Literally communicated an official communicationĪ funeral procession in French has a broader meaning and refers to all kinds of processions “Like this, like that” so-so, neither good nor bad.

Literally negative trite through overuse a stereotype blank cheque)Ī long chair for reclining (also rendered chaise lounge or chase lounge by folk etymology).Ī person who is a fraud, a fake, a hoaxer, a deceiver, a con artist.Ī hairstyle worn in a roll at the nape of the neck Unlimited authority literally “white card” (i.e. “Brunette” is rarely used in French, unless in old literature, and its masculine form, “brunet” (for a boy), is almost unheard ofĬollection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place (such as in an oubliette)Ĭoffee shop (also used in French for “coffee”) For brown-haired man, French uses brun and for a woman brune. Small ornamental objects, less valuable than antiques a collection of old furniture, china, plates and curiositiesīrown-haired girl. Now the term is derogatory, and it applies to a person whose beliefs, attitudes, and practices are conventionally middle-class The word used to refer to shopkeepers living in towns in the Middle Ages. Literally “good journey” have a good trip!

One who enjoys the good life, an epicurean Literally “good appetite” enjoy your meal

Unimpressed with something because of overfamiliarity, jaded Literally “beautiful gesture”, a gracious gesture, noble in form but often futile or meaningless in substanceĪ period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I It takes a capital in French (Art nouveau)Ī person attached to an embassy in French it is also the past participle of the verb attacher (= to fasten, to tighten, to be linked)īeing conversant in or with, or instructed in or withĪ young foreigner who does domestic chores in exchange for room and board.Īpplied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art, music and literature figuratively “on the edge,” literally, a military term, meaning “vanguard” (which is a corruption of avant-garde) or “advance guard,” in other words, “first to attack” (antonym of arrière-garde) In French, it means either the drink or food (amuse-gueules) taken before a mealĪ style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

“Memory aid” an object or memorandum to assist in remembrance, or a diplomatic paper proposing the major points of discussionĪ before-meal drink (in colloquial French, it is shortened as “apéro”). Idiomatic: in the style in the United States, the phrase is used to describe a dessert with an accompanying scoop of ice cream (example: apple pie à la mode).However, in French, it is a culinary term usually meaning cooked with ale and some carrots and onions (example: boeuf à la mode)įarewell literally means “to God,” it carries more weight than “au revoir” (“goodbye,” literally “Until re-seeing”) it is definitive, implying you will never see the other person again depending on the context, misuse of this term can be considered as an insult, as one may wish for the other person’s death or say that you do not wish to see the other person ever again while aliveĭexterous, skilful, clever, in French: habile, as a “right-handed” person would be using his “right” hand, as opposed to his left one with which he would be “gauche” meaning “clumsy” Literally – on the menu in restaurants it refers to ordering individual dishes rather than a fixed-price meal The problem is more in the pronunciation but here are just a very few of the most commonly used words on both sides which we hope you’ll find useful: A So you think you can’t speak French and it’s going to be really hard to learn? It is estimated that around 70% of the words used in the English language are the same or very similar to the French equivalent words.

French vocab