Beverly Hills Lingual Institute
Beverly Hills Lingual Institute
Beverly Hills Lingual Institute
Beverly Hills Lingual Institute

Blog      Language, Learning and Culture

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You Know at least 78 Words in French

About thirty-five percent of English vocabulary is of French origin. People tend to forget that, until the end of the 13th century, Latin was the language of all official written documents and Norman French was almost exclusively used as a spoken language - including in the English royal court.

In turn, France has also borrowed many words from English and continues to do so in spite of loud protests by purists who condemn this trend as a sign of cultural contamination and name it franglais.

In 1999, the French government published a list of recommended French equivalents for English terms related to the Internet. Those who work government jobs, for instance, cannot in official communication use the words "e-mail" or "hashtag," and instead must say "courriel" and "mot-dièse" ("sharp word").

Nonetheless, you might be surprised by how much French you already know.

l'acteur
lahk-tuhr
l'adresse
lah-drehs
l'aéroport
lah-eyr-oh-pohr
l'allée
lah-ley
l'art
lahr
brave
brahv
le budget
luh bewd-zheh
le bureau
luh bew-roh
le business
luh beez-nehs
le camping
luh kahN-peeng
le chat (chat, not cat)
luh chaht
le chewing-gum
luh shweeng-gohhm
les chips
ley sheeps
le client
koohl
le coca
luh koh-kah
le concert
luh kohN-sehr
le condition
lah kohN-dee-syohN
content
kohN-tahN
le courage
luh kooh-rahzh
le cousin
luh kooh-zaN
cool
koohl
la culture
lah kewl-tewr
différent
dee-fey-rahN
excellent
ehk-sch-lahN
le fast food
luh fahst foohd
le garage
luh gah-rahzh
le guide
luh-geed
le hamburger
luh ahm-boohr-guhr
l'hôtel
loh-tehl
important
aN-pohr-tahN
le jet set
luh jeht seht
le journal
luh zhoohr-nahl
le kiosque
luh kyohhsk
la lampe
lah lahmp
la lettre
lah leh-truh
la machine
lah mah-sheen
le manager
luh mah-nah-jehr
le marketing
luh mahr-kuh-teeng
le message
luh mey-sahzh
le moment
luh moh-mahN
la nation
lah nah-syohN
la nièce
lah nyehs
l'orange
loh-rahNzh
le parent
luh pah-rahN
le parking
luh pahr-keen
possible
poh-see-bluh
principal
praN-see-pahl
probable
proh-bah-bluh
la question
lah kehs-tyohN
la radio
lah rah-dyoh
le restaurant
luh rehs-toh-rahN
le rock
luh rohk
la rose
lah rohz
rouge
roohzh
l'aéroport
lah-eyr-oh-pohr
la science
lay syahNs
le secret
luh suh-kreh
le service
luh sehr-vees
le shopping
luh shoh-peeng
le signal
luh see-nyahl
le silence
luh see-lahNs
la solitude
lah soh-lee-tewd
le sport
luh spohr
la station
lah stah-syohN
la statue
lah stah-tew
le steak
luh stehk
la suggestion
lah sewg-zheh-styohN
la surprise
lah sewr-preez
la table
lah tah-bluh
le taxi
luh tah-ksee
le tennis
luh tey-nees
le train
luh traN
le tunnel
luh tew-nehl
urgent
ewr-zhahN
violet
vyoh-leh
le voyage
luh voh-yahzh
le week-end
luh wee-kehnd
le zoo
luh zooh
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