Hoping the French corners of Tumblr can help me out here. I need to drop in a French exclamation in some dialogue, an aside that would give the same sense as an English "What the hell..? " in the context of seeing something unusual out the window and being distracted from the conversation at hand. Any suggestions?

ETA: Thanks all, I have found what I needed!

“ La douleur exquise ”

Directly translated, the French phrase means "exquisite pain", but that doesn't convey the full force of the sentiment. It specifically refers to “the writhing pain one feels when wanting the affection of someone who is unattainable”. Doesn't it sound beautifully tragic.

"After the Husband's Train Leaves," Chéri Hérouard, 1923, in La Vie Parisienne.

The bottom text reads, "Contrary to proverb, it's when the rats are not there that the cats dance!"

(this is in reference to a French phrase "quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent" (when the cat is not there, the mice dance), meaning that when the authority is gone, there are no rules).

READ IN FULL HERE

"Bonjour! Embark on your travels armed with essential French phrases for greeting. Navigate cultural exchanges seamlessly with our curated collection of common greetings and expressions, ensuring memorable encounters wherever your journey takes you."

Quelques phrases que j'ai appris récemment

9/20/22

comment ça se dit..? How do you say....?

comment ça s'ecrit...? How do you write...?

comment ça se fait...? How come....?

First time posting(I won’t be consistent it’s just late and I’m bored🫶🏾)

Introducing a stunning brand-new row home at 1120 Roma Ave in the heart of Queensborough, New Westminster, meticulously designed by the award-winning architect Bernard Decosse. This exceptional home is nestled within a vibrant new subdivision, boasting an array of convenient amenities within walking distance, including local schools, a recreation center, bus service, and major shopping outlets.

It’s always funny when anglo writers looking to express a specific idea casually pluck a cool ready-made monosyllabic phrase from their language’s unlimited supply and Romance language translators just curl up in the fœtal position and cry. I'm reading a text in which the American author talks about ‘Haves’ vs ‘Have-Nots’ vs ‘Have-Mosts’ —the poor French translator translated this as ‘ceux-qui-ont’ (the French language: don’t worry I’m just getting warmed up), ‘ceux-qui-n’ont-pas’ (nice we’ve doubled the syllable count but we mustn’t falter), and the beautiful ‘ceux-qui-ont-plus-que-tous-les-autres’ (300% expansion ratio let’s gooo! we did it great work everybody.) From 2 to 8 syllables—the minute I saw that bulky thing I knew it had to be Have-Mosts in the original and I was giggling. The anglo author happily proceeds to use the phrase ‘Have-Mosts’ 5 times per paragraph because why not! it’s so quick and wieldy :) we don’t actually need the word wieldy 'cause it’s just the normal state of our language <3 meanwhile you can feel the French translator’s desperation grow as she is reduced to juggling with “those” and “the latter” to avoid summoning her creature. Eventually she reaches the acceptance stage and uses ceux-qui-ont-plus-que-tous-les-autres again like, it’s my monster. I shouldn’t reject it

so many people are missing by not being french simply because they don't have the phrase "a wind that dehorns oxen" (un vent à décorner les bœufs) to say it fucken wimdy

oh good news for those of us who only saw the english version of the french union call for testimony, or who don't speak french:

when in english they said quackity "half-heartedly" acknowledged things, in the french version the word they used was "demi-mot". having consulted a few dictionaries i THINK it's not a direct translation or at least not a wholly accurate one. from what i'm seeing, "reconnaître à demi-mot" roughly means "to admit indirectly". translation of "demi-mot" directly seems to be something like "implicitly" or "without spelling things out".

i've linked the sources where i found the translations for any english speakers who want to double check and please, any native french speaker who disagrees PLEASE tell me if you have a different translation than was provided, or have insight on the connotation!!

"half-heartedly" implies a lack of personal or emotional investment which i think got a lot of us on the defensive (certainly raised my eyebrow) but i think that's just an imperfect translation. from what i'm seeing, 'demi-mot' doesn't have those same connotations.

(incidentally, putting 'reconnaître à demi-mot' into google translate does produce 'to acknowledge half-heartedly'; no shade, to be clear, considering they're a FRENCH union i wouldn't blame them if they had to use online translation tools, and 'demi-mot' is hard to translate, at least for me)

both english and french versions of the call are linked in this post

ADDITION FROM THE REPLIES:

@selemina : "French speaker here, you are very right! In this context, it could mean "he recognized, without saying so explicitly [...]". Or it is a notion of not enough being said on a subject. There is a layer of secrecy to something said 'à demi-mot', which often implies dishonesty. Applied to this context, I think the union is suspicious of Quackity's latest declaration (probably from seeing many dishonest people in charge before) but still reporting the facts." (THANK YOU!!)

For the triggun holloween requests, vash and wood couple costumes

ive gotten the suggestion for vashwood morticia and gomez a few times which is great cuz ive been thinking forever about it purely for the "speaks french x speaks spanish" of it all fhdjdjd

French Expressions based on Other Nationalities

by u/Beurreboule

These expressions come from various online platforms, with a strict focus on those whose etymology can be linked to specific nationalities. It is important to note that this map is not intended to offend, but rather to explore the linguistic interaction between cultures.

I've picked expressions that are tied to people or nationalities. For instance, “To have the Portugueses sanded” (Avoir les portugaises ensablées) refers to a type of oysters, not the people of Portugal.

Here is the list of these expressions, along with their origins:

To take a Scottish shower (Prendre une douche écossaise): This French expression dates back to the 19th century and refers to a hydrotherapy practiced at that time in Scotland. In a figurative sense, it describes a situation where a combination of sensations, events, or impressions swiftly transition from being positive to turning negative.

The English have landed (Les anglais ont débarqué): In comparison to the British armies which, during the Napoleonic wars, were dressed in red.

To slip away the English way (Filer à l’anglaise): Probably an alteration of the English "to take French leave", dating from the 19th century.

To talk like a Spanish cow (Parler comme une vache espagnole): According to the most plausible hypothesis, it would be a distortion of the Occitan expression “parlar coma un gavach espanhòl” (to speak like a Spanish gabatch). The word “gabatch” designates here the mountain dweller from the Pyrenees.

A Spanish wanking (Une branlette espagnole): The origin of this 20th century expression is obscure and mysterious.

A Spanish inn (Une auberge espagnole): This expression was used in the 17th century to describe the poor quality of inns/hostels in Spain, which were widely used because they were on the road to Santiago de Compostela.

A German quarrel (Une querelle d’allemand): The most commonly accepted theory is that the Holy Roman Germanic Empire was made up of numerous small states. These rulers frequently looked for opportunities to engage in battles with neighboring states, aiming to capture land and increase their power and influence.

To be drunk like a Pole (Être saoul comme un polonais): This expression, which has become pejorative, was not so at its beginnings. After a decisive battle, the Polish lancers of Kozietulski in Spain in 1808 were paraded before Napoleon as heroic survivors of this elite unit. Jealous French generals, wanting to downplay the role of the Poles, claimed that they were drunk. The Emperor responded to them, "Well then, gentlemen, learn to be as drunk as the Poles!". Another version states that Napoleon, in admiration, said, "One had to be as drunk as a Pole to accomplish that."

The Russian mountains (les montagnes russes): The concept of Russian Mountains originated from toboggan races held on snow-covered hills, especially in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg. In the late 1700s, these races gained immense popularity, prompting entrepreneurs to explore the idea in other countries. This led to the development of rides using wheeled cars on tracks. In 1812, the company "Les Montagnes Russes" constructed and operated such rides in the Belleville district of Paris. The term was subsequently used to describe roller coasters, and this analogy led to the emergence of the expression.

A Roman’s job (Un travail de romain): From the reputation of the Romans for having accomplished Herculean works, especially the construction of aqueducts and ancient roads.

To be strong like a Turk (Être fort comme un turc): This expression comes from the 15th century and refers to the period of the Ottoman Empire when the Turks achieved many conquests through their sheer strength and ruthless behavior, showing no mercy. Thus, during that time, the Turks represented the ultimate enemy, seen as unbeatable.

To be the Turkish head (Être la tête de turc): This expression is based on the entertainment found at French fairs in the late 19th century. These amusements involved gauging one's strength by hitting a head wearing a turban, evoking the stereotypical image of a Turk.

To send to the Greek calends (Renvoyer aux calends grecques): From the Calends, which were not Greek but Roman, is an expression used by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars to say “never”.

To go get lost at the Greeks (Aller se faire voir chez les grecs): This expression indirectly refers to the alleged common homosexuality among Greeks since ancient times, including practices like pederasty. Notably, Plato's work "The Symposium" illustrates this, featuring figures like Socrates.

Can someone explain to me, are alternatively link me to a grammar resource that explains the difference in usage between:

什么都不/没

什么也不/没

一点都不/没

一点也不/没

I've seen all of these pop up as various ways of expressing "not at all." I'm mostly confused about when to use 也 vs 都.

ETA:

Okay, based on the responses I've received, I think there's some major confusion regarding what kind of explanation I'm asking for in this post.

I am NOT asking about the general differences between 也 vs 都.

I am also NOT asking about the general differences between 不 vs 没.

I am asking about the 4 phrases I listed. The SPECIFIC 4 phrases that I listed:

什么都不/没 i.e. 我什么都不知道 - I don't know anything at all

什么也不/没 i.e. 我什么也没干 - I didn't do anything at all

一点都不/没 i.e. 这对他一点都不好 - This is not good for him at all.

一点也不/没 i.e. 我一点也没生气 - I am not angry at all.

I am ONLY asking how to differentiate between these 4 phrases, and these 4 phrases alone. All of them seem to mean basically the same thing, so I'm asking how I pick between them when trying to express the concept of "not at all."

That's it.

Zoro, squinting at a smudged sentence on his palm: pee juh prawndruh oon beer?

Sanji: ok THATS actually cute, yes, you may

Mettre Phrases

mettre au jour = to bring to light

mettre de l’argent de coté = to put money aside

mettre fin à = to put an end to

mettre la main à la pâte = to pitch in

mettre le contact = to start the car

mettre le couvert = to set the table

se mettre à table = to sit down to eat

se mettre d’accord = to agree

se mettre en forme = to get in shape

i feel like for a show that has so many different characters that speak wildly different languages, they use way too few hand gestures to communicate. this is why they should’ve had an italian on board.