Today is UN French Language Day! This celebration was started in 2010 to promote multilingualism and the diversity of culture as well as to promote the UN’s six official languages. To celebrate this, we look at some of our favourite French words and phrases.
Retrouvailles
The euphoric feeling when you meet someone again after a long time, for example, with long-distance relationships.
Mon petit chou
Literally “my little cabbage”, is an adorable term of endearment, essentially meaning “my darling”. “Chou” is a familiar word for French children as it is part of a mnemonic that they learn as young children. A related term which is as equally cute-sounding is “chouchou”, again meaning “my darling”.
L’esprit de l’escalier
This phrase, (literally “staircase wit”) has no direct equivalent in English, but refers to when you think of the perfect reply too late or after the event, for example, after an argument.
La douleur exquise
This beautiful phrase represents the heart-breaking feeling of when you love someone who does not love you back.
Dépaysement
This one word encompasses the many feelings you experience when you are not in your home country. Literally meaning “to be without a country”, it encapsulates the excitement, fear and disorientation you face when abroad.
On ne peut pas avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre
This funny phrase literally means “you can’t have the butter and the money from the butter (the money from selling the butter)”. Our equivalent would be “you can’t have your cake and eat it”.
Petit a petit, l’oiseau fait son nid
This figurative phrase literally translates as “slowly by slowly, the bird builds its nest”. This phrase builds an illustrative picture meaning “every little bit helps”.
References
http://www.un.org/fr/events/frenchlanguageday/
