After several articles about travelling and local culture, we'll talk (for a change) about some grammar peculiarities, day-to-day communication, and misunderstandings. So before you continue reading, close your French textbook (for your good:-) and be ready to sound like a real native!
First things first, the basic negation "NE PAS" - native speakers fundamentally omit the first part "ne" and continue with the verb and "pas" - so you could quite easily imagine our confusion within the first few days :-).
And now, here are some of the most-heard phrases and synonyms, so enjoy...
LE BOULOT = le travail (work)
BOSSER = travailler (to work) - teachers use this synonym daily when encouraging their students to (actually) do something and pay attention: Bossez-vous!
there's also a well-known saying which goes: bosser comme une dingue, which means to work your ass off
CHOUETTE = super, cool (literally an owl) -
C’est chouette ! = that’s cool, that’s nice
UN TRUCK = a thing, the thingie - simply an informal word for ‘a thing’ in French, natives usually use it when talking about an object they can’t remember the name for (we can also use this slang term when saying “that really isn’t my thing”)
JE SUIS CREVÉ = Je suis fatigué, I'm tired/exhausted
J’ai mal dormi. Je suis crevé. (I slept badly. I’m exhausted)
C'EST N'IMPORTE QUOI = it's nonsense - although it came across as quite dismissive towards the other person (well, as far as we've observed, almost like a "whatever")
So what's your favourite one? In our opinion, the "owl" is (without any doubt) the best!
À très bientôt!
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