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11/08/11--04:00: Rendez-vous: Dates in French (chan 2592779)

Knowing how to talk about the date in French is essential for making reservations and appointments. Dates are a little bit different in French and English, but they're not difficult once you learn the rules and formulas.


11/09/11--04:00: French quiz: De vs Du, De la, Des (chan 2592779)

Do you know when you have to use du, de la, or des, and when you can get away with just de? Test yourself on French articles and prepositions with this quiz or take a look at the lesson to review.
More: French tests


11/09/11--10:00: French game: Calendar hangman (chan 2592779)

Practice French calendar vocabulary with a round or two of hangman.
More: French games | French vocabulary


11/10/11--04:00: French verb of the week: rencontrer (chan 2592779)

Learn simple verb conjugations, see similarly conjugated verbs, and learn more with links to related lessons for the French verb rencontrer.
French verb conjugator

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11/10/11--07:00: French grammar: Spelling change verbs (chan 2592779)

There are two groups of verbs that have spelling changes in certain conjugations due to hard and soft vowels. These spelling change verbs are conjugated like regular -ER verbs, except for slight spelling variations in certain conjugations in order to maintain the correct pronunciation.
More: French verbs


11/11/11--01:00: French expression: Tout d'un coup (chan 2592779)

What does the French expression tout d'un coup mean? Click to learn all about it, and then come back here to share your thoughts.

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French expression: Tout d'un coup originally appeared on About.com French Language on Friday, November 11th, 2011 at 09:00:07.

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11/14/11--04:00: What eez zees ? How to fake a French accent (chan 2592779)

I love the beautiful accent that the French have when they speak English, and sometimes it's fun or even useful to imitate it. If you're an actor, comedian, or grand séducteur, you can learn how to fake a French accent with this in-depth look at how the French speak English.
More: French pronunciation


11/15/11--04:00: French grammar: Stressed pronouns (chan 2592779)

Stressed pronouns, also called disjunctive pronouns, are used to emphasize a noun or pronoun that refers to a person. There are 9 forms in French, one of which (soi) sometimes confuses French learners. Learn about stressed pronouns and then take the quiz.
More: French pronouns | French grammar


11/15/11--10:00: À propos de beaujolais nouveau (chan 2592779)

C'est intéressant de parler aux Français et de découvrir les différents points de vue au sujet de beaujolais nouveau.

Beaujolais Nouveau

Par définition, le beaujolais nouveau est un vin très jeune, et les puristes répugnent donc à le boire. Ils ne sont pas les seuls : beaucoup de Français prétendent que le marketing l'emporte largement sur la qualité de vin, et refusent de le goûter. Mais pour d'autres, le troisième jeudi de novembre est simplement une bonne occasion de participer à un évènement marrant, ni plus ni moins. Ils dégustent le vin, en ayant pleinement conscience de ses limites. Évidemment, on ne peut pas s'attendre à un vin généreux et capiteux, mais pour ceux qui apprécient les vins légers, fruités et - surtout - pas trop sérieux, le beaujolais nouveau est intéressant.

Attention à ne pas dire tout simplement « beaujolais ». Les termes beaujolais et beaujolais nouveau sont parfois embrouillés dans l'esprit des gens, mais il ne s'agit pas du tout de la même chose. Les vignobles du Beaujolais se trouvent principalement dans le département du Rhône (région Rhône-Alpes), mais ils s'étendent aussi jusqu'au sud de la Saône-et-Loire (en Bourgogne). Un tiers des raisins du Beaujolais devient (très vite) le beaujolais nouveau, qui ne peut pas être conservé ; il est recommandé de le boire dans un délai d'un an. Les deux autres tiers suivent la vinification « normale » pour devenir un vin de garde : le beaujolais.

Lire plus : Beaujolais nouveau - Vin français

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English translation Please scroll down for the side-by-side translation.

About Beaujolais Nouveau

It's interesting to talk to French people and to discover different points of view about Beaujolais Nouveau.

By definition, Beaujolais Nouveau is a very young wine, so purists are loath to drink it. They're not alone: many French people claim that the marketing triumphs over the wine's quality, and refuse to drink it. But for others, the third Thursday in November is simply a chance to take part in a fun event, no more, no less. They taste the wine, fully aware of its limitations. Obviously, you can't expect a rich, heady wine, but for those who appreciate wines that are light, fruity, and - above all - not too serious, Beaujolais Nouveau is interesting.

Be careful not to say just "Beaujolais." The terms Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau are sometimes confused, but they aren't the same thing at all. Beaujolais's vineyards are found mainly in the Rhône department (in the Rhône-Alps region, but they also stretch into the southern part of Saône-et-Loire (in Burgundy). A third of Beaujolais's grapes (very quickly) become Beaujolais Nouveau, which cannot be kept; it's recommended that you drink it within a year. The other two thirds follow the "normal" wine-making process and become a wine that gets better with age: Beaujolais.

Read more: Beaujolais nouveau - French wine

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Side-by-side translation

À propos de beaujolais nouveau C'est intéressant de parler aux Français et de découvrir les différents points de vue au sujet de beaujolais nouveau. Par définition, le beaujolais nouveau est un vin très jeune, et les puristes répugnent donc à le boire. Ils ne sont pas les seuls : beaucoup de Français prétendent que le marketing l'emporte largement sur la qualité de vin, et refusent de le goûter. Mais pour d'autres, le troisième jeudi de novembre est simplement une bonne occasion de participer à un évènement marrant, ni plus ni moins. Ils dégustent le vin, en ayant pleinement conscience de ses limites. Évidemment, on ne peut pas s'attendre à un vin généreux et capiteux, mais pour ceux qui apprécient les vins légers, fruités et - surtout - pas trop sérieux, le beaujolais nouveau est intéressant. Attention à ne pas dire tout simplement « beaujolais ». Les termes beaujolais et beaujolais nouveau sont parfois embrouillés dans l'esprit des gens, mais il ne s'agit pas du tout de la même chose. Les vignobles du Beaujolais se trouvent principalement dans le département du Rhône (région Rhône-Alpes), mais ils s'étendent aussi jusqu'au sud de la Saône-et-Loire (en Bourgogne). Un tiers des raisins du Beaujolais devient (très vite) le beaujolais nouveau, qui ne peut pas être conservé ; il est recommandé de le boire dans un délai d'un an. Les deux autres tiers suivent la vinification « normale » pour devenir un vin de garde : le beaujolais. Lire plus : Beaujolais nouveau - Vin français

About Beaujolais Nouveau It's interesting to talk to French people and to discover different points of view about Beaujolais Nouveau. By definition, Beaujolais Nouveau is a very young wine, so purists are loath to drink it. They're not alone: many French people claim that the marketing triumphs over the wine's quality, and refuse to drink it. But for others, the third Thursday in November is simply a chance to take part in a fun event, no more, no less. They taste the wine, fully aware of its limitations. Obviously, you can't expect a rich, heady wine, but for those who appreciate wines that are light, fruity, and - above all - not too serious, Beaujolais Nouveau is interesting. Be careful not to say just "Beaujolais." The terms Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau are sometimes confused, but they aren't the same thing at all. Beaujolais's vineyards are found mainly in the Rhône department (in the Rhône-Alps region, but they also stretch into the southern part of Saône-et-Loire (in Burgundy). A third of Beaujolais's grapes (very quickly) become Beaujolais Nouveau, which cannot be kept; it's recommended that you drink it within a year. The other two thirds follow the "normal" wine-making process and become a wine that gets better with age: Beaujolais. Read more: Beaujolais nouveau - French wine

I invite you to post comments related to this article below, but please post unrelated comments in the forum.




11/16/11--04:00: French quiz: Habiter v Vivre (chan 2592779)

Do you know the difference between the French verbs habiter and vivre? Test yourself with this little quiz, or take a look at the lesson to review.

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French quiz: Habiter v Vivre originally appeared on About.com French Language on Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at 12:00:09.

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11/16/11--10:00: French expression: Le nouveau est arrivé ! (chan 2592779)

It's the wine event of the year, and this is slogan that will be heard all over France and in other wine-loving regions: Le nouveau est arrivé !
More: French expressions


11/17/11--04:00: French verb of the week: prendre (chan 2592779)

Simple verb conjugations, similarly conjugated verbs, and links to related lessons for the French verb prendre.
French verb conjugator

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11/17/11--10:00: How's your French? All about comment (chan 2592779)

The French adverb comment can be interrogative or exclamative and is one of the most common French words. Learn how to use comment to mean "how" and "what" as well as which uses of "how" in English are not translated by comment in French.
More: French adverbs | French vocabulary


11/18/11--01:00: French expression: Avoir une faim de loup (chan 2592779)

What does the idiomatic French expression avoir une faim de loup mean? Click to learn all about it, and then come back here to share your thoughts.

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French expression: Avoir une faim de loup originally appeared on About.com French Language on Friday, November 18th, 2011 at 09:00:30.

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11/19/11--04:00: Fête américaine : French Thanksgiving Vocabulary (chan 2592779)

Thanksgiving is not celebrated in France, so here is some French vocabulary and a quiz related to the American holiday.

Discussion: De quoi êtes-vous reconnaissant ?
Bien que ce ne soit que les Américains qui la fêtent, et qu'il y ait des controverses à propos de l'origine de cette célébration, je trouve qu'il y a une tradition qui est universelle : l'acte de reconnaître les choses dont on est reconnaissant.


11/20/11--06:00: Fêtes françaises : Holidays in France (chan 2592779)

French teachers, the holiday season is here. If you're planning to celebrate with your classes, check this page for articles, games, music, and quizzes related to Christmas, New Year's, and other French holidays.


11/21/11--01:00: Mot du jour: estomaquer (chan 2592779)

Learn a French word a day! Today's word is estomaquer.

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Mot du jour: estomaquer originally appeared on About.com French Language on Monday, November 21st, 2011 at 09:00:13.

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11/21/11--04:00: French phrases: Expressing gratitude (chan 2592779)

'Tis the season to be grateful, so now is a good time to review the many different ways to express gratitude in French, including whether to follow a thank you with the preposition de or pour. Take a look at this lesson to learn the formulas.
More: French expressions | Most common French phrases


11/22/11--01:00: Mot du jour: croquer (chan 2592779)

Learn a French word a day! Today's word is croquer.

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Mot du jour: croquer originally appeared on About.com French Language on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 09:00:00.

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11/22/11--04:00: French preposition: Pour (chan 2592779)

The French preposition pour usually means "for," but has a few other possible meanings as well. Pour can be followed by a noun, pronoun, or infinitive.
More: French prepositions