{"id":8739,"date":"2020-03-06T11:21:35","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T10:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/?p=8739"},"modified":"2021-06-22T15:21:28","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T13:21:28","slug":"french-words-used-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/french-courses-paris\/french-words-used-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"French Words Used in English"},"content":{"rendered":"

10 French Words That You\u2019ve Seen Before\u2026 in English<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. <\/strong>Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins.<\/h3>\n

Here is a list of 10 French words used in English. The literal English translation is provided and followed by an explanation<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"French
Famous French words used in the English language<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Souvenir\"French<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you\u2019re returning from an amazing trip, you\u2019ll no doubt bring back an amazing gift for yourself or friends, a.k.a. souvenir<\/strong>\u2014a tiny piece of memorabilia.<\/p>\n

    For English speakers a souvenir<\/strong> is tangible, physical, and visible. For the French too, but not exactly. The verb souvenir<\/em><\/strong> also means to \u201cremember\u201d or \u201crecall.\u201d<\/p>\n

    For example:<\/p>\n

    S\u2019en souvenir<\/strong>. <\/em>(to remember\/recall)<\/p>\n

    Je me souviens<\/strong>. <\/em>(I remember.)<\/p>\n

    Je ne me souviens<\/strong> pas. <\/em>(I don\u2019t remember.)<\/p>\n

    So while the word souvenir<\/em><\/strong> in French does describe a physical relic that induces \u201crecollection,\u201d it also defines any old \u201cmemory.\u201d<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      D\u00e9j\u00e0 Vu and D\u00e9j\u00e0-Vu\"De\u0301ja\u0300-vu\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u201cI\u2019m having d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu<\/strong>\u201d has somehow secretly slipped into English to solely describe an inexplicable instance that may have never actually happened.<\/p>\n

      \u201cAlready seen,\u201d is the English translation of the French phrase with which we associate that weird feeling of reliving the same past experience.<\/p>\n

      In France you\u2019ll often hear this word, because it\u2019s used to express \u201chaving re-seen\u201d a person, place or things, not<\/em> in another life or dimension. In other words, it\u2019s a factual encounter.<\/p>\n

      The French do too believe in the weird phenomenon (of course they do!), but have a different way of spelling it (with a hyphen), d\u00e9j\u00e0-vu<\/em><\/strong>. There is no difference in pronunciation though, which is why context is always<\/em> key!<\/p>\n

      For example:<\/p>\n

      As-tu d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu <\/strong>ce film<\/em> ?<\/em> (Have you \u201calready seen\u201d this film?)<\/p>\n

      J\u2019ai eu un sentiment d\u00e9j\u00e0-vu<\/strong>. (<\/em>I had a (feeling of) d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu.<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

      C\u2019est du d\u00e9j\u00e0-vu<\/strong>.<\/em> (It\u2019s nothing new.\/It\u2019s predictable.)<\/p>\n

      Note<\/strong>: There is always a space before \u201c?\u201d and  \u201c!\u201d when writing in French.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        Hors d\u2019\u0153uvre \"hors-d'oeuvre\"<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        A favorite French phrase that gets our appetite going (oh hey, \u201cappetite\u201d is another French one, app\u00e9tit<\/em>!), to us English speakers, hors d\u2019oeuvre <\/strong>screams lavish parties and cocktail hour.<\/p>\n

        \u201cOut of work\u201d is the literal translation, hors<\/em><\/strong> (out) d\u2019\u0153uvre<\/em><\/strong> (of work). Historical context: Hors d\u2019\u0153uvre<\/em><\/strong> were served before\/\u201dout\u201d of the main course or \u201cwork\u201d of art (by the chef) and thus, hors d\u2019\u0153uvre <\/em><\/strong>was born. The \u201cd\u201d gets contracted to the word \u201c\u0153uvre<\/em>\u201d due to the French vowel rule, but you should already know that!<\/p>\n

        Why the contraction? Well here\u2019s a little explanation:<\/p>\n

        Consonant words such as de<\/em><\/strong>, du<\/strong>, le<\/strong>, la<\/strong>, que<\/strong>, je<\/strong>, me<\/strong>, te<\/strong>, ne<\/strong>, se<\/strong><\/em>, or ce<\/em><\/strong> get contracted with an apostrophe and lose their end vowels when the following word starts with a vowel (a<\/em><\/strong>, e<\/strong>, i<\/strong>, o<\/strong>, u<\/strong>, y<\/strong><\/em>), a silent H<\/em><\/strong> or Y <\/em><\/strong>pronoun.<\/p>\n

        Note: Qui<\/em><\/strong> (who) never gets contracted.<\/p>\n

        Le + ocean = l\u2019oc\u00e9an<\/em> (the ocean)<\/p>\n

        La + amour = l\u2019amour <\/em>(the love)<\/p>\n

        De + or = d\u2019or <\/em>(of gold)<\/p>\n

        Le + homme = l\u2019homme <\/em>(the man) \u2014 Homme with a capital H<\/strong> signifies \u201cmen,\u201d as in humankind.<\/p>\n

        And here\u2019s our example:<\/p>\n

        Les hors d\u2019\u0153uvre<\/strong> \u00e9taient vraiment d\u00e9licieux.<\/em> (The hors d\u2019oeuvres<\/strong> were very delicious.)<\/p>\n

        Note:<\/strong> In French, the word hors d\u2019\u0153uvre<\/em> <\/strong>doesn\u2019t take an \u201cs\u201d in the plural!<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Fa\u00e7ade<\/strong><\/h4>\n
          \"Fa\u00e7ade
          Fa\u00e7ade of the Op\u00e9ra Garnier<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> has multiple uses. For one, it\u2019s a fancy word in English for telling someone they\u2019re \u201cfake,\u201d or more nicely, \u201cputting up a front.\u201d \u201cFrontage\u201d or \u201cface\u201d is the literal English translation of this French word, but not exactly a person\u2019s face, as figuratively used in English.<\/p>\n

          \u201cFace<\/em>\u201d [fas] in French is the word for \u201cface\u201d in English, so we see where the English picked up that figure of speech, but \u201cvisage<\/em>\u201d in French literally describes the body part of a person\u2019s \u201cface.\u201d<\/p>\n

          More commonly, in both English and French, fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> is <\/strong>the \u201cfront\u201d or \u201cside\u201d of a building, while the expression \u201cen face\u201d<\/em> means \u201cin front of.\u201d<\/p>\n

          La fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> de cette maison est ancienne. <\/em>(The fa\u00e7ade<\/strong> of this house is old.)<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            Matin\u00e9e<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            The \u201cfirst showing\u201d of a movie or spectacle, how much do we love those? They\u2019re affordable and place you on top of a movie critic\u2019s (critiques, <\/em>another French word) list.<\/p>\n

            On the French side, matin\u00e9e<\/em><\/strong>, like \u201cmatin<\/em>,\u201d <\/strong>means \u201cmorning,\u201d as well as the \u201centire morning\u201d (from sunrise to noon). While the French might also have their matin\u00e9e<\/strong> movie deals, for them it refers to the \u201cfirst showing\u201d in the afternoon, <\/em>not morning.<\/p>\n

            Furthermore, matin\u00e9e<\/em><\/strong> in French is also a <\/strong>woman\u2019s \u201cmorning\u201d draws, robe or attire (although this term isn\u2019t used very often anymore). For example:<\/p>\n

            Cette une belle matin\u00e9e<\/strong>.<\/em> (It\u2019s a beautiful morning<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n

            Une matin\u00e9e <\/strong>de ballet.<\/em> (An afternoon performance<\/strong> of ballet.)<\/p>\n

            Faire la grasse matin\u00e9e<\/strong><\/em>. (To sleep in late.\/To sleep the entire morning<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \n

              Encore\"clapping-encore\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              You shout \u201cEncore<\/strong>! Encore<\/strong>! Encore<\/strong>!\u201d while giving a standing ovation, raising both of your hands clasped together to make a single fist, shaking it from left to right.<\/p>\n

              A phrase that English speakers use after an impeccable performance. So good, that you need more, encore<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

              For English speakers encore<\/strong> is only related to show biz, but in French it\u2019s a daily dose. \u201cAgain\u201d or \u201canother\u201d are the literal translations. \u201cYet,\u201d \u201cstill\u201d or \u201ceven\u201d are more intricate translations. \u201cPas encore<\/strong><\/em>,\u201d \u201cnot yet,\u201d is commonly used too.<\/p>\n

              For example:<\/p>\n

              Il y a encore<\/strong> du riz.<\/em> (There\u2019s still<\/strong> rice left)<\/p>\n

              Ce n\u2019est pas encore<\/strong> l\u2019heure. <\/em>(It\u2019s not time yet<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n

              En veux-tu encore<\/strong> ?<\/em> (Do you want some more<\/strong>?)<\/p>\n

              Encore<\/em><\/strong> mieux ! <\/em>(Even<\/strong> better!)<\/p>\n

              7. R.S.V.P<\/strong><\/h4>\n

              \"French<\/strong>You\u2019ve been invited to countless weddings, showers, sweet sixteens and bat\/bar mitzvahs your whole life, but did you ever think about whatR.S.V.P stands for? In case you never did, it\u2019s an original French acronym:<\/p>\n

              R<\/em><\/strong>\u00e9pondez<\/em><\/p>\n

              S\u2019<\/em><\/strong>il<\/em><\/p>\n

              V<\/em><\/strong>ous<\/em><\/p>\n

              P<\/em><\/strong>la\u00eet<\/em><\/p>\n

              \u201cRespond If It Pleases You\u201d or \u201cRespond If You Please,\u201d there we go again with that grammatical contraction. If you\u2019re wondering\u2014nope, there\u2019s no English translation or acronym, English speakers completely borrowed it from the French.<\/p>\n

              8. Avant-Garde<\/strong>\"Avant-Garde\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n

              This might be the most borrowed French phrase, not only in English, but in other romance languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian.<\/p>\n

              \u201cBefore guard\u201d or \u201cadvance guard\u201d are the literal translations of this French phrase. The word garde<\/em><\/strong> can mean a \u201cguard,\u201d like a body guard, or to \u201ckeep\u201d or \u201csave,\u201d as in garder<\/em>.<\/p>\n

              Avant-garde<\/strong>, as English speakers know it, defines an innovative movement in the arts, usually pertaining to artists, writers and musicians who are \u201cadvanced\u201d in their fields, and the same meaning holds in French.<\/p>\n

              The French avant-garde<\/em><\/strong> also means the \u201cfront line\u201d or vanguard\u2014<\/em><\/strong>which bears the same meaning in both English and French.<\/p>\n

              For example:<\/p>\n

              Andy Warhol \u00e9tait un artiste de l\u2019avant-garde<\/strong>.<\/em> (Andy Warhol was an avant-garde artist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

              9. Fianc\u00e9<\/strong>\"fiance\u0301\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n

              Yes, this is another famous French word that slips by many of us. There is no translation since fianc\u00e9<\/em><\/strong> is, well, a fianc\u00e9<\/strong>. One little secret is the difference in spelling. Fianc\u00e9<\/em> <\/strong>with one \u201ce\u201d refers to a male fianc\u00e9 <\/strong>while fianc\u00e9e<\/em><\/strong> with two \u201ce\u2019s\u201d refers to a female, because there\u2019s always the masculine and feminine way of writing French words!<\/p>\n

              For example:<\/p>\n

              Je vous pr\u00e9sente mon fianc\u00e9<\/strong><\/em>. (I introduce you to my fianc\u00e9.<\/strong>) \u2013 Male<\/p>\n

              Voici ma fianc\u00e9e<\/strong><\/em>. (Here is my fianc\u00e9e.) \u2013 Female<\/strong><\/p>\n

              10. Touch\u00e9\"Touche\u0301\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n

              Touch\u00e9<\/strong>, \u201cI gotch ya\u201d or \u201cnice one,\u201d is how English speakers express the French phrase, usually after a smart aleck remark or quick, witty response. In fencing (or any battling), touch\u00e9 <\/strong>can also be a \u201chit.\u201d<\/p>\n

              In French it simply means to \u201ctouch,\u201d which is written similarly, but with no hidden meaning as we\u2019ve created. For example:<\/p>\n

              As-tu d\u00e9j\u00e0 touch\u00e9<\/strong> un serpent ? <\/em>(Have you ever touched<\/strong> a snake?)<\/p>\n\n\n

              Interested in learning more French words also used in English? Contact Caroline<\/a> to book your French course in Paris or online.<\/p>we guarantee you’ll have a rewarding French language learning experience!<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              10 French Words That You\u2019ve Seen Before\u2026 in English Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of 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French Words That You\u2019ve Seen Before\u2026 in English Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of 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