Useful French phrases for 2014

[poltroon]

Walking around WEG, I was trying to imagine whether I would enjoy the experience as much if I didn’t speak any English.

Sadly, the only phrase I remember from my semester of French is “Le crayon est sur la table.”

Ah, but I know le cheval! Le cheval est sur la table!

At first I giggled wildly at my nonsense phrase. Then I realized in le concours complet that Le cheval est sur la table actually could have some application! Le cheval rouge est sur la table! I am starting to feel like a native speaker!! :lol: :lol:

But, I fear I would be lost if I left the confines of the cross-country course or the dressage arena… so what other phrases, especially horsey phrases, would a WEG attendee find valuable? My pesky French teacher never bothered with useful stuff like, “Where is the nearest bathroom?” let alone “What country is that bay horse from?” or “My hovercraft is full of eels.”

I don’t expect to go to Normandy, but hey, mucking stalls at home is the perfect time to practice foreign language vocabulary, and you never know what may come in handy…

[JER]

This wonderful song has a lot of horse words in it: Madame la marquise. This vid has lyrics and translation and you’ll be singing along in no time at all. And you’ll know what a ‘jument grise’ is.

If you really want to learn French and enjoy the process, there’s no better place to start than the TV/video series French in Action. The series – which is the Yale 1st year French curriculum – aired on PBS in the late 80s/early 90s and developed a cult following. It’s all online now and free. And it’s really a first-rate program for learning the language.

[Good_Old_Sledge]

I once found a lovely children’s phrasebook with useful things like “I’m pretty sure we’ve already been here,” and “Dad, don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
Written before hovercraft were popular, though, so not much help there.

[riderboy]

Deux bieres et mon ami va payer.

[alicen]

J’adore French in Action. Thanks for the link.

[LLDM]

@riderboy;5162802

Deux bieres et mon ami va payer.

Okay, so I haven’t had French since elementary school, but even I can recognize, “Two beers and my friend is paying!” :lol:

Most useful for COTHers in France, I must say! :winkgrin:

SCFarm

[MimsEppi]

How do you say “Are you single?”

[JER]

[QUOTE=riderboy;5162802]
Deux bieres et mon ami va payer.[/QUOTE]

Which means we all need to learn this:

Je ne suis pas l’ami de riderboy.

Or:

Je ne l’ai avant jamais vu dans ma vie.

[FalseImpression]

@MimsEppi;5163068

How do you say “Are you single?”

Êtes-vous célibataire?

and… not to restart the debate of slaughter and horse meat, but “le cheval est sur la table” almost sounds like dinner is served “The horse(meat) is on the table”… hum, no!

I can help as I am a native French speaker and a translator (although not in horse related topics). Some other helpful sites:

http://www.chevalmag.com/
http://www.lexiqueducheval.net/lexique_races.html
http://www.lexiqueducheval.net/lexique_sommaire.html

ETA: I asked before, but what is the “official” language of WEG when they take place in a non-English speaking country? Is the local language or, like the Olympics, there are several official languages?

[andy.smaga]

[QUOTE=FalseImpression;5163196]

ETA: I asked before, but what is the “official” language of WEG when they take place in a non-English speaking country? Is the local language or, like the Olympics, there are several official languages?[/QUOTE]
I’m sure announcements will be in French and English.

A useful sentence in French: Connaissez-vous un bon restaurant? (do you know of a good restaurant?)

A part of horses, Normandy is also famous for Cider, Poiré (sort of cider but made with pears instead of apples), Calvados, Pommeau (Cider and Calvados), Sole à la Normande, Coquille Saint Jacques (Scallops), Huitres (Oysters), Camembert and Pont l’Eveque, and don’t forget that Normandy is also famous for the best butter’s and Crème Fraiche.

Needless to say that we are food maniacs!!!

[riderboy]

[QUOTE=JER;5163105]
Which means we all need to learn this:

Je ne suis pas l’ami de riderboy.

Or:

Je ne l’ai avant jamais vu dans ma vie. [/QUOTE]

OMD!

[vineyridge]

The only French phrase i remember is
"Je voudrais, s’il vous plait … ". Comes in very handy when you have to point at what you want.

[Beverley]

As luck would have it I am fluent in French.

If you buy the biere et vin et de quoi manger, I’ll be happy to translate for you.

[riderboy]

It has to be one of the most beautiful languages out there.

[LisaB]

I got by with 2 Paris trips and a South of France trip with:
Merci
Poussez - push
Tirez - pull
Sortie - exit

[Janet]

@andy.smaga;5163250

A part of horses, Normandy is also famous for Cider, Poiré (sort of cider but made with pears instead of apples), Calvados, Pommeau (Cider and Calvados), Sole à la Normande, Coquille Saint Jacques (Scallops), Huitres (Oysters), Camembert and Pont l’Eveque, and don’t forget that Normandy is also famous for the best butter’s and Crème Fraiche.

Needless to say that we are food maniacs!!!

You forgot the Normandy Moules (mussels)!

[andy.smaga]

[QUOTE=Janet;5164353]
You forgot the Normandy Moules (mussels)![/QUOTE]
You are right!
Can’t remember all the good food available:cool:

[ManyDogs]

don’t step in le merde???

[Spike]

Cider
Cider is actually spelled Cidre in french.

And it is: LA merde not LE merde. French gives gender to words. To make things harder to learn. lol. So merde is feminine.

I’m french speaking so for me, it’s my english that sometimes needs to be fixed. So no resentment

That said, some usefull words or sentences:

Merci Beaucoup (basic… means Thank you very much).
Bienvenue (said when someone says merci. it’s like you (re) welcome)

Dont bother to ask your way (like: Pouvez vous m’indiquer le chemin pour aller à…) they will get you lost. Even if you understand their indications. I’m french speaking, and went to Paris 5 times, never got usefull driving directions.

We, as North American people (USA and Canada) need to remember that the holly rule “client is always right” DOESNT APPLY overthere. So it is NOT because you pay or you are a client that they will lick your boots and knees down. They can be really pissed off by tourists who thinks they own the place. And won’t get fired by the boss to do so. Just another way of thinking, wich I personnaly find GREAT since I used to work with public and sometimes wished to be able to do the same haha. So this is something to remember carefully when travelling there. Be nice they’ll probably be too. Be mean, they WILL too, without any doubt.

Then, sometimes it is also better to just ask in english after apologize like: Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas très bien français, parlez-vous anglais? Because sometimes, bad spelling hurts their sentiments more than just not speaking french at all…

Ok, these are suggestions, not really phrases… But well.

Others:

Pourrais-je avoir le menu s’il-vous-plaît? (at the restaurant, to get the menu)

Pourrais-je avoir l’addition s’il-vous-plaît (To ask for the bill at the end of your meal, if you are a group and need all separate addition, ask instead: Pourrions-nous avoir les additions s’il-vous-plaît? Séparément).

In France, 15% tip is INCLUDED in your bill automatically. If you are VERY happy with your service, or wish to get really good service because you intent to come back often to this particular restaurant when you are overthere, you can give extra tip. But it is up to you.

Be sure to always have some change in your pockets. Often going to the restroom is not free. There’s often (in nice restaurants etc.) a lady sitting near the toilets room asking you to pay then she will wash the door knob and sink and toilet before and after you go pee. Or sometimes in cheaper restaurants, there’s lock on the toilet’s door so you have to insert coins to unlock it. PITA when you have no change and a 5yo child with you…

But yes… food is divine.

[Spooks]

[QUOTE=Spike;5164864]

Bienvenue (said when someone says merci. it’s like you (re) welcome)[/QUOTE]

Actually, according to my French-from-France teacher, although “Bienvenue” is commonly used in Quebec, it is not used in France. “De rien” would probably be a better term to learn for a trip to France.