Yesterday I hung out with D, her boyfriend A, their friend F, and a couple other random passers-by (she knows everyone!). I had a great time, including lots of giggles over astrology charts. But it involved listening to lots and lots of French all day long, and lots of "qu'est-ce que ça va dire?" I'm going to have to really step up my efforts to learn more French vocab if I don't want to be the annoying dumb American who doesn't understand anything forever. I don't think they mind explaining to me, but I imagine it would get old after a while... The hardest part is all the slang, because it's not like I can just look it up in a dictionary. I really like Jennie's site, which now has fun learning games included!
I might have to start carrying a notebook around with me. Some words from yesterday: chiante, ronfler, vache, vedette. I know there were more, but that's all that stuck in the pudding I call My Brain. I'm going to have to be able to learn a lot more than four words per day if I plan on catching up!
I'm doing my own teaching of English at the same time. So far I've taught awkward (best word in English), sketchy (second best word in English), and booty call (it came up during the conversation, and I felt compelled to give them a better expression than "amie de sexe"). You know, just the important stuff.
And no, I don't mean vache like a cow, I mean the slang version. Thanks for the vote of confidence in my French level. :)
6 comments:
Viany made her own French dictionary while she was in Chauny. We all helped. It included all the words you mentioned in this post plus at least a hundred more. We had loads of fun making it, and she loved to read the list to us. It also included phrases. Majorly helpful LOL.
I love teaching fun English words. When I studied abroad in Nice two years ago, my host family's son (who was an avid Eminem fan) used to have me translate rap into French for him, ha. It was, um, interesting.
4 words a day doesn't sound like a lot, but times 365 and you've got quite the vocabulary! It takes me at least five times hearing/reading a word before really remembering it. "Vocabulaire Progressif du Francais" is a good book another blogger recommended and it's really good! It has tons of expressions and the little things you don't need every day, but are still important.
Thanks for the book recommendation Andromeda!
Okay, will need to start carring a notebook with me and also teaching more inappropriate English. This should lead to fun times. I love the idea of the mid-30s and 40s Frenchies speaking like an American teenager.
I'm working on adding a ton more slang vocabulary and exercises real soon!
Awesome! Thanks Jennie!
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