More than but: The other common meanings of “mais”

Mais means “but” in French – but it can also have other meanings. Notably, it’s often used for emphasis — usually to show disbelief or annoyance. It’s also a common filler or transition word. Let’s get to know the most common meanings of mais. Mais as “but” Mais is probably most commonly  used to mean “but” in …

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7 ways to say “what” in French

“What” in French is quoi…or que, or quel(le)(s), or qu’est-ce que/qu’est-ce qui, or ce que/ce qui/ce dont. But these can’t be used interchangeably. What’s going on here is that there is no single word for “what” in French – rather, you could think of it as if the French language has divided up the many …

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All about the Phryges, Paris’s 2024 Olympic mascots

The mascots of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France are the Phryges (les Phryges). Based on the Phrygian cap (le bonnet phrygien), an iconic symbol of freedom and the French Republic, these mascots are revolutionary in a few ways, and have already caused some (funny) controversy. Let’s take a closer look at the Phryges. Who …

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9 unique, untranslatable French words

What are the most unique French words? French has many beautiful, funny, and otherwise memorable words, and some of them have no exact, single-word equivalent in other languages. Let’s discover nine of these unique, untranslatable French words. 9 unique and untranslatable French words Here are 9 unique and untranslatable words that you’ll often come across …

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Babbel review: Is Babbel a good way to learn French?

Launched in 2008, with a learning system developed by educators and linguists, Babbel is one of the most famous language learning apps on the market, But is Babbel a good choice for French learners and is it a better choice than conversational French apps like French Together? I recently sat down and put the app …

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7 common French greetings (and the faux-pas to avoid)

There are a number of ways to greet people in French, including saying Bonjour and exchanging la bise (cheek kisses). Let’s look at the ones you’ll come across most often, and how use these greetings like a native French person! 7 common French greetings The typical French greeting: Bonjour As you probably know, Bonjour means “Hello” …

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