10 FRENCH WORDS THAT DON'T HAVE AN EXACT TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH - StreetFrench.org

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2025

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  • @david.e.miller
    @david.e.miller 5 ปีที่แล้ว +111

    My wife is French. One of her favorite expressions is "N’importe quoi !" Apparently, I give her good reason to use that expression!

    • @smoker_joe
      @smoker_joe 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Ha ha !
      Vous la faites râler. ^^

    • @HRoy-ot7hy
      @HRoy-ot7hy 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Whatever man!

    • @armoricain
      @armoricain 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      As a French guy who has lived in the USA for 35 years, I've used this typical French expression quite a bit, and still does as I cannot find an equivalent expression in English, the same way I cannot find French equivalent words or expressions for certain English words or expressions, it goes both ways! You say "N'importe quoi!" whenever somebody did or uttered something you think was stupid and didn't make any sense! This expression is REALLY super-duper typical French! Actually, I just thought of it, you can also say: "C'est du n'importe-quoi!"

    • @mathieujvc
      @mathieujvc 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@armoricain nonsense / BS

    • @goombagang5080
      @goombagang5080 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mathieujvc Exactly, although Bs is obviously more a slang word

  • @glenocarolan8457
    @glenocarolan8457 5 ปีที่แล้ว +279

    Okay HOWEVER: French has absolutely no way of saying "I care" but 1639632 ways to say I don't care 😭😭

    • @jessicamurray9748
      @jessicamurray9748 5 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      and ALSO it has no real translation for "I am excited to...." "I am looking forward to....". But 56734 ways to complain and say that you're fed up hahaha

    • @Rachel-rs7jn
      @Rachel-rs7jn 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Totally!!! I was just struggling with that the other day, translating "I care".

    • @oceane7113
      @oceane7113 5 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@jessicamurray9748 I am French and I agree 😅.
      We have so many ways to say we are fed up and I didn't find an exact translation for them :
      - "J'en ai marre"
      - "Ça me saoule" / "Je suis saoulé(e)"
      - "Ça me gonfle"
      - "Ça me gave"
      - "J'en ai ma claque"
      - "j'en ai ras-le-bol"
      These are the ones coming to my mind but I am sure there are more.
      So, I feel a little limited when I want to complain in English 🤣 (and "ça me saoule !" ).

    • @themore-you-know
      @themore-you-know 5 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Wouldn't we say "Ça me tient à coeur" ???
      I take it to heart.
      So we do have it.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @GlenO'carolan haha yeah that's true^^

  • @StuartSimon
    @StuartSimon 5 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    Perdre ses repères translates to “lose one’s bearings.” In other senses “repère” can be translated to “anchor.” We say “He is my anchor” in the sense that we mean “With him I feel at home.”

    • @EwanChung
      @EwanChung 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      When referring to people, that person can be someone's "rock."

    • @kikireinecke5607
      @kikireinecke5607 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I think in some cases, "touchstone" would work.

    • @jeffheck20
      @jeffheck20 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      To lose one’s moorings. Anchor is at sea. Mooring is at the dock or shore.

  • @bohn98
    @bohn98 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I love this video! It shows how intelligent Maia is. It is pleasure listening to her explanation. Thanks for the very helpful videos!

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      oh that's very nice, thank you !:)

  • @uasj2
    @uasj2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    “Canter en yaourt” reminds me of how for years I could “sing” Edith Piaf’s “Non, rien de rien. Non, je ne regrette rien...” without any idea what it meant or even what the individual words were.
    It also reminds me of going to elementary school in Kansas City for a year (an Australian 8 year old, 15,000 km from home and experiencing severe dépaysment) and being required to mindlessly chant the US “Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag” every morning. (I can still repeat it word for word - a great party trick!). It ends with the words “...Liberty and Justice for all.” and as an 8 year old, not only did I not know what “liberty and justice” really were, but I didn’t know that the American accent drawled out *“frawl”* on the end actually meant “for” + “all”. I thought for years afterwards that Frawl was a complicated legal concept like Liberty and Justice!!

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      hahaha thanks for sharing that was funny ^^

    • @Oxmustube
      @Oxmustube 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Street_French Veux-tu dire "fredonner"? (Chanter en yaourt est inconnu au Québec.)

    • @lesnyk255
      @lesnyk255 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      When Sergio Mendez popularized Brazilian music here in the US back around 1965, his lead vocalists had to memorize the lyrics phonetically because they didn't speak Portuguese.

    • @Elfian66
      @Elfian66 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Oxmustube We also use "fredonner" in France but it's different than "chanter en yaourt". If I "fredonne" a song, I use "lalala" or "mmmmm mmmm mmmm" sounds. But "chanter en yaourt" really means that you're trying to sing a song in another langage and you don't know neither the meaning nor the words you use, you simply copy the sounds you can hear. For example, you will not sing "when I was young, I never needed anyone" but "oueen aï ouaaas Yong, aï névers nid éd Eni ouane" or even more approximative things xD

    • @lesphinxinfotech9180
      @lesphinxinfotech9180 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Oxmustube je crois ca veut dire que si tu comprend pas l'anglais et que tu chante en meme temps que une toune anglaise joue ben tu chante les mots comme tu pense meme si cest pas les vrai mots. Je me souvien quand j'étais jeune je faisais cà avant d'avoir appris l'anglais :0)

  • @DamonJoshuaSmith
    @DamonJoshuaSmith 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    You're the best teacher ever

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      haha merci :) I do my best, and can't say I'm the best. Just trying to share my culture and language with you guys ^^

  • @Street_French
    @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    answering your comments :
    - "culture shock" is different, we say "choc culturel" and it's too brutal and mostly negative. "Homesick" doesn't work either because it's negative again, when you're dépaysé you don't miss home at all.
    "Dépaysement" is a good thing :)
    - and yeah " I lost my bearings" is good^^ I didn't know that expression, my bad
    - "To wander" works but it doesn't have the same historical and cultural background. "Flâner" is really connected to discovering the Arts (flea markets, galeries, exhibitions, boutiques, architecture etc...)
    -----
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    • @cindland
      @cindland 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      StreetFrench.org I’m also glad that you bring up these kinds of examples so we can learn more about the spoken language and culture! I’m taking French in college and they have to follow the program, so I haven’t been able to start speaking real conversations yet!

    • @petersmith2040
      @petersmith2040 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      The English word for Flâner is "To Wander."

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Fux News :)

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Fux News oui ça c'est les autres sens du mot ^^

    • @arlechino2
      @arlechino2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "stroll" or "amble", I think rather.

  • @tonybennett4159
    @tonybennett4159 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Just love words and their cross pollination between languages. I was doing a crossword with a friend the other day, the clue was "an illuminating insight". The answer was "apercu", she protested that French words shouldn't be allowed, not realising that "apercu" CAN be used in English, though rarely. There are plenty of other tricky, non-culinary French words that are hiding in the corners of our English dictionaries.
    I think that our word "wander" (or possibly "roam") is as close to "flaner" as doesn't matter, as it is also indicates a lack of a specific goal. "As I was wandering around Borough Market, I bumped into somebody I hadn't seen for twenty years". I do agree, however, that "a wanderer" has different connotations from "un flaneur".

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah yeah I guess wander works in some context :)) and I agree, languages are fascinating^^

  • @georgesthibaudeau1533
    @georgesthibaudeau1533 5 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    I have always liked the word "terroir". Here is my take on it as an old French Canadian. It is a relatively limited area of territory with a particular character made out of its geography, vegetation, exploitation, and its inhabitants. The scents from the flowers, the song of the birds, the sounds of the winds, etc. may be typical of a terroir. So yes, a great wine will grow in a particular terroir, which will provide it with the minerals, the flowers, the berries that will determine the wine's taste at maturity. Terroir can only exist in French because it is expressed by the flavours of the great food and wines that it produces, and are the essence of being French. Isn't that so ?

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      that's a great yes :)) you've explained it way better than me haha ^^

    • @georgesthibaudeau1533
      @georgesthibaudeau1533 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Street_French Oh ! Thank you, I was so concerned you would find it comme ci, comme ça. Oups, sorry !, bof !

    • @Itsgonnabeok1325
      @Itsgonnabeok1325 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Je l'ai dit aussi. Je pense peut-être aussi à "région".

    • @Oxmustube
      @Oxmustube 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "Local produce" est la traduction la plus utilisée.

    • @AGKyran
      @AGKyran 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Well, as a French myself, I think your definition is good and somehow a bit poetic, but it can be simplified.
      Terroir is the local products of a region, and it only concerns food and alcohol.
      We don't look at a region and say "it's a great terroir", for example.
      The word is mostly used to talk about products that comes from a specific region.
      Even though, weirdly, we can say "it comes from the terroir", we never talk of terroir when talking about other things than food and alcohol.

  • @PuzzleQodec
    @PuzzleQodec 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    "Anchoring" or "being anchored" is as close as I can get.
    Totally stealing terroir and chanter en yaourt. So wonderful to finally have words for those things.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      haha ^^

    • @talideon
      @talideon 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I've also heard "be grounded" and "become/felt ungrounded", "ground me", or "be my grounding".

  • @jeanhansen9117
    @jeanhansen9117 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I have been wondering what n’importe quoi means for over thirty years! Thank you!! While in college I lived with a family in Aix en Provence for 4 months in 1982 and the 11 year old girl of the family said that all the time. The best translation I could come up with was, “whatever”. Glad to know I was on the right track!

  • @brookepablo7617
    @brookepablo7617 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Not sure how I came upon your channel but found it intriguing. Really appreciate the captions.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah cool welcome to our channel haha^^

  • @dawnlee3931
    @dawnlee3931 5 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    Is “flâner” like “to wander”?

    • @MrMacBig273
      @MrMacBig273 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      yes

    • @lesnyk255
      @lesnyk255 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@MrMacBig273 No. Sometimes I'll take my camera and compass out into the woods and wander, just to "see what I can see"

    • @trorisk
      @trorisk 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Flâner there's an idea that it's nice and aimless. for example when you go around shops randomly or in streets with friends and you know that you aren't going to buy anything.

    • @qtredhead
      @qtredhead 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Fux News I disagree, a wanderer isn’t a tramp.

    • @qtredhead
      @qtredhead 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      trorisk you can wander around shops, I’ve certainly said ‘I’m going to wander around the shops’ meaning just walk around aimlessly, for something to do...looking in shops, without any intention of buying.

  • @kushastea3961
    @kushastea3961 5 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    It's so interesting how Chinese has this word like terroir: 地道. When a dish is 地道 it means it's native, done like how it's done within its original region, complete with the process, culture, taste of the land etc.

    • @cyruschang1904
      @cyruschang1904 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Nope. 地道 means authentic or not modified, and it is an adjective. Terroir is a noun, it refers to all the factors collectively that contribute to and thereby give the characteristics of the wines or cheeses from a certain region. It is kind of like 風水

    • @kushastea3961
      @kushastea3961 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@cyruschang1904 风水 means something else entirely. The most common phrases I can think of in Chinese referring to how the region affects the food is 南橘北枳. There is also 一方水土养一方人, but that refers more to cultural differences. 地道 does mean authentic, but what makes the dish authentic? 地 refers to the region, its agriculture and produce, 道 means the way, as in the way the dish is prepared, cooked, and served within the region. In this aspect I think terroir fits, since the authenticity is dependant on the terroir of the dish.
      Also 风水 is a noun, too. Just saying.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @kush astea aaah so interesting :))

    • @shaokunmeng2302
      @shaokunmeng2302 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Cyrus Chang I have to agree with you. 风水 sounds more right but we kinda don’t use this word where terroir is situated tho. I guess terroir does NOT have an exact translation in Chinese after all

    • @bobbiusshadow6985
      @bobbiusshadow6985 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Like when Anthony Bourdain used the word "terroir" because there's no equivalent in English.

  • @Traducteur1
    @Traducteur1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +80

    Pour "flâner", il y a "wander around" en anglais qui exprime pratiquement la même chose.

    • @trentswag9324
      @trentswag9324 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Yes, "wander" was the word that comes to mind for me

    • @eurovision50
      @eurovision50 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yeah, I was thinking the same thing!

    • @Oxmustube
      @Oxmustube 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      "Loiter". "no loitering"...flânage interdit.

    • @trorisk
      @trorisk 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Il me semble quand dans wander il n'y a pas l'idée principale de flâner que c'est agréable et sans but.

    • @eurovision50
      @eurovision50 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@trorisk Si, en anglais on dit 'Shall we go for a wander?'. Et c'est agréable mais sans but. Mais je suis pas français et donc j'ai peut etre pas de la raison. Peut etre que 'flâner' est plus agréable que 'wander', même si wander est en tous cas agréable.

  • @rooseveltnut
    @rooseveltnut 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Je flane.....I wandered around. To wander in English means to just walk around with nothing specific in mind....no goal, just walking aimlessly. LOVE your videos. I have taken up French again after FINALLY mastering the dreaded Rs.

  • @LambentIchor
    @LambentIchor 5 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    _repere_ would mostly translate as bearing. So to lose your bearings. From the concrete reference points as in French it can mean getting confused and lost, it is also used when you don't know where you are in life, or during a particular time.

    • @_melts
      @_melts 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Or even "cornerstone" when in its about a person.

    • @louisrialland2527
      @louisrialland2527 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      isnt it like... point of reference

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @lambent ichor, I cool thank you ! is it a common expression or is it something that people don't say as much anymore ?

    • @louisrialland2527
      @louisrialland2527 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Street_French Its definitely something that is still very much used, but for a sort of specific thing so it isnt used much. If you say it no one will get confused haha.

    • @heatherlavigne7927
      @heatherlavigne7927 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I agree. We would say, “I lost my bearings” or “I need to find my bearing”.

  • @dartagnandebatz3304
    @dartagnandebatz3304 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The examples was the most part of this good lesson....merci !

  • @amelia.landry
    @amelia.landry 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    J’ai jamais entendu le mot “frileuse” et quand tu l’a dit j’ai pensé instantanément: ça - c’est ça! Merci much love from Texas (us Texans really hate the cold mdr!)

    • @gustru2078
      @gustru2078 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Impressive french, have a like :)

    • @amelia.landry
      @amelia.landry 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Gustru Awh merci je l’apprends depuis 4 ans maintenant!!

    • @candidajohn6727
      @candidajohn6727 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      J'habite en Grenade, aux Caraïbes et je suis frileuse lol

  • @weswright7888
    @weswright7888 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    i would translate "le terroir" as country/territory. Because "country" is a rural area, and territory cuts it off from being all country, and makes it so you're talking a specific area in the country. For example; "This wine came from a country territory (or "territory in the country") with perfect weather" (idk lol). I'm sure most english people will know what you mean if you said that. But it sounds so exact, and descriptive, that it would probably only be used in documentaries or something like that

    • @jasondipinto9284
      @jasondipinto9284 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes, “territory” seems quite close.

  • @brianfraneysr.5326
    @brianfraneysr.5326 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Native Inuit have many words for “snow”. Each one has a “shade” of meaning describing the types of snow, in the same manner as the French “grumble”

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      haha ah and similarly I think in Japan they have many different words for the rain.

    • @Mercure250
      @Mercure250 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Street_French pluie, averse, bruine, tempête, déluge, ondée, orage, crachin, or even précipitation... not to mention "il pleut des clous", "il pleut des cordes", and the oh-so-classy "il pleut comme vache qui pisse"
      We do have our fair share of words and expressions for "rain" in French too hehe
      (Maybe a heritage from Brittany? Just kidding)

    • @lesphinxinfotech9180
      @lesphinxinfotech9180 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Mercure250 ici au Québec on peut dire aussi : Y mouille à bouère deboute ! hihi ;0)

    • @Mercure250
      @Mercure250 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@lesphinxinfotech9180 T'as ben raison, chose, je l'avais oubliée celle-là héhé

  • @ConstructiveMinds100
    @ConstructiveMinds100 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    superb compilation.
    merci a lot

  • @christianjarvis167
    @christianjarvis167 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Repère could be "bearings" or "rock" as in "I've lost my bearings on life" or "He was my rock before he died".

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      yeah that's it! I didn't know about bearings^^
      I learned it in the comment section :)))

  • @saadetisildar2951
    @saadetisildar2951 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very interesting. I am a new subscriber and have been binge watching your videos. Your lessons are never boring, keep up the good work 👍

  • @david.e.miller
    @david.e.miller 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    "Chanter en yaourt" is an interesting expression that is useful for me. I write English language lyrics for a French composer/singer, and we often discuss the fact that Europeans may sing a song we write without knowing the meaning of the lyrics. I do at least post the lyrics on my Facebook page so that anyone who is interested can read the words while listening to one of our songs.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah so interesting :):)

    • @NicholasAlm
      @NicholasAlm 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      To be fair many native English speakers also sing English songs without understanding the lyrics. I wander if I can get "To sing about yogurt" to catch on

  • @prasadg5768
    @prasadg5768 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Plus de vidéos comme ça, svp ! 👍👍 merci beaucoup !

  • @ExElliexE
    @ExElliexE 5 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    Some things that came to me while watching, but they may not be perfect translations:
    Terroir - Territory/terrain
    Dépaysement - Displacement (to be a fish out of water)
    Flâne - Amble/meander/wander
    Chanter en yaourt - sing in gibberish
    Repères - bearings/To loose your bearings

    • @Steve-ml8nl
      @Steve-ml8nl 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The English translation of Frileux is Nesh

    • @themore-you-know
      @themore-you-know 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dépayser literally means "un-country" or "un-nation".
      (Pays being Nation)

    • @carolyn90272
      @carolyn90272 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Another very helpful video! Thank you! 💐The best translation for terroir is: regional specialties, the local cuisine : )

    • @alcurtis93
      @alcurtis93 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Amble is a good word for flâner

    • @EwanChung
      @EwanChung 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dépaysé is similar to "transported" in English when it comes to travel. Also not negative in meaning.

  • @iain349
    @iain349 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Awesome video! I love terroir. What a great word.
    In Australia we have 'bumpuff' as a slang term for smoking without inhaling :)

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah thank you ! :):) Cool word thanks for sharing^^

  • @lohphat
    @lohphat 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Flâner = ramble in English. It's a bit archaic but it exists in poetry and older jazz songs. It refered to walking aimlessly. It's not as random as "wander".
    It also has a modern meaning to talk excessively as in "she rambled on for hours about her vacation".

    • @dees3179
      @dees3179 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      There is also the relatively modern ramblers association which has sort of injected more purpose into the ramble.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah yeah I guess the video should be called "that don't exist in English language used nowadays" or something like that :)
      I'm sure there's some kind of translation for all these words if you check in literary and formal English^^
      But thanks I didn't know about the other meaning of the word to ramble :))

    • @hamish8444
      @hamish8444 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I would not call American English "standard English". If anything, English from England is what standard English is technically, and there, as well as in places like Australia where I am from, the English language has not lost its flavour. Words that Americans might think are old and not in use are common in places like England, New Zealand, Australia and I'm guessing many other Commonwealth Nations. Americans ditched the English during the War or Independence and in my humble opinion what passes for English there is a dumbed down version of the language. Because we don't know something does not mean it does not exist, and potentially there are well read people in the US with a much wider vocabulary, I don't know of them, but that doesn't mean they don't exist ;) .

    • @lohphat
      @lohphat 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@hamish8444 American English has fewer dramatic dialectical differences compared to England and has he benefit of Noah Webster's attempt at normalizing spelling. The reach and influence of American English is much broader economically and geographically than is the waning influence of London on the world stage due to its current insistence on leaving the EU single market. Elections have consequences on global influence unfortunately. More of the world consumes American made media therefore that accent and dialect has more influence simply by the economies of scale.
      Sushi and ramen may have originated in Japan but more of it exists in the US simply due to scale. More Japanese restaurants are owned by non -Japanese that doesn't mean it's not Japanese food and that it can only exist or originate in Japan. Even California rolls now exist on menus in Japan.

    • @23Stork
      @23Stork 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I'd say wander has a more similar meaning that's still used commonly. I mean you can wander somewhere specifically but there is absolutely no urgency implied.

  • @Alex_Plante
    @Alex_Plante 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Also missing are physical terms such as débit and élan. Débit can be translated as rate of flow or flow rate, and élan is vaguely similar to momentum. In French, on the other hand, you cannot say litter as a verb. The noun exists, but not the verb to litter.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah yeah those are great examples thank you! :)

  • @k.monteil...asalon9357
    @k.monteil...asalon9357 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Bonjour, the word you were looking for 'le relief' is: the typography (the 'y' makes the sound as in 'eye', as opposed to 'eeee'). I think you are bringing very good content to the world with your videos. I also like your kind and gentle way you give your critiques. Merci

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks for that! it means a lot :))

  • @wanderlust16
    @wanderlust16 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video, thank you. I was hoping to hear my favourite word in choosing this video: epanouir/epanouissement! Maybe it could be included in a part 2? You could also include etre ecoeurer/ ecoeurant too.

  • @armoricain
    @armoricain 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I am a French guy who has lived in the USA for 35 years, I had never heard the verb "crapoter", and I had no clue there was such an expression as "Chanter en yaourt"! And I have always had a hard time finding an equivalent to the adjective "frileux(se)" in English! By the way, I just thought of the verb "falloir" which has no equivalent in English either!

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ah oui vous êtes pas le seul français à dire qu'ils n'ont jamais entendu parler de certaines expressions de la vidéo. pour moi c'est des mots plutôt communs. and et oui falloir c'est pas mal c'est vrai !

    • @armoricain
      @armoricain 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Street_French C'est peut-être parce que je suis originaire de Bretagne que je ne connaissais pas ces expressions, il faut probablement être parigot pour les connaître! Ha ha ha!!!

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@armoricain haha oui on a tous nos expressions régionales :))

    • @arnaud1960
      @arnaud1960 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Je l'ai toujours dit de mon père qui fumait sans avaler la fumée, la honte totale. Il crapote !!!

  • @veraciteabsolue1221
    @veraciteabsolue1221 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Frileux also means shy/not daring

  • @DonnaLang42rockglobally
    @DonnaLang42rockglobally 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    There are times I've "sung in yogurt" trying to sing along phonetically to French rock songs... fortunately that usually happens when I'm alone.

  • @procrastination2204
    @procrastination2204 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    For perdre ses repères, you can say "to lose one's bearings" and for the part about someone being your "repère," you can say that they are your rock. Like "he was my rock."

  • @kjsldkjfsdf
    @kjsldkjfsdf 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I would love your input on this one:
    I lived in france for awhile and as an american I had a hell of a time figuring out how you guys use the word "normalement". The literal translation of course is "normally", but the way it's used in France doesn't ever really seem to mean that. It doesn't directly translate to "normally" or "usually" and the exact meaning is still kind of a mystery to me. As of now my best guess is that it usually means "if all goes according to plan". for example, "le bus arrive à 11h normalement" ou "t'es libre ce weekend?" "ouais normalement".
    What's your take as a native? Is "if all goes according to plan" an equal translation?
    Merci bcp pour les videos!

    • @Navyt17
      @Navyt17 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yeah I think "if all goes according to plan" is a fine translation, you could also say "most likely" or "should" as in "the bus should arrive at 11"

  • @joykim467
    @joykim467 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Instantly subscribed! These words were trop interesting!! Merci 😍

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ow cool thanks ! glad you enjoyed the video! and welcome to our channel haha^^

  • @svenhanse1028
    @svenhanse1028 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    You speak English so well. I hope to someday speak French with as much accuracy . How did you learn English so well? Have you ever lived in the US for an extended period?

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah thank you so much :)
      no I've never lived in the US. English was my favourite subject in school. Languages have been a passion since I was a kid I guess :))
      I talked about it in this video if you want to know more ^^ (just skip the first 2 minutes of the video there's an add)
      th-cam.com/video/Ga8NWOXmPzk/w-d-xo.html

    • @michaelhalsall5684
      @michaelhalsall5684 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      English originated in England. English is the FIRST language of many Europeans countries from Ireland to Britain to Malta. Many people from France live and study in Britain and learn their English there!

  • @jrbleau
    @jrbleau 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I could add "Rayonner" - like to shine out, radiate influence or make your existence or reputation known over a wide area and "encâdrer", which is to provide structured training or guidance.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah interesting! thanks for sharing :) I'll probably make a part 2 at some point^^

  • @richardbevan23
    @richardbevan23 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    There's a word that means the same as "frileux/euse" in English, but I think it's quite colloquial to certain regions. I'd never heard it until my wife first used it when we started dating. The word is "nesh" - if you're nesh, you always feel the cold. I think it came from her parents/grandparents who were originally from the Lancashire area.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah interesting, I've never heard that word before ^^

    • @19Edurne
      @19Edurne 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      In French, we also use the expression "avoir du sang de navet" (to have turnip blood, to be turnip bloodied) to speak about someone who complains that it's too cold when everyone around thinks the temperature is just fine.

    • @richardbevan23
      @richardbevan23 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@19Edurne that's a new one for me - it makes no sense, but I like it! 😁

    • @19Edurne
      @19Edurne 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@richardbevan23 This one is rather bland compared to a number of French colorful colloquialisms I have collected (and translated to English for someone else). It has become quite the collection along the years; some I only heard my parents use. Some are frankly gross but they are all rather funny. So I have plenty more of those where that came from. :)

    • @richardbevan23
      @richardbevan23 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@19Edurne well now you've piqued my interest!! 😄

  • @mmameo9445
    @mmameo9445 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Merci, c'est trop bien vos vidéos 💛

  • @roots_and_ruin
    @roots_and_ruin 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I see a lot of people saying that 'ramble' is equivalent to 'flâner' but I would argue that 'wander' is closer. In the UK at least, rambling is associated more with going on planned, mapped out walks in the countryside. You see 'ramblers' with maps, compasses etc who can tell you exactly where they are going. Whereas if you wander, there is no goal or planned route.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah interesting that's for your insight^^

    • @YonatanZunger
      @YonatanZunger 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Definitely a US/UK thing. In the US, rambling implies a lack of direction like wandering, but implies something much more long-term - eg the archetype of the "ramblin' man" from films like "Easy Rider," who has no fixed home and is just permanently traveling from one place to another.
      Definitely agree that "wander" is closer.

    • @oscarhocklee
      @oscarhocklee 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      So, there is a pretty exact cognate in 'amble': dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ambling - like 'ramble', but more leisurely and with the connotation of being relaxed.

  • @noury8887
    @noury8887 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great vidéo as usual.
    Last week i was texting someone from France an she said "n'importe quoi" and i didn't understand the meaning so now because of you i completely understand.. Thank you 😍

  • @lydiafife8716
    @lydiafife8716 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    One of my favorite expressions in French that can’t really be translated is « ça c’est pas un cadeau! » or sometimes when « par exemple » doesn’t mean for example

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      haha yeah that's a good example ^^

    • @thereandbachagain5285
      @thereandbachagain5285 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      You might enjoy this one: "Il vaut mieux l'avoir en portrait qu'en pension !"
      Expression you can use about someone that you notice eats a lot. I've no idea how to translate it.

  • @tanc_
    @tanc_ 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    "Terroir" have a different meaning for different things. From the really good youtube channel VinStache, for wine Terroir is a mix of Soil, Climate, and know-how. This comment was just to say that VinStache is a really great youtube channel talking about wine but very dynamic and well made.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah trop cool, I'll go check out that channel :)

  • @guillaumelaguerre7201
    @guillaumelaguerre7201 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    There's also "le regard" which is a beautiful word that has no exact translation in English.

  • @notthatnick5546
    @notthatnick5546 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    French Canadian here. I would say “dépaysement” is a bitter-sweet word that can sometimes even be very positive. For example, let’s say a travelling agency is selling trips in a foreign country with very particular traditions and customs. On their brochure, they might write: “Dépaysement garanti!”. Basically, it means they guarantee you will feel somewhat lost, but in a good way.
    Interesting fact: in Quebec, being "frileux" or "frileuse" can also mean that you are cautious, hesitant. No idea if it's the same in France, though. :D

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah yeah I totally agree, that's what I wanted to explain when I was saying that we long for that feeling of dépaysement. It's even a selling point for travel agencies LOL !
      and yeah in France it's also used to say cautious etc... I totally forgot to talk about it ^^

    • @thierryf67
      @thierryf67 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "Frileux/euse" can be used also in this meaning in France.

    • @soufienework5139
      @soufienework5139 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      We have the same meanings in France .. exactly as you described ...

  • @uasj2
    @uasj2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    But when we stole France’s wine and cheese production techniques, we stole the word “terroir” along with it! (Imitation being the greatest form of flattery.) It’s an English word in every dictionary, unlike any of the other words you presented in this video, and my iPad is not trying to correct it as I type it. You will find it used on the back of most bottles of Australian wines for example: “The Bay of Fires has the highest winter rainfall of the Tasmanian grape-growing areas and its terroir is supported by rich, red ferrosol soils.”
    I should add though that the word is specialised in English and stripped of some of the deeper, more general meaning you mentioned. I can perhaps imagine someone saying that an author’s novels reflect the terroir of Tasmania, but it would be an uncommon use of analogy. The Australian concept of terroir is really rooted only in the physical aspects of geology, topology, etc. and it would be rare to apply it to the people and towns of a region of Australia.

  • @charliethomas2217
    @charliethomas2217 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    In reference to "les repères / perdre ses repères" i would refer to something/someone who grounds me as my "anchor" because they keep me in one place even though the "waters of life" try to move me around. It's probably not exactly the same, but that's what came to mind when i reached that point in the video.

  • @uasj2
    @uasj2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I would translate “repères” as English “bearings” perhaps in some of your examples: “I was confused by the language in Switzerland. I listened hard but I just couldn’t get my bearings.”

    • @Sevrmark
      @Sevrmark 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Was going to post the same thing.

    • @paullyons7621
      @paullyons7621 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I was thinking 'anchor' or 'anchor point,' but 'bearings' works too. Both navigational metaphors, and not too far removed from the cartesian coordinates meaning of repères, FWIW.

    • @Oxmustube
      @Oxmustube 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Exactly!

    • @JackOQuin
      @JackOQuin 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      In mathematical English, it would be a "frame of reference". That describes an origin, and its XYZ components.

    • @bird1962
      @bird1962 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      c'est quoi votre problème avec les langues en suisse ? ps je plaisante......c 'est vrai que l'on est compliquer avec nos 4 langues officielles....... salutations

  • @crazynance
    @crazynance 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great explanations.
    Je veux flâner à Ville Québec...

  • @cloealcaria5538
    @cloealcaria5538 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Flaner = wandering . Dans ton exemple, 'flaner à Montmartre', on peut dire en anglais 'wandering around Montmartre'.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah ok thank you my bad^^

    • @mikesum32
      @mikesum32 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Also ramble.

    • @trorisk
      @trorisk 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      To wander is more se promener. When you say "flâner à Montmartre" it means you go around shops without buying anything, watching people walk and enjoy life. There really is a central idea of pleasant futility of looking around.

    • @tzu-huisherryyang9251
      @tzu-huisherryyang9251 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Or roaming.

  • @hannahjenkinson2251
    @hannahjenkinson2251 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Frileux has a perfect translation in the word "nesh" which is an English dialectal word used mostly in Staffordshire (but also across other areas of the Midlands and North)

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah cool ! :)

    • @saludosalsol
      @saludosalsol 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I’m American and I’ve never heard this word in my life 😂

    • @Euph3mia
      @Euph3mia 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@saludosalsol It’s used in England, not the US - that’s why they mentioned Staffordshire, an English county :)

  • @waziotter
    @waziotter 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    One other good one: combienieme. The closest I can think of is “the how manyth “. As in “c’est le combienieme fois qu’il a pose la meme question?!”

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      aah great example !! :):):)

    • @Manticore44
      @Manticore44 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Umpteenth?

    • @waziotter
      @waziotter 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Manticore44 that means something different - it has happened an indeterminate but large number of times. Combienieme usually relates to a specific number, which doesn't have to be large. So something like "C'est the combienieme fois que PSG a gagne ligue un?

    • @EwanChung
      @EwanChung 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Manticore44 Yes. Sometimes you still see/hear "nth".

  • @louisrobitaille9384
    @louisrobitaille9384 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    « Flâner » has an English translation: « to loiter ». In Canada, we have bilingual signs that say: « No loitering/ Pas de flânage ».

  • @markholm6955
    @markholm6955 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Terroir - I use to be really into wines - so I’ve know this word for a very long time - all the California wine makers use this term.

  • @pinkville
    @pinkville 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video. There are a couple of words in English that come close to flâner... "drift", in a rural/non-urban context, and "wander", in any context. But it's true that nothing has quite the same sense as flâner. As for perdre ses repères... "lose one's bearings" comes closest, and that person who is one's repère could be called (metaphorically), one's "rock"

  • @iksandrr
    @iksandrr 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    In Spanish, we have “frioliento” too

  • @soph9683
    @soph9683 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    for "flâner", I think the best translation I could come up with is "wander aimlessly", but that implies a sense of stress or a feeling of being lost.

  • @PlethoraShae
    @PlethoraShae 5 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Repères- like “lose your bearings” in English

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      oui merci ! I learned that expression in the comments, I didn't know it before ^^

    • @ellsyd
      @ellsyd 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Or lose your way.

  • @abzy2204
    @abzy2204 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    J'ai pris le temps de regarder cette vidéo qui a surgi dans mes suggestions, j'ai quand même appris un mot : "flâner" 😀 et je me suis aussi rendu compte que ce n'était pas difficile que pour moi de trouver des équivalents en anglais. Le truc hyper relou. 😀
    Bonne continuation et merci pour ce contenu sympathique 😉👍

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah cool, contente que ça vous ai plu :):)

  • @sachab6098
    @sachab6098 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    "Chanter en yaourt" - I do it. I like being able to sing the songs I like. But then people I know dont like it because I cant tell them what it means. XD But it's good for your brain- if you can listen to a foreign language and pick out each subtle sound involved in pronunciation, that's great!

  • @tomtheplummer7322
    @tomtheplummer7322 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    When I was in High School the French foreign exchange student, she flocked to me at the beach. I had been in Quebec. Also Cajun. She was very tall. She taught me these words.

  • @peterdavidson3268
    @peterdavidson3268 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I think the English word you are searching for @ 2:20 is "topography"?

  • @yvessioui2716
    @yvessioui2716 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice feeling about you including 'bougonner'. C'est encore très fréquent au Québec. It means approximately 'being displeased by something and making it known in a passive way avec des expressions faciales de résistance et d'enfermement (langage corporel).

  • @DrewMakepeace
    @DrewMakepeace 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I'm chiming in from Canada's wine country where the word 'terroir' is increasingly used in English in the context of grape growing.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah cool interesting I didn't know that :):)

    • @bobbiusshadow6985
      @bobbiusshadow6985 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yup, I can confirm .... and in the US too, I mean, it's spreading

    • @StuartSimon
      @StuartSimon 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      StreetFrench.org It sounds like a useful word to borrow, and not just for viticulture.

  • @janehowarth6155
    @janehowarth6155 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'm really enjoying your videos. Something you'll be interested to know about Swedish - they use lots of French words !! I think they came from the time when French was considered sophisticated and the nobility spoke French to impress so the words refer often to what could have been considered 'luxury' words at that time rather than basic words.
    Although they are pronounced like French they are written in a Swedish way so if you read the words and don't speak Swedish you would have no idea what they mean:
    eg fåtölj - fauteuil
    trottoar - trottoir
    atelje - atelier
    adjö - adieu
    pjäs - piece (de theatre)
    nivå - niveau
    BUT genre which is pronounced genre in English is pronounced something like hanga in Swedish. WHY???
    I think if you know English and German it's easy to read basic Swedish. Then sophisticated words are often latin based so that's OK if you have French. It's just the pronunciation and intonation which is difficult.

    • @toralundin5869
      @toralundin5869 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nice! Flanera (flâner) is aslo a word we adopted from french!

  • @Roosyer
    @Roosyer 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    5:48 In Spanish you'd say "Friolento (masc.) or Friolenta (fem.) :-)

  • @boucanpetit
    @boucanpetit 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Tes vidéos sont très intéressantes 😀

  • @StuartSimon
    @StuartSimon 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    We have the words “wander” or “meander” that could work as translations of “flâner.”

    • @dudeidontcare3430
      @dudeidontcare3430 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @Fux News Tourists are bums with money

    • @Theinternalrewrite
      @Theinternalrewrite 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sure. I'd happily go for a wander and see where I end up.

    • @mrhelzbygrad7485
      @mrhelzbygrad7485 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      In Lancashire we say "we are going for a gander" looking to find things in the town

  • @davidshay4233
    @davidshay4233 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I feel the same kinda with French music I don't really listen to American much new music say 5 years but I love French music my top 3 have to be gims lacrim and damso

  • @IndexaTranscendantal
    @IndexaTranscendantal 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    "Crapoter" is also used for to describe how to smoke a cigar properly. Most cigarettes smokers dont know how to smoke a real cigar ...

  • @sarahkeegan602
    @sarahkeegan602 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hi there, do you mind sharing the name of the podcast about wine that you mentioned in this video please

  • @silviagarciaoria1068
    @silviagarciaoria1068 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    J'adore l'expression " N 'importe quoi"

  • @andaleebtobaccowala6449
    @andaleebtobaccowala6449 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Terrain refers mostly to the physical aspect of an area. In French terroir seems to cover much more, I feel

    • @saludosalsol
      @saludosalsol 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Terroir sounds like it means the essence or spirit of the land/terrain. In Spanish the word Tierra sounds so similar but it doesn’t have the same connotation, it mostly means earth/soil.

  • @cleanbreast
    @cleanbreast 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Une traduction parfaite de "râler" serait le verbe "to whinge", assez courant en anglais britannique..

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah cool je connaissais pas ce mot ^^

    • @Andrewtafelklavier
      @Andrewtafelklavier 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Or to rail against something

    • @philiplane108
      @philiplane108 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      'Whinge',en effet. Le mot est original de l'Australie.

    • @paullyons7621
      @paullyons7621 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Jerry Donohue Ouai. En Australie et en Nouvelle Zélande, on parle des 'whingeing poms'. 'Poms' signifie les Anglais - et souvent, mais pas toujours, le mot est utilisé avec dérision.

  • @NorthernMycophile
    @NorthernMycophile 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I've watched a lot of videos. I don't know if we ever see this room again. XD

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah yeah I haven't filmed in there a lot, the latest vid was filmed there. I'll try to go back there for the next ones! :)

  • @blaketaylor8863
    @blaketaylor8863 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    My teacher teanslated "n'import quoi / qui / où" as whatever, whoever, whenever :D

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      yeah it works, but "n'importe quoi" has soooo many more meanings^^
      especially in spoken French, everyday colloquial expressions

    • @houbsta
      @houbsta 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Street_French "whatever" can be used in so many ways. It's frequently used with lots of strong sarcasm or ironic tones

  • @anonymelv9881
    @anonymelv9881 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Another meaning of frileux/frileuse is when someone is afraid to do something, hesitate. La frilosité is quite often a kind of hesitation.

  • @philiplane108
    @philiplane108 5 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    "J'ai perdu mes reperes." How about: "I've lost my bearings"?

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      yeah that's it ! I didn't know that expression, my bad! :)

    • @richardbevan23
      @richardbevan23 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Street_French I like "discombobulated". My 6 year old uses this a lot which always makes me laugh :-)

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@richardbevan23 haha cute ^^

    • @Zdrange03
      @Zdrange03 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I think this expression doesn't sound as common and colloquial as perdre ses repères.

    • @racineurr.8924
      @racineurr.8924 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Street_French what about "I lost my way". That suits the bill.

  • @thinkingbadminton6949
    @thinkingbadminton6949 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Awesome video!!! Watched until the end, give you guys as much audience retention minutes as possible 😂😂

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah thanks it means a lot :))

  • @WinterlyHeights
    @WinterlyHeights 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    For "Je perds mes repères", in English we say, "I'm losing my bearings"

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah yeah thanks ! I didn't know about that expression ^^

    • @caden-reynolds
      @caden-reynolds 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      yeah english sort of split it into two terms because the other usage has an equivalent in, for instance, someone being your "rock"
      linguistics be like

  • @jonwesick2844
    @jonwesick2844 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    As an English equivalent to les reperes, Navy veterans will say, "I lost the bubble." This references the instrument (like a carpenter's level) that tells if a submarine is level. It has a bubble floating in a liquid.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah so interesting!! love that expression^^

    • @thierryf67
      @thierryf67 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Street_French we say also in french "perdre le Nord" (to loose the North) a reference to the north needle in a compass.

  • @arlechino2
    @arlechino2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Well, crapoter you can keep, but for "terroir" thank you very much--it's ours now. We have terroir too.

  • @timdiggle5090
    @timdiggle5090 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Perdre les reperes = to lose your bearings. If you are sailing or flying or hiking in a mountain range you measure the angles and distances to fixed reference points such as a mountain peak or a GPS satellite (the bearings) and from those results you work out your position. If you have "lost your bearings" it means that you do not know where you are.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah great! I didn't know this expression, thanks :):)
      is it something people still say these days? Or could it be a little old fashion?

    • @timdiggle5090
      @timdiggle5090 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Street_French Still quite common in UK English.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@timdiggle5090 ok good to know :))

  • @James-nr1fl
    @James-nr1fl 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    En anglais du nord, on dit "nesh" pour dire "frileux"... en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nesh

    • @david.e.miller
      @david.e.miller 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Perhaps frileux could be translated as cold-natured?

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah cool didn't know that :):)

    • @Dragonfyre2009
      @Dragonfyre2009 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@david.e.miller That's exactly it!

    • @collieclone
      @collieclone 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@david.e.miller You'll also hear (normally of a woman?) She's a cold pie. But maybe that's only Scottish!

    • @david.e.miller
      @david.e.miller 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@collieclone It may be Scottish. But, in any event, I'm not familiar with the expression.

  • @lalegende2746
    @lalegende2746 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    And here I am having learned French for over 2 years and I’ve never seen most of these words before...
    ...mais en fait, c’est pas inutile d’apprendre ces mots. Comme j’ai appris ma langue maternelle (l’anglais), il faut que j’améliore mon vocabulaire et entraîne mon cerveau à la même fois. L’un de mes buts avant 2023 et de devenir courant en le français. Mon niveau est très fort actuellement; je peux m’exprimer quoi que je veuille avec d’autres personnes qui parlent français. Notamment, sur mon lieu de travail, je m’amuse quand je rencontre des francophones (Je travaille à Chick-fil-A, mais évidemment je vais pas dire où). Je pense que j’ai écrit assez, donc, c’est tout!

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah super ! bravo pour votre français ! 2 ans c'est rapide :) et oui ces mots sont pas des mots qu'on dit tous les jours donc c'est normal :))

  • @sthneutral2138
    @sthneutral2138 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    8:10 me when despacito singing to despacito

  • @zoec8843
    @zoec8843 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    In Yorkshire in the UK there's a dialect word 'nesh' which means someone who is always feels cold. It's often used teasingly ("he's a bit nesh"), but like anything, it depends on how you say it :)
    As others have said, I think 'fish out of water' is the best translation dépaysé. Repère, we have a few - you can say 'I've lost my bearings' if you're talking about a situation or a place, or 'they're my anchor/touchstone/cornerstone' when talking about a person.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      aah interesting :):) but for "fish out of the water" it feels like it can only be negative no?

  • @allthebeesaredead188
    @allthebeesaredead188 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    En anglais (au Pays de Galles) on dit 'bimble' pour 'flâner', c'est la même chose en fait. en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/bimble

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah cool merci ! :) C'est vrai que je ne connais pas très bien les mots très British. Je parle un anglais standard plutôt américain haha

    • @orioncordelle4741
      @orioncordelle4741 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Walkabout in Australian English

    • @armoricain
      @armoricain 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@orioncordelle4741 Ah ha, NOW we´re talking, I can really "feel" this English verb is the closest to the French verb "flâner".

  • @evabodnar8568
    @evabodnar8568 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You can say of a person he/she is my compass if that person grounds you or gives you your bearings. It works for things too. My work was my compass in life=it gave my life meaning.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah interesting! :) but how would you say you lost your compass? would it work?

    • @evabodnar8568
      @evabodnar8568 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Street_French To lose your bearings in English is literal: to become disoriented , to lose your way. If we use the idiomatic expression "to be one's compass" in the past, for example, "He was my compass" it has the idea that you mention that your 'compass', what you count on in life, is irretrievably gone. Aside from this I would use "He is my rock" "He was my rock" as the equivalent for the French expression. I loved the video, especially crapoter. I always said that was not a thing in English, and now I know better. Thank you.

  • @Soclean07
    @Soclean07 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    French language apparently has a wider vocabulary than English from what I see, there seem to be more words to describe very specific things

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ah no there are many english words that don't exist in French either. it's all context and culture here I guess ^^

    • @Soclean07
      @Soclean07 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Street_French yes you right because every langugages have their own words to say this or that, but I mean in general in french to say 1 thing you can use 10 differents words sometimes which is not really the case in english,
      it makes me think that french is first of all more complex and maybe more expressive in general.

    • @christopherdieudonne
      @christopherdieudonne 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      As much as I love French, it definitely doesn't have the vocabulary range that English has. While this video features some very fine examples of words that don't exist in English, English has WAY MORE words that don't exist in French.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@christopherdieudonne is it a competition? haha what does it prove to have more words?
      if having a lot of compound words like "lightheaded", "living room", "strawberry" "fireman" "notebook" is considered a word then cool ^^ we can't do that in French but English is filled with words like that which is interesting. It really makes the language so malleable^^
      Let's just enjoy each language for what they are ^^

    • @christopherdieudonne
      @christopherdieudonne 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Street_French It's not a competition at all. Just pointing out a fact. LOL. I am the *biggest* francophile in the world ! No one loves French more than me. 😊

  • @spir0u
    @spir0u 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    In Quebec french, « flâner » means « to loiter » meaning hang around a public place or around a business without a reason. It’s usually prohibited in most places and you’ll see « Interdiction de flâner », which can sound kinda funny to french people.

  • @taylorfaucett7187
    @taylorfaucett7187 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    An English version of "Flâner" would be "ramble". It's not common in US English but very common in British English.

    • @PursuitofKnowledge178
      @PursuitofKnowledge178 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Lord I was born a rambling man,tryin to make a livin and doing the best I can

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah ok cool thanks :):) I guess I speak a more American english so if I missed the British English translation, that's why ^^

    • @echobend6
      @echobend6 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Meander is one that came to mind too.

    • @elixhernandez1
      @elixhernandez1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Kimberly Wright Also wander comes to mind.

    • @uasj2
      @uasj2 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      In Australian English we never use “ramble” in the British sense to refer to “walking purposefully in the countryside”. It is most common in the figurative sense of “to talk aimlessly without getting to the point” (to go on and on like you may have dementia). So when British people use it to refer to walking it sounds ridiculous to our ears.

  • @jej3451
    @jej3451 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Some suggestions for inexact translations:
    dépaysé -> alienate, estrange, dislocate, uproot, unsettle, faze, disorient, immerse
    Les reperes -> anchor, mooring, roots, foundation
    perdre ses reperes -> disanchor (archaic), unmoor, uproot

  • @aaronmorris1513
    @aaronmorris1513 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Depaysement is what I would call “culture shock.”

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      "culture shock" is different, we say "choc culturel" and it's too brutal and mostly negative. "Homesick" doesn't work either because it's negative again, when you're "dépaysé" you don't miss home at all.
      "Dépaysement" is a good thing :)

    • @thereandbachagain5285
      @thereandbachagain5285 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Besides, you can be dépaysé because the nature around you looks so unfamiliar, it's not only about culture.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@thereandbachagain5285 yes true^^

    • @funckynell5688
      @funckynell5688 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dislocation.

    • @calleyally
      @calleyally 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      “Home away from home” 😊

  • @gab7121
    @gab7121 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It's funny that French is my first language (I'm from Quebec) and I didn't know the word "crapoter" and the expression "chanter en yaourt" and I say "yogourt" and not "yaourt"! Good video by the way!

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah yeah we don't use the same words and colloquial expression in French ^^

  • @cindland
    @cindland 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    We do have depaysement in English. It’s “displaced”. You feel foreign and out of place, not like any other where you are.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ah yeah it's not exactly the same, "displaced" is mostly negative. You never want to feel displaced, whereas there's something beautiful and nice about being "dépaysé" ^^

    • @psychicvacuum83
      @psychicvacuum83 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I actually thought of the expression "culture shock" that is kind of close to "dépaysement", though I believe it's mostly negative as well.

    • @mature111ster
      @mature111ster 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I was literally thinking this when I heard the word. It's not necesarily negative either, since it gives a feeling of being out of place, I think this could be a synonym.

    • @cindland
      @cindland 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      StreetFrench.org there IS another usage but it is not negative. It’s as you explained l the French version. We are alike in many ways!

    • @cindland
      @cindland 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Tony McLean exactly what I meant. 🤩

  • @byronwilliams7977
    @byronwilliams7977 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    How is Depaysement different from culture chock, ou la choc culturelle ?
    Your english is amazing by the way.

    • @Street_French
      @Street_French  4 ปีที่แล้ว

      we also say "un choc culturel" in French. and it refers to something brutal or negative. whereas dépaysement can be a really nice feeling^^