Small talk / everyday lingo Flashcards

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1
Q

Greetings.

a) General
b) follow-up if you know the person

A

a) Bonjour

b) Ca va

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2
Q

Expressing excitement.

a) Excited (beware the false friend)
b) Colloquial

A

a) Excite (this means aroused) - instead use enthousiaste or content to mean ‘excited’
b) Super! C’est super! C’est genial! Chouette! C’est cool!

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3
Q

I didn’t tell you? I passed my exam!

That’s great, I’m so happy for you!

A

Je t’ai pas dit ! J’ai réussi mon examen !

C’est génial, je suis trop content pour toi !

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4
Q

I am just kidding!

Example - And that’s is why I hate camembert… I am just kidding

A

Je déconne / je blague

Et c’est pour ca que je déteste le camembert… je déconne

Note: deconner is a slightly dirty word so don’t use in front of austere company

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5
Q

You are right, I agree

A

Tu as raison, je suis d’accord

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6
Q

That’s true, I am wrong

A

C’est vrai, j’ai tort

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7
Q

That works

A

Ça marche / Ça roule / Ça va

Note: “Ça marche ?” can also be used as a greeting (i.e. How are you?)

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8
Q

Let’s do it / let’s go

A

C’est parti / on y va

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9
Q

Let’s meet up … (tomorrow)

A

On se voit … (demain)

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10
Q

Does that work for you ?

A

Ça te va ?

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11
Q

Lets do it this way

A

Faisons comme ca

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12
Q

Excuse me, can you repeat that please? I didn’t understand that last phrase

A

Excuse-moi, tu peux répéter (Excusez-moi, vous pouvez répéter). Je n’ai pas compris la derniere phrase

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13
Q

Can you speak a little slower? / Can you slow down a bit?

A

Excuse-moi, tu peux parler plus lentement / tu peux ralentir un peu

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14
Q

What’s the french word for… ?

A

C’est quoi en francais pour dire … / C’est quoi le mot pour dire… ?

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15
Q

See you soon !

See you very soon !

A

à bientôt !

à très vite !

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16
Q

The world is small, and life is long

A

Le monde est petit et la vie est longue

i.e. We may see each other again one day!

17
Q

‘e’ is often omitted from the middle of words and sentences in fast spoken French. Omit the correct ‘e’ from the following

  • Je me suis reveillé à 6h
  • Je suis allée à la boulangerie
  • Je t’ai apporté des bonbons
A
  • J’me suis reveillé à 6h (zhmuh-suis…)
    ou. … Je m’suis reveillé à 6h (zhum-suis)
  • J’suis allé à la boulang’rie (shui allé…)
  • Jt’ai apporté des bonbons (Shtai apporté…)
18
Q

Slang/shortened versions of…

  • Oui
  • Non
  • D’accord
  • à plus tard
  • un petit dejeuner
  • Il faut que
  • Ne t’inquiète pas
A
  • Ouais
  • Nan
  • D’ac
  • A plus (A+) - (‘ah ploose’)
  • Un p’tit dej
  • Faut que
  • T’inquiète
19
Q

In negations, what is often cut?

- e.g. “Je n’aime pas Paris” would become…?

A

J’aime pas Paris (cut out the ‘ne’)

20
Q

Questions - in fast spoken French, which structure is not used?

A

Inversions

21
Q

Which 2nd person plural is used in spoken French

A

‘On’ (not ‘nous’)

Example: “On y va” (not “allons y”)

22
Q

Un tic de langage (fillers)

  • erm…
  • well…
  • you know…
  • you see…
  • quoi…
A
  • euh
  • tiens / bah/ ben
  • voila
  • ## tu vois
23
Q

Slang/familiar terms for…

  • Un homme
  • Une femme
  • Comment
  • Beaucoup
  • Dire
A
  • Une nana
  • Un mec
  • Quoi
  • Vachement
  • Faire
24
Q

Translate the following into fast spoken french:

N’aimez-vous pas les macarons?

Non, nous n’aimons pas les macarons.

A

Vous aimez pas les macarons ?
(removed ‘ne’ and corrected the inversion)
Non, on aime pas les macarons
(switched from ‘nous’ to ‘on’ and removed ‘ne’)

25
Q

Translate the following from fast spoken french:

Ah bah bien! T’as ram’né ton mec à la soirée d’la boite. J’te félicite pas. T’abuse quoi ! On avait dit: pas d’mari ni d’femme

A

Bravo! Tu as amené ton mari à la soirée de l’entreprise. Je ne te félicite pas. Tu exageres. On avait dit: pas de mari, ni de femme.

Bravo! You brought your husband to the company party. I do not congratulate you. You exaggerate. It had been said: no husband, no wife.

26
Q

We are going to love it (any activity)

You are going to love it

Lit: we are going to “feast ourselves” (so often used for food)

A

On va se régaler

Tu vas te regaler / vous allez vous regaler