When people think of French music, they often think of one of the more famous chanteurs (singers) like Edith Piaf or Jacques Brel.

But what else is there?

Le jazz is one of the most famous styles de musique (styles of music) in the world.  

It made its way from New Orleans all the way to Orléans, but une fois en France (once in France), le jazz underwent an interesting transformation.

Le jazz became le jazz manouche, un style de musique pioneered by Django Reinhardt in the 1930s that mixes le jazz with le musette (traditional French dance music) and the music of the Romani people, or as they are often called, les tziganes (gypsies).

Le musette is un style de musique I had heard before, but did not know the name.

The first time I heard someone say jazz manouche, my response was:

Qu’est-ce que c’est 'manouche' ? 

What is 'manouche'?

I quickly learned that manouche is a word for gypsy and le jazz manouche is called gypsy jazz in English.

I also met one of my best friends here in France by talking to le guitariste d’un groupe de jazz manouche (the guitarist of a gypsy jazz group) after a concert.

Le jazz manouche generally features la guitare seche, le violen et la contrebasse (acoustic guitar, violin, and double bass), but it’s not uncommon to hear l’accordéon et la clarinette aussi (the accordion and the clarinet as well).

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

Do You Feel Like A Million Dollars?

There are countless words and expressions that people use every day without realising how they do not make much sense.  

L’argot (slang) is an important part of every language, but one that is unfortunately hard to find in many textbooks.

Figuring out how exactly to say one million can be hard enough before trying to find a good equivalent to the expression, “to feel like a million dollars“:

Péter la forme 

Péter le feu 

Avoir une pêche d’enfer

Literal Translation: 

To fart the form 

To fart fire 

To have a hell peach

It can be surprising how different expressions are from one language to another and how useless knowing the literal translation is.

Like in the example expression, “To feel like a million dollars“, there is a lot of argot for l’argent (money). Sometimes it’s easy to understand, as in ten grand, but it can be bit harder to understand, par exemple, 50 bucks.

In French, everything became more confusing with l’introduction de l’euro. Some terms were more used when le franc was the currency, and while a few have held over into modern times, especially in older generations, many of them are less used now.

Mais d’abord, une petite histoire (but first a short story):

I was talking about le loyer (the rent) and how expensive it is à Paris when mon ami (my friend) used a word I had never heard before:

Ouais, ça peut coûter plus de 700 (sept-cents) balles par mois. 

700 balles ? 

Ouais…. Euh… 700 euros.

Yeah, it can cost more than 700 bucks a month. 

700 bucks? 

Yeah… Uh… 700 Euros.

I figured out that une balle meant a euro when referring to money, and soon had a similar conversation that led to me learning that le sou also refers to money in a general sense, but more often to les centimes (cents, money less than one euro).

Similar to how in the US bucks are used for dollars, and quid is used as l’argot for pounds in the UK, au Québec they have un mot différent (a different word) for their money - Piasse!

I first learned about this argot from a Bernard Adamus song, one of my favorite francophone musicians. He sings in a very thick accent québécois and uses a ton of argot that people in France would not understand, but it’s still a fun song that uses the unique Canadian word:

La question à cent piasses.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

You Know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer etc. But....

Do you know about the Dark Side of the French Rudolph?

Ah, it’s December, and baby, it’s cold outside! Don’t be a grinch about the weather, though. Even if Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, tis the season to be jolly!

Whether you’re in church listening to yuletide carols being sung by a choir or at home decking your halls with boughs of holly, this time of year is often a magical season for many. Memories from childhood come rushing back with something as simple as a smell or a movie. There’s a lot history in every family’s Christmas, and although mine never really sang Christmas carols, I’ve always been a big fan of the music (d’où [hence] the really horrible puns at the beginning of this article).

Reading a translation of something you’re already familiar with can benefit your foreign language acquisition and how studying the similarities and differences can bring a new dimension to a text. Even something as simple as a name change can make you consider a new aspect of the character.

L’onomastique (onomastics), the study of the origins and usage of names, should be considered in every literary analysis. Let’s take Perdita from 101 Dalmatians as an example. Her name derives from the Latin perdere, (soit en français perdre or in French, perdre) meaning lost. Perdita itself means “lost one — a very fitting name for the story. Mersault from Albert Camus’s L’étranger has a name that would have more significance for a French speaker than an English speaker*. There have been many papers that study Mersault’s name in relation to his actions in the book. Meurt sot (die stupid), pronounced the same, is often presented as an analysis of the character’s name.

* Same goes for the title, too, actually. L’étranger in French already has un double sens (two meanings) — in English the word can be translated back as stranger or foreigner. Reading a translation of this won’t allow you to understand its full significance.

This is all super interesting, Josh, but what does it have to do with Christmas? Sorry, got a little carried away!  In 1823, a poem intitulé (called) “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” was published anonymously before being attributed to Clement Clarke Moore in 1837. Maybe you don’t know it by that title, but I’m sure if I give you the first line, you can complete it: ’Twas the night before Christmas…

It’s through this poem that Santa’s reindeer were all named for the first time. When the poem was translated, the reindeer’s names were also translated. Some were translated directly while others had brand new names attributed to them.

Want to delve deeper?

Look up all the reindeer’s attributes (for example, one of them is the strongest) and the meaning of their French names...

Tornade (Dasher) 

Danseur (Dancer) 

Furie (Prancer) 

Fringant (Vixen) 

Comète (Comet) 

Cupidon (Cupid) 

Tonnerre (Donder) 

Éclair (Blitzen)

Well, there’s 8, but we’re missing “the most famous reindeer of all.”

Where is Rudolph, and when did he come into play?

Rudolph made his first appearance in 1939 in a short book written by Robert L. May. The song was adapted to song 10 years later by May’s brother-in-law. It was recorded by Gene Autry and hit #1 on the Billboard pop singles in December 1949. We all know the story… Poor little Rudolph was picked on by reindeer bullies until one Christmas Eve when Santa noticed him and his bright nose and asked him to guide his sleigh. Now a hero, all of Rudolph’s little haters became fans and “shouted out with glee.” A cute story.

Unless you know the French version. Then you’ll be surprised to learn just why Rudolph’s nose was red. And that it wasn’t Santa who discovered him. And you have to see happened before he could guide the sleigh. Anyway, here is the song!

Quand la neige recouvre la verte Finlande 

When snow covers green Finland 

Et que les rennes traversent la lande 

And reindeer cross the heath 

Le vent dans la nuit 

The night wind 

Au troupeau parle encore de lui 

Still talks about him

On l’appelait Nez Rouge 

They called him Red Nose 

Ah comme il était mignon 

Oh, he was so cute 

Le pettit renne au nez rouge 

The little red-nosed reindeer 

Rouge comme un lumignon 

Red like a light

Son petit nez faisait rire 

His little nose made people laugh 

Chacun s’en moquait beaucoup 

Everyone made fun of it 

On allait jusqu’à dire 

They even said 

Qu’il aimait boire un petit coup 

That he liked to drink a little

Une fée qui l’entendit 

A fairy that heard him 

Pleurer dans le noir 

Crying in the darkness 

Pour le consoler 

To console him 

Lui dit : 

Told him: 

“Viens au paradis ce soir” 

Come to Heaven tonight

Comme un ange Nez Rouge 

Like a red-nosed angel 

Tu conduiras dans le ciel 

You’ll drive in the sky 

Avec ton p’tit nez rouge 

With your little red nose 

Le chariot du Père Noël 

Santa’s sleigh

Quand ses frères le virent d’allure aussi leste 

When his brothers saw him with such supple style 

Suivre très digne les routes célestes 

Following the celestial routes with dignity 

Devant ses ébats 

Before his frolicking 

Plus d’un renne resta baba 

More than one reindeer was shocked 

On l’appelait Nez Rouge 

They called him Red Nose 

Ah comme il était mignon 

Oh, he was so cute 

Le p’tit renne au nez rouge 

The little red-nosed reindeer 

Rouge comme un lumignon 

Red like a light

Maintenant qu’il entraîne 

Now that he’s guiding 

Son char à travers les cieux 

His sleigh across the skies 

C’est lui le roi des rennes 

He is the King of Reindeer 

Et son nez fait des envieux 

And his nose makes others jealous

Vous fillettes et garçons 

You, little boys and girls 

Pour la grande nuit 

For the big night 

Si vous savez vos leçons 

If you know your lessons 

Dès que sonnera minuit 

When midnight tolls

Ce petit point qui bouge 

The little dot that moves 

Ainsi qu’une étoile dans le ciel 

Like a far away star 

C’est le nez de Nez Rouge 

It’s Red Nose’s nose 

Annonçant le Père Noël (x2) 

Announcing Santa Claus

…what? So Rudolph’s nose was red because he would drink? Where did this fairy come from? And he had to go to Heaven before guiding the sleigh? Don’t you have to die first to go there? So many questions…

What do you think of the French version of Rudolph?

Just how do the French celebrate Christmas where you live or visit?

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

Je viens de revenir en France (I just came back to France), which means I’ve been dealing with le décalage horaire (the time difference). All the confusion of living in abroad in another language has come rushing back, and brought up one very funny interaction. 

Talking with un ami (a friend), I wanted to tell them about something that happened during my time as an undergraduate student.

I started the sentence with,

“Quand j’étais au collège….” 

When I was in middle school….

And proceeded to talk about university level classes. The confusion on la visage de mon ami (my friend’s face) made me realize I’d made an all too common mistake. Le collège (middle school) and college are very different things in French and in English.

It lead to an even more confusing conversation about le système d’education français (the French education system). After a long conversation and many explanations I still wasn’t quite sure whether fifth grade was the same as en cinquième.

Une fois à la maison (once I was home), I looked up just how each classe (grade) is said in French and found an article here on Transparent Language explaining the differences. I then understood why I had trouble understanding mon ami.

The naming convention is very different and the differences can look scary when they’re written out.

“EducationFr” by Thomas Steiner. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Commons.

The important things to remember are that the general ideas of elementary, middle, and high school exist, they’re just said very differently. 

L’école primaire (elementary school) lasts for 5 years, with kindergarten being a part of nursery school in France, le collège (middle school) lasts for 4 years and starts en sixième (sixth grade), and le lycée (high school) is 3 years long.

Remembering these basic steps will make understanding your French friend’s enfance (childhood) much easier!

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE this is a delightful detached house, a French Countryside Longere style property in a quiet rural hamlet situated between La Trinite-Porhoet and Meneac but actually in the commune of Mohon.

Here is a nice bit of background to this beautiful property in the words of the owner...

" Having arrived in Morbihan, Brittany for a friends anniversary party, we decided to check out the local property market. It was love at first sight when we first came upon our house, it was nestling within its own private enclosed garden, in a tranquil hamlet surrounded by beautiful countryside; what more could anyone want !

It was also a perfectly safe environment for our animals "Birman Cats" that we used to breed and exhibit in the UK, a hobby we wanted to continue, not to mention 2 Standard poodles. 

We have the close proximity of all local amienities, with easy access to airports, Ferries, motorways, to explore "La Belle France"  

Through our friends and neighbours we were introduced to the French way of life, it is rather laid back, always making new friends especially when joining French Classes, a good way to intergrate, we also made many French friends at Cat exhibitions, although we no longer exhibit now, but keep in touch.

There is always help on hand with the Local Marie with all local activities.

Our home was completely renovated, taking 18 months with the help of a French architect and artisans, it now has a charm all of its own, and will not disappoint anyone who walks through its doors, or enters the beautiful, tranquil garden, with its various fruit trees and veg garden, it is a delight and privilege to be living here, you need never be alone."

Now the house is for sale and we would be delighted to show you it anytime. 

CLS00391 for sale for 189,300 euros FAI.

GROUND FLOOR: Your first impressions of this house are fabulous, on entering the tiled entrance and hallway you quickly get a sense of character and quality, which continues as it leads to an open plan dining kitchen area with beamed ceiling and a Godin wood-burner which can be backed up with oil fuelled central heating in the winter if needed. The kitchen is fully fitted with integrated units ie. dishwasher, cooking hob, oven and cupboards. 

From Kitchen there is a a dry larder for storage of foodstuffs and a doorway to a cellar, wine cellar, and out to a conservatory which you can see from kitchen window. 

Along the lower hallway there are 2 double bedrooms, both with parquet flooring. There is also a shower room, wash hand basin and a separate WC. 

FIRST FLOOR: bespoke oak staircase which leads to a magnificent master-suite of lounge, bedroom and en-suite bathroom. This area has been beautifully renovated by local artisans but retaining original beams and features, double glazed windows and wooden flooring throughout. The en-suite bathroom is tiled and has bath with a shower head tap, wash hand basin, WC and velux window. The master bedroom also has a dressing room which is extremely practical.

At the rear of the house is a summer kitchen with utility area for washing machine etc. 

OUTSIDE: Garage, hangar with workshop, and large vegetable plot and land of 2879m². The plot also has an irrigation system and is nicely enclosed making it a safe garden for children and dogs. 

There are also kennel/cattery in the garden if needed and can also be used for keeping chickens. The kennel/cattery has heating and lighting installed - I may move in there myself! 

There are also apples, cherries, plum, figs and kiwi fruits in the garden. 

IN SHORT: A delightful property which has an up-to-date septic tank and in a quiet rural hamlet with open farmland at the rear. 

Just 20 mins away is the main town of Ploermel with its excellent array of supermarkets and shops. The medieval town of of Josselin has the Nantes Brest canal running through it and is ideal for fishing, cycling, boating, canoeing, and walking. The airports of Dinard and Rennes are about an hours drive away. St Malo is about an hour and half drive away.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.