français pour étrangers (part one)

this bumper sticker says it all

Since people keep asking me how the french is coming along, I decided to give a little update on a few things I've picked up over the last 7 months. I took an intensive course in Paris last fall, and have been in a two hour class once a week here at the Institute. It's a little over my head right now, since there are all different levels in there. But it's good just for the practice of listening and trying to follow along. Mostly I just pick things up through everyday conversation and repetition.


One of the first things to master after you've got past how to say ca va and salut all the time, is the weather. You don't want to be left out looking stupid when you can't even make small talk about the weather. One of the main differences is you can't say "it is hot." You have to say, "he makes it hot" or Il fait chaud. Which actually makes more sense, since the weather can't "be", but is made that way. (I think by God, but I'm not sure if they frenchies think they're saying "he" or "it". I like to think it's "he"). Another one "it's nice out", Il fait beau. So if you remember that Il fait part, you can substitute in whatever weather is it when you learn the appropriate term. 


In kinda the same way, there are a lot of things you can't just say "I am" for. Like "I'm hungry". Which, when you think about it, is not really a part of who you are, but what you're feeling at the moment. So the french say J'ai faim, literally, "I have hunger." It's the same for being thirsty, cold, hot, right or wrong. Interestingly, you say Je suis fatiguée, "I'm tired", but "I'm sleepy" is J'ai sommeil.

One odd thing I've found, is everyone writes in cursive here. Really? What I studied for a week in third grade is now important? My cursive is horrible, but luckily, I do write with kind of a flowing print that seems legible. For me though, I first have to turn the writing into letters, then words, then figure out the words. I've never been so grateful for typed print.


I have learned it is important to distinguish between dernier and derrière. We were lining up to go onstage for our choir concert, but our director was switching around the order. One of the guys who used to lead us on, was now going to the end of the line. So I was trying to tell him, "no, you're last, go to the end." But what I said was, "Non, tu es le derrière, vas y." Which I proceeded to say a couple times while he looked at me oddly, before I realized I was saying, "no, you're the butt, go." He took it well though. 


Ok, that's all for now. Learn more next time!