (or) Good bye!
- Bon appétit! -- Have a good meal!
- Bonne chance! -- Good luck!
- Bon voyage! -- Have a good trip!
- Bonjour! -- lit., Good day! but also means Hello!
- carte blanche -- unlimited authority (literally, blank card)
- cause célèbre -- an issue arousing widespread controversy or heated public debate
- c'est la vie! -- That's life!
- c'est magnifique! -- That's great!
- comment allez-vous? -- How are you?
- croître -- to grow (or) to increase (or) to wax (as in the moon))
- d'accord -- "agreed, okay" (mostly Canadian)
- douceur de vivre -- sweetness of life
- escargots -- snails
- l'esprit d'escalier -- thinking of the right answer too late (literally "staircase wit"), originally a witticism of Rousseau
- faux amis -- false friends (used to refer to similar words in French and English that have different meanings).
- je ne sais quoi -- An indefinable (usually compelling) quality (literally "I don't know what")
- joie de vivre -- joy of living
- merci beaucoup! -- Thank you very much!
- mirepoix -- a cooking mixture of two parts onions and one part each of celery and carrots (see mirepoix at foodreference.com)
- moi -- me, often used in English as an ironic reply to an accusation: "what, me?"
- né (or) née -- born (past participle of naître -- to be born), often used to give someone's former or maiden name
- n'est-ce pas? -- isn't it? Used after a statement, as in, right?
- non -- no
- oui -- yes
- répondez s'il vous plaît (R.S.V.P.) -- please reply
- Le roi est mort. Vive le roi! -- The king is dead. Long live the king!
- s'il vous plaît (S.V.P.) -- please (or) if it pleases you (or) if you please (formal).
- soupe du jour -- the soup of the day
- vive la différence -- Long live the difference (between England and France, or between the sexes)
- vive la France -- Long live France
- voilà! -- There you go!
French phrases in international air-sea rescue
International authorities have adopted a number of words and phrases from French for use by speakers of all languages in voice communications during air-sea rescues. Note that the "phonetic" versions are presented as shown and not in SAMPA.
- SECURATE (securité, "safety") -- the following is a safety message or warning, the lowest level of danger
- PAN PAN (panne, "breakdown") -- the following is a message concerning a danger to a person or ship, the next level of danger
- MAYDAY (m'aider, "help me") -- the following is a message of extreme urgency, the highest level of danger. MAYDAY replaced SOS in this function.
- SEELONCE (silence, "silence") -- keep this channel clear for air-sea rescue communications.
- SEELONCE FEE NEE (silence fini, "silence is over") -- this channel is now available again.
- PRU DONCE (prudence, "prudence") -- silence partially lifted, channel may be used again for urgent non-distress communication
- MAY DEE CAL (médical, "medical") -- medical assistance needed
It is a serious breach in most countries, and in international zones, to use any of these phrases without justification.
External Link
See also common phrases in different languages.
Quotation
- Déjeuner: the breakfast of an American who has been to Paris. Variously pronounced.
- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
