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It's funny how all the don'ts you mentioned in the video are actually taught in textbooks, in French classes. I guess it's another example of theory vs practical
ah yeah we focused on what we had to go over with our private students that took classes before. nothing wrong with school it's just that spoken language is a bit different ^^
I can't imagine French teachers teaching slang. Once I remember one teacher saying that the people in Paris say "wah" to mean oui. In foreign language in the US we barely get to a high school level in our studies, that would be like having a French Minor degree from a college. Most of the country is isolated from any native French speaking people if you don't live in the North East or in Louisiana. We only learn from teachers who teach several languages. I had to search around for a French class and the college professor that I might take next teaches Spanish and French.
Im still a student and will be for a while but with these don’ts, I find they’re taught in written courses but audio courses do a lot better job at teaching practical, spoken languages
@@markchavez738 ow ok ! we'll for sure do a podcast at some point, and we'll see for the subtitles later when we can pay someone to do it for us :) thanks for your feedback :)
C'est une très bonne question sachez que nous même francophones oublions parfois de prononcer les liaisons, la liaison avec un T, par exemple ils vont à l'école ici on lie le T et le à donc on prononce ils vontà l'école ou la lettre s prononcée z lors d'une liaison exemple les élèves sont sages on prononce les zélèves sont sages.
We definitely used n’est-ce pas when I was a kid in Lyon in the late 1970’s, early 1980’s. Sometimes “non” instead. I don’t think you become more formal as you get older; you just stay with the way you’ve always spoken, and the younger people develop newer usages.
yeah true :) some people tend to speak more formaly just because as you say they always used to speak "formaly". we don't imply that they change the way they speak. But I get how we weren't clear enough :)
This is by far the most fun and enjoyable French learning channel I came across, everytime I watch it somehow I smile a lot and my mood gets elevated too. I love the duo and the interactions, feel like I'm in this conversation with you guys!! So thanks! Keep up the good work!!
I like the meaning of j'aimerais over je voudrais anyway, so that's really nice to know. "Chai pas" sounds really cute. That reminds me of when I was helping people with their English, and the younger generation in America would say "I'ma", which is a contraction of "I'm gonna", which is a contraction of "I'm going to", and is yet a contraction of "I am going to", lol. It's really cool learning the different levels of contraction in another language, 'cause you almost always hear "I'ma" or "I'm gonna", or even "I'm gon'", but you don't really ever hear "I'm going to", or "I am going to". That's something that you'd write in an email, or read in a novel or article, or hear in a more formal context. People that speak using standard or formal language are generally in their 40s and older, but I guess it's different for us in America, because it doesn't sound wrong or weird. If a young person speaks like that, it's like, wow, that person is so mature, *lol*. At least for me and my friends, we'd be impressed by their maturity, as opposed to seeing it as something strange and out of place.
haha that's interesting too! yeah you do have the same in English^^ I guess there are different levels of politeness in French. the top level is seen as a bit too formal and proper for an informal situation. but any levels underneath are just very polite :)
Yes, we use a lot of contractions in English. You never hear a person say “I do not want to go...” (at least not In America). But instead you would usually hear “I don’t wanna go...”
So they're still teaching 50s French in English schools. I had my suspicions, having been subjected to it in the 60s. By the way, as regards "puis-je", in English English, "may I?" is generally correct, whereas "can I?" is considered rather low brow and common - at least, among those of us with an overabundance of 'hauteur'. ;)
I was thinking this - when I started school in the 90s, I had a teacher who insisted on us using "please may I... please", something I had never heard anyone say outside school.
Wow i am amazed. I'm from Mexico and we are encouraged to speak formal to people that we don't really know. I'm 23 years old and I speak formally to people the same age as me..... but most importantly to my elders. It shows that we have good manners and that our parents have done a good job by raising us. I truly enjoyed this video because I get to learn the culture of France when it comes to the French language ❤ Thankyou
ah yeah we speak formally in French too :) but there's "proper formal French" and there's "super old fashioned literary formal French" which is too much sometimes haha
You have cancelled on so much of the french I learned in school, here in the USA. 😅 But, thank you for giving me the more commonly used words/expressions. 🙏🏻
Don't take what they say as gospel. Take into consideration their age. NO ONE says "Je NE sais pas... but never say "je sais pas"!! Gawd. It's like this: "JEUNE sais pas" .. there is no difference in pronunciation.
You two are really making the best videos out there. I like how you combine your knowledge in your respective native language. You always keep an open mind, which is in my opinion quite important for videos about language. And most importantly, you're not over scripting them. I like seeing both of you actualy learning things of each other through the video. I'm really enjoying your content so far!
Something to consider is that most languages in the world have a formal standard and an informal standard. These formal and informal standards usually depend on class, hierarchy, organization, etc. What is usually taught in schools is the French language that is approved by the French Academy which one can consider as a formal standard.
Je suis dans ma 2ème année d'étude de français. Mais après avoir regardé beaucoup de tes vidéos, je me sens plus confiant. Maintenant, j'ai l'intention de continuer mes études de francais et apprendre à parler français comme un natif français. Merci pour l'aide!
Very helpful video. I was taught to never say “puis-je” in French class fifty years ago, but there was no mention of “je voudrais.” Everything you talked about is so suited for an intermediate French speaker like me. Thank you!
I took French lessons when I got out of college around 2004, and my French tutor taught me literally every no that you guys said, lol. Completely bizarre and formal. I have so much to un-learn.
I just found out about this videos and this channel, thank you very much for this, this is very helpful for people who are learning French and we haven been to Paris, but we will some day. merci.
Love your videos. Sometimes we (Americans) try too hard and end up tripping over ourselves when speaking French. These videos are very helpful in finding the right way to converse.
Thanks for the video ❤ Fortunately, our teacher taught us to use the more modern options from the beginning and I don't have to relearn these expressions 🙏
I love what you teach, thank you! So, what I would also enjoy is to hear you say something, the way your mom and dad would say it, then say it, as you would. That would also be Much appreciated. (BTW (in English) my mom cannot understand the way my daughter speaks, because my daughter speaks very fast and slurs words together, with no punctuation/pauses used.)
Merci pour ce genre de vidéo! Très pratique. Pour moi, l’info sur l’inversion était surprenante parce j’ai toujours pensé que puis-je… serait mieux que “est-ce que “ . Merci!
As a Brit who speaks French at a B2 level, what is missing from podcasts and videos are examples of speech in day to day situations, such as in the kitchen, driving a car, basic DIY, dealing with the heating, gardening and so on. So many people cover the same material.
Merci beaucoup, this was a great video. I realised I learned all the "too formal" school taught french. I really want to sound more native, especially Parisian french. So thanks I am going to apply everything you said here to my french!
Je suis en Master FLE et j'aime beaucoup regarder des vidéos comme les vôtres pour me rendre compte de petites subtilités auxquelles c'est difficile de faire gaffe quand on est natif et qui pourraient être intéressantes à connaître en classe de FLE. C'est pratique pour conscientiser un peu tout ça. Merci ^^
Just when I thought I couldn't find a better video about how to sound more French, I find your video! I love it! You two are fantastic. What a great couple! I'm a new subscriber of your channel. I really enjoy your videos. Keep it up your work! It's amazing! I sincerely appreciate it. Thank you a lot!
@@GoogleIsAPieceOfShit2023 Exactement! When I talk to older French people especially those that don’t live in Paris, they will correct me when I use the street Parisian French I know or verlan. “Ça ce n’est pas bon français” they will tell me. We have the same choice when speaking English. Do you wanna sound like an educated adult or someone that appears to have been raised in the streets?
I used to hear "petit ami" or "petite amie" when I was a kid. I read "comme ci comme ça" in a book set in WWII (and even then, it was spoken by a German, who presumably learned it at school). So I guess what is taught is what was current decades ago.
I learned all these expressions in school and from my mother who lived in Southern France in the 70s! It was only when my son started learning from a Parisien a few years ago that I realized how outdated the expressions were.
I like how your girlfriend behave as a real human being. Probably is an European/French thing... Here in the Americas we try to be very cheerful and "fake" in terms of behave. My two French friends at the University used to have the same vibe. I love it!
Wow thanks for this video, I know I'm commenting late but this was, as we say, a real eye-opener. I was shocked to find out how many of these I had been using all these years. My French teachers have been lying to me! lol OK maybe not lying but not teaching a type of French that reflects reality in everyday life. I think they are required to teach it the "correct" way, but I think even the schools should teach the "real" language as part of the lessons. For "Je ne sais pas" I can understand why because like in English that would be "I do not know" which literally 0% of anybody says; it sounds like a robot talking! On the other hand, I think I still would use "voudrais" in a formal setting. I can sense the difference between amerais and voudrais, like "voudrais" it's old school/retro formal, but I still kind of like it. It's classy!
Maïa has the pouty lips for speaking French and making the *ou* sound, and also when she does the classic French facial expressions (like that "bah chais pas" kind of expression), it looks really cute! I have a suggestion for a video -- you could do one about French gesticulation and facial expressions. They are really specific to France and it's so fun to realise people actually make these faces when they speak. What do you think? Just found your videos today and I've been enjoying them while I work. Hi from Paris! xo
There is still one situation where you can use this expression: as an obvious hint or to apostrophize someone in particular during a conversation. For example, let's say Jean is very fond of chocolate and everybody in his house knows it. One could say : "J'ai acheté une plaquette de chocolat pour un gateau que je vais cuisiner demain. Je compte sur vous tous pour ne pas y toucher d'ici là. *N'est-ce pas* , Jean ?". It could translate to "you got that right" or something like this and we generally use a lot of emphasis on it. Yet again, a simple "hein" works fine too. Outside of this very rare situation, I'm afraid we only use it as a joke or to sound overly formal.
I love the way you guys are explaining all these goooood tips to upgrade your French skills, so it helps to get to the point right away! I’m keep on learning French in Montreal, Qc, Ca. so I used to live and work with French native speakers and they’re showing me exactly the way you guys doing it here. Congrats! #Magnifique
Thank you for answering back !!! What do you guys like eating for breakfast traditionally?? I love crepe !! What are some French holidays that are very unique and interesting and what festivities are there? Coq au vin is my favorite French dinner!! what do you guys like having for dinner in Paris
Thanks, this will help in my relearning .If not for this video, numbers 1,2,4,5,8,10and 11 would have still been in my French speech.I haven't learned the language in years , but I remembered enough to get by .
Thanks guys. I always look for such phrases when learnin foreign languages cos it makes us sound like a native speaker or at least sound more natural not like that in formal settings. Im lookin forward to more vids from you guys. Btw, your channel is one of my fav youtube channels for learnin french. Although I can hardly find people who can speak french here in Malaysia but Ill keep on learnin untill I get fluent in french. Keep it up!
mind blown! No idea this stuff was all formal or out of touch. I was taught in school, french immersion. Now looking to brush up and finding your videos helpful! Hello from a new subscriber. :)
When I learnt French at school (many, many years ago!), amongst other things we were taught "Comment vous portez-vous?". Never heard a French person say that. My guess is that it's much more formal than even "Comment allez-vous" ?
i really love your videos, truly! i love all that you do and you really are helping so many people! but i have to say that it would be good to point out that this is how we learn french in our french classes. everyone who learns french as a foreign language will go through this stage. the way Charlie describes all of these "mistakes" is like he is above that. i'm sure he has been at that stage at some point while learning french, so i don't think the sense of arrogance is warranted.
ow no sorry you sensed arrogance, that wasn't the point at all. we don't feel above that at all. That's also why at the beginning of the video we said multiple times that these aren't really "mistakes" but just how to sound more natural. Also Charlie says he would have rather learned those thing immediately. That's kind of why we started Street French and we focus on spoken French :) Hope this brings more clarity, but thanks for you feedback !
@@Street_French yes, i love Street French, you guys are seriously amazing, and I do appreciate the help you and things I have learned from your videos :-) thank you for the clarification!
I've just discovered your channel few days ago. I find your videos about slang very useful and well explained. However, there is one small thing I do not like about this channel: the number of subscribers. You deserve way more!
That was fun and interesting. I knew some of these more colloquial forms but not about the liaisons!! It cuts out the headache of remembering the rule. Like any language, the spoken 'street' form is different. I teach ESL and I struggle to get my students out of the 'formal English' trap. Thanks, both of you.
oh i'm surprised because as a french native speaker I often say "comme-ci comme ça" - "ça va ?" - "mouais, comme-ci comme ça... on fait aller !" or you can use also "couci-couça" for the english expression so-so
ah yeah that's weird I've never heard anyone every say "comme ci comme ça" in my life. I've heard "couci-couça" though :) it's maybe a region thing? I'm from Paris, were are you from?
@@Street_French yeah a region thing i guess. I'm from the deep countryside named "Deux-sèvres"...People in others regions doesn't really understand when i'm saying "barrer la porte" (fermer la porte) or "poche plastique" (sac plastique). It's probably the same thing about "comme-ci comme-ça", but now i'm still saying it in alsace and no one of my coworkers told me it's weird. anyway great advices for learners, keep going :)
Great video! I love all of your tips! I didn't know that it's more natural sounding to drop the liaison with the verb etre! You guys are great! By the way, I studied French for a summer at Middlebury in 1985! It was awesome and I learned so much! I want to go back someday!
I actually learned from my first teacher about how the "ne" was being dropped. For the sake of the class it stayed of course (it was introductory) but it was nice to get some reality of what the common speak would be like. Also had a teacher from Africa who would speak much more formal French. She said she was surprised when going to Paris how fast it all was in comparison. There could be cultural variations but I never confirmed it truly. It was funny when she would pull out the Parisian French since it was so out of character.
Good tips. I was unaware of those! I'm an English teacher and try to teach the same although I think it''s helpful to learn the 'correct' way before learning to sound more 'natural.' It's a slow process and some people pick it up faster than others...and that's okay!
yeah it's true, but it also depends on your goals. if the person just want to be able to speak a little bit of French when they travel here and there, it's ok to take short cuts ^^ some people get discouraged by all the complications and just stop learning the language most of the time :/ Either way it's okay^^
The issue is as well, if a French person is in a formal setting they will of course revert to a more formal way of speaking. In Italy we have the same thing - one can speak a relaxed language but then when the money strikes, you have to "code switch" - learning a language is quite comprehensive and covers not just the language and cultural connections and of course etiquette.
we don't use «comme si comme ça» but we use «coussi coussa», ou «coussi coussi» (mais je pense que c'est régional, dans le sud, parce que «coussi» c'est le mot occitan pour «comment»)
I took French courses in France and I feel like walking out of text book when I speak. It sounds weird and at first I found it’s very difficult to catch up what French people say. And finally I found your channel, very helpful! ❤️
Love this video. Really informative about how we SHOULD be speaking, as opposed to "text book" French. However, I'm finding that between the liasons, verlan, dropping the "ne", slang, slurring and speaking at indecipherable speeds, its maddening trying to learn it all! I'm still a total beginner, but if I'm going to learn, I don't want to learn a style of French that would be equated to Victorian English. Being from Brooklyn, I want to speak like I speak in BK, but in French, ie, super informal, every day speak, slang and all. As it would sound walking around Paris. But as a beginner, these two things butt heads completely. I'm technically learning "textbook" French, but everything in this video, and many others I've watched on YT say DON'T speak like that...What is the best way to incorporate the two? Do I need a "textbook" base and learn the liasons, verlan, dropping the "ne" and slang separately? Or is that twice the work and I should be doing it that way from jump? Its incredibly frustrating at times. Every time I feel like I made some progress, I see a video like this and realize what I've learned is really formal or outdated and not at all how I want to sound. I think I might be the ideal Street French customer, haha! Thanks again for this. Keep it up.
ah yeah I see how it can be frustrating! so for school and exams you have to use what they teach you, you don't really have a choice. and I think you should try to find people you can speak French with and kind of listen to how they speak, copy them and you'll see what you need to use, how to speak etc... we think it's a more natural approach and it makes sense because French language is then a living thing you use to communicate instead of just trying to make sense of it in books and even in video lesson on youtube.
OMG, this is so much fun. It's so nice to have someone explain everyday French. Wonder if Rosetta Stone will appreciate my French pronunciation with a common twist? Lol
I wish everyone spoke super formally. It reminds me of like old French movies or something. You guys should watch the movie “Allied” and talk about the pronunciation they use in the movie.
ah yeah but would you want to speak in a super old fashioned and super formal way in your own language? haha it's interesting because I see this comment a lot about the French language. Like French culture and language has this image of prestige from the olden days and everything that's happening today is not valid kind of or insignificant. It's interesting for me to see what people all over the world think of France and what image they have about my country. For you, old French sounds fancy, to me it can be very dusty and cold haha I don't have anything against it of course, but I love how language, culture and society evolves :) Just some random thoughts haha :)
People tend to speak more formally in Belgium. They tend to keep the ne in je ne sais pas, would use apprecier without sounding formal. Also they don't use verlan.
ow no it's ok, it depends, if you're goal is to come to a francophone country to live and work, you'll use your formal French in professional emails etc... :)
I'm very much enjoying your videos you guys. It's cool to see that a couple thought to do this together. My best friend is half French and I'm trying to learn the language not only for that reason but I like French culture in general and I would love to visit Paris one day I've dreamt of it for 10 years. So your tips on blending in in Paris and knowing what phrases are common is very helpful. Thank you guys !!! What do young people do in France for pleasure? I imagine there's some similarities to American leisure but I am curious :)
hi glad to hear that you enjoy what we do ☺☺ ah for hobbies and activities, it's pretty much the same thing as everywhere else ^^ but in summer we like to do "apéro" or picnics near the Seine in Paris:)
Bonjour! Number 8 - Je suis American - you said not to say that but you forgot to mention what to say instead!! Please let us know 😊. Just discovered your channel a few weeks ago and I love it! My French teacher back in high school was an older lady from Paris and she taught us what she called ‘proper’ French. I see now that a lot of what she taught us was very formal!! Keep up the great work!
6:31 "Puis-je *prendre* un café ?" 8:32 This is highly subjective, and proper spoken French does take the liaison in the examples you gave. Besides that, nice video!
Thank you, this is helpful to know what things are no longer useful for everyday French from what we were taught in school years ago. Poor Montaigne: "Que sais-je?"
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What was the word for "enjoy" you use a lot? I got lost at that moment
@@EasyFinnish we say "profite" or "profite bien"
@@Street_French Merci!
@@EasyFinnish I thought the word “ amuser “ means to enjoy!!’ Non?!
Je vos rémercier. 🙏❤️🙏
It's funny how all the don'ts you mentioned in the video are actually taught in textbooks, in French classes.
I guess it's another example of theory vs practical
ah yeah we focused on what we had to go over with our private students that took classes before. nothing wrong with school it's just that spoken language is a bit different ^^
I can't imagine French teachers teaching slang. Once I remember one teacher saying that the people in Paris say "wah" to mean oui. In foreign language in the US we barely get to a high school level in our studies, that would be like having a French Minor degree from a college. Most of the country is isolated from any native French speaking people if you don't live in the North East or in Louisiana. We only learn from teachers who teach several languages. I had to search around for a French class and the college professor that I might take next teaches Spanish and French.
Im still a student and will be for a while but with these don’ts, I find they’re taught in written courses but audio courses do a lot better job at teaching practical, spoken languages
It's similar to how non native English speakers learn really weird sounding English, cause thats what they were incorrectly taught.
In theory, theory & practice are the same. In practice, they're not.
You guys should make a podcast of you just talking about different subjects like innerfrench does. That would help so much.
ow cool thanks for the suggestion :) you'd like a podcast all in French?
StreetFrench.org Yes all in French, with subtitles in French. So I can import the CC from TH-cam into LingQ.com using their browser extension.
@@markchavez738 ow ok ! we'll for sure do a podcast at some point, and we'll see for the subtitles later when we can pay someone to do it for us :)
thanks for your feedback :)
@@Street_French that'd be great
Yes a podcast would be great!
It would be awesome if you guys did a whole video on when to use and when to avoid la liason.
I found this video very helpful, thank you!
ow cool idea! thanks for your feedback :))
I agree!
Agree. I probably liaisons way too much, especially with the t in est.
Yes, please.
C'est une très bonne question sachez que nous même francophones oublions parfois de prononcer les liaisons, la liaison avec un T, par exemple ils vont à l'école ici on lie le T et le à donc on prononce ils vontà l'école ou la lettre s prononcée z lors d'une liaison exemple les élèves sont sages on prononce les zélèves sont sages.
We definitely used n’est-ce pas when I was a kid in Lyon in the late 1970’s, early 1980’s. Sometimes “non” instead. I don’t think you become more formal as you get older; you just stay with the way you’ve always spoken, and the younger people develop newer usages.
yeah true :) some people tend to speak more formaly just because as you say they always used to speak "formaly". we don't imply that they change the way they speak. But I get how we weren't clear enough :)
This is by far the most fun and enjoyable French learning channel I came across, everytime I watch it somehow I smile a lot and my mood gets elevated too. I love the duo and the interactions, feel like I'm in this conversation with you guys!! So thanks! Keep up the good work!!
ow thanks you so much it means a lot :))
I like the meaning of j'aimerais over je voudrais anyway, so that's really nice to know.
"Chai pas" sounds really cute. That reminds me of when I was helping people with their English, and the younger generation in America would say "I'ma", which is a contraction of "I'm gonna", which is a contraction of "I'm going to", and is yet a contraction of "I am going to", lol. It's really cool learning the different levels of contraction in another language, 'cause you almost always hear "I'ma" or "I'm gonna", or even "I'm gon'", but you don't really ever hear "I'm going to", or "I am going to". That's something that you'd write in an email, or read in a novel or article, or hear in a more formal context.
People that speak using standard or formal language are generally in their 40s and older, but I guess it's different for us in America, because it doesn't sound wrong or weird. If a young person speaks like that, it's like, wow, that person is so mature, *lol*. At least for me and my friends, we'd be impressed by their maturity, as opposed to seeing it as something strange and out of place.
haha that's interesting too! yeah you do have the same in English^^
I guess there are different levels of politeness in French.
the top level is seen as a bit too formal and proper for an informal situation. but any levels underneath are just very polite :)
Yes, we use a lot of contractions in English. You never hear a person say “I do not want to go...” (at least not In America). But instead you would usually hear “I don’t wanna go...”
So they're still teaching 50s French in English schools. I had my suspicions, having been subjected to it in the 60s.
By the way, as regards "puis-je", in English English, "may I?" is generally correct, whereas "can I?" is considered rather low brow and common - at least, among those of us with an overabundance of 'hauteur'.
;)
ah interesting, thanks for sharing^^
I was thinking this - when I started school in the 90s, I had a teacher who insisted on us using "please may I... please", something I had never heard anyone say outside school.
Yes, "May I" is asking for permission where "Can I" is asking whether I have the ability to do it. May I jump the stream ? Can I jump the stream?
J'aimerais.. a part two! 😂❤️
ok :))
Me aussi. Merci
I LOVE the fact that you guys are not overenthusiastic, it kills my mood to learn. Thank you for being so chill :)
ow thanks :)) glad you enjoy our chill vibe haha^^
Wow i am amazed. I'm from Mexico and we are encouraged to speak formal to people that we don't really know. I'm 23 years old and I speak formally to people the same age as me..... but most importantly to my elders. It shows that we have good manners and that our parents have done a good job by raising us. I truly enjoyed this video because I get to learn the culture of France when it comes to the French language ❤ Thankyou
ah yeah we speak formally in French too :)
but there's "proper formal French" and there's "super old fashioned literary formal French" which is too much sometimes haha
You have cancelled on so much of the french I learned in school, here in the USA. 😅
But, thank you for giving me the more commonly used words/expressions. 🙏🏻
ah you're welcome!
Don't take what they say as gospel. Take into consideration their age. NO ONE says "Je NE sais pas... but never say "je sais pas"!! Gawd. It's like this: "JEUNE sais pas" .. there is no difference in pronunciation.
@Gordon Hall - Thanks 😘
Same here, in Ireland 🇮🇪
Je ne suis pas étonné, moi en France, mes profs m'enseignaient un anglais qui ne se parle plus depuis 150 ans (et plus en beaucoup moins bien) 😊 .
You two are really making the best videos out there. I like how you combine your knowledge in your respective native language. You always keep an open mind, which is in my opinion quite important for videos about language. And most importantly, you're not over scripting them. I like seeing both of you actualy learning things of each other through the video. I'm really enjoying your content so far!
ow thank you so much for this comment, it means a lot :))
Francais avec pierre is better, but these guys are okay
So true how many of these we were taught in French class! I assume that it's like our large use of contractions in spoken English.
Something to consider is that most languages in the world have a formal standard and an informal standard. These formal and informal standards usually depend on class, hierarchy, organization, etc. What is usually taught in schools is the French language that is approved by the French Academy which one can consider as a formal standard.
Je suis dans ma 2ème année d'étude de français. Mais après avoir regardé beaucoup de tes vidéos,
je me sens plus confiant. Maintenant, j'ai l'intention de continuer mes études de francais
et apprendre à parler français comme un natif français. Merci pour l'aide!
ah super! :))
Very helpful video. I was taught to never say “puis-je” in French class fifty years ago, but there was no mention of “je voudrais.” Everything you talked about is so suited for an intermediate French speaker like me. Thank you!
ah great, glad you found it helpful :))
Please make a part 2 to this! Greetings from Los Angeles!
ok will do ! :))
I took French lessons when I got out of college around 2004, and my French tutor taught me literally every no that you guys said, lol. Completely bizarre and formal. I have so much to un-learn.
Pour "enjoy" on peut aussi dire "profite" "profite bien!" Etc 🤗
oui c'est vrai :)
profite also means "taking advantage of" (just informations for non french speaker)
I just found out about this videos and this channel, thank you very much for this, this is very helpful for people who are learning French and we haven been to Paris, but we will some day. merci.
Glad it was helpful! :))
Excellent - vous m'avez aidé beaucoup! Merci!
ah cool :)
These videos are so useful. Thank you.
you're welcome! :):)
thank you! I'm going to school in Paris later this month and I don't want to embarrass myself!
haha ah cool ! enjoy your stay in Paris! even though there's still some metro lines that are not working! hope it'll be better by then!
Love your videos. Sometimes we (Americans) try too hard and end up tripping over ourselves when speaking French. These videos are very helpful in finding the right way to converse.
Oh NO I used most of these phrases with my French tutor just today! Ahhh! Thank you for the video.
haha that's why we're here :)
Thanks for the video ❤ Fortunately, our teacher taught us to use the more modern options from the beginning and I don't have to relearn these expressions 🙏
But you still need to know both ;)
ah so cool ! :)
I love what you teach, thank you! So, what I would also enjoy is to hear you say something, the way your mom and dad would say it, then say it, as you would. That would also be Much appreciated. (BTW (in English) my mom cannot understand the way my daughter speaks, because my daughter speaks very fast and slurs words together, with no punctuation/pauses used.)
ah cool that's interesting and a good idea we'll think about it :)
You guys are awesome - really helpful videos for newbies to French like me. MERCI xx
ow cool, we're glad you enjoy it :))
Bonjour, more like this please. Yes yes to a 'part 2' Merci
ah cool thanks, will do^^
I found this video very useful! Would you consider making a part 2?
yeah definitely :) check out this video, you might find it interesting too :
th-cam.com/video/dMFKN-dIzJI/w-d-xo.html
Merci pour ce genre de vidéo! Très pratique. Pour moi, l’info sur l’inversion était surprenante parce j’ai toujours pensé que puis-je… serait mieux que “est-ce que “ . Merci!
As a Brit who speaks French at a B2 level, what is missing from podcasts and videos are examples of speech in day to day situations, such as in the kitchen, driving a car, basic DIY, dealing with the heating, gardening and so on. So many people cover the same material.
Merci beaucoup, this was a great video. I realised I learned all the "too formal" school taught french. I really want to sound more native, especially Parisian french. So thanks I am going to apply everything you said here to my french!
Je suis en Master FLE et j'aime beaucoup regarder des vidéos comme les vôtres pour me rendre compte de petites subtilités auxquelles c'est difficile de faire gaffe quand on est natif et qui pourraient être intéressantes à connaître en classe de FLE.
C'est pratique pour conscientiser un peu tout ça.
Merci ^^
de rien :)
I’d really love a video where you look at each region of France and do their accents.
ah I filmed this video a couple of years ago, maybe that's what you're looking for ? :)
th-cam.com/video/YfQlz_bbpzw/w-d-xo.html
Finding and using the correct / appropriate register in a foreign language is a challenge if you're not living with the language. Merci bcp.
Just when I thought I couldn't find a better video about how to sound more French, I find your video! I love it! You two are fantastic. What a great couple! I'm a new subscriber of your channel. I really enjoy your videos. Keep it up your work! It's amazing! I sincerely appreciate it. Thank you a lot!
ow cool we're glad you enjoy our videos! :)))
Merci beaucoup, you guys. J'aimé bien ce vidéo !
ah merci ☺☺
I like older French better... it sounds classier and nicer :-))
that's ok, it's your choice of course :) but you might find it weird after some time if you're the only person to speak like that haha^^
Me too
StreetFrench.org She wouldn’t be the only person speaking like that. Unless everyone in France is 12!!! what a joke!
I’m an old person. I agree. But we have to change with the times...🤷♀️
@@GoogleIsAPieceOfShit2023 Exactement! When I talk to older French people especially those that don’t live in Paris, they will correct me when I use the street Parisian French I know or verlan. “Ça ce n’est pas bon français” they will tell me. We have the same choice when speaking English. Do you wanna sound like an educated adult or someone that appears to have been raised in the streets?
Wish I knew this before I went to Paris, my favorite city.
ah it's ok never too late to learn more things ☺☺
Bonjour!! Very nice video!! Merci beaucoup!!
Great video! I moved to France 7 months ago still helpful for me!
ow cool ! hope you're stay is going ok :)
@@Street_French Thank you!!
@froggy dew Thank you! 🙂
Mmmh. Interesting. Y'all should definitely make a part two. Greetings from Kenya.
thanks, will do :))
I used to hear "petit ami" or "petite amie" when I was a kid. I read "comme ci comme ça" in a book set in WWII (and even then, it was spoken by a German, who presumably learned it at school). So I guess what is taught is what was current decades ago.
I learned all these expressions in school and from my mother who lived in Southern France in the 70s! It was only when my son started learning from a Parisien a few years ago that I realized how outdated the expressions were.
ah yeah languages evolve ! ^^
Your videos are so educational thank you 💕💕
you're welcome :)))
Also where was this video before I used almost all of these expressions for a whole semester in France last fall? 😂
haha :)
Dude same lmao I'm shook bc I used all of these so often
I love your channel!!! So entertaining and educating at the same time!
Glad you enjoy it! :)))
I like how your girlfriend behave as a real human being. Probably is an European/French thing... Here in the Americas we try to be very cheerful and "fake" in terms of behave. My two French friends at the University used to have the same vibe. I love it!
ah yeah I see haha :)
Wow thanks for this video, I know I'm commenting late but this was, as we say, a real eye-opener. I was shocked to find out how many of these I had been using all these years. My French teachers have been lying to me! lol OK maybe not lying but not teaching a type of French that reflects reality in everyday life. I think they are required to teach it the "correct" way, but I think even the schools should teach the "real" language as part of the lessons. For "Je ne sais pas" I can understand why because like in English that would be "I do not know" which literally 0% of anybody says; it sounds like a robot talking! On the other hand, I think I still would use "voudrais" in a formal setting. I can sense the difference between amerais and voudrais, like "voudrais" it's old school/retro formal, but I still kind of like it. It's classy!
ah glad you learned a lot! :):)
guys, you're great! keep it up!
merci
aw thanks ! :))
This video is great. Like others, I’d love to see more of these. Thanks!
ow cool thanks for the feedback :))
Hi guys. I bought your two ebooks and I am really enjoying it. I feel like a Parisien now. Lol. Bon courage les deux. Salut. 😘
ow cool ! thanks so much for the feedback ! it means a lot :):) enjoy!
Maïa has the pouty lips for speaking French and making the *ou* sound, and also when she does the classic French facial expressions (like that "bah chais pas" kind of expression), it looks really cute! I have a suggestion for a video -- you could do one about French gesticulation and facial expressions. They are really specific to France and it's so fun to realise people actually make these faces when they speak. What do you think? Just found your videos today and I've been enjoying them while I work. Hi from Paris! xo
ow great idea! yeah I'll definitely do something like :))
J’utilise beaucoup l’expression « n’est-ce pas ? » je savais pas qu’on l’utilise pas beaucoup en France. Merci !
ah yeah it's kind of formal and awkward haha^^
There is still one situation where you can use this expression: as an obvious hint or to apostrophize someone in particular during a conversation. For example, let's say Jean is very fond of chocolate and everybody in his house knows it. One could say : "J'ai acheté une plaquette de chocolat pour un gateau que je vais cuisiner demain. Je compte sur vous tous pour ne pas y toucher d'ici là. *N'est-ce pas* , Jean ?". It could translate to "you got that right" or something like this and we generally use a lot of emphasis on it. Yet again, a simple "hein" works fine too.
Outside of this very rare situation, I'm afraid we only use it as a joke or to sound overly formal.
I love the way you guys are explaining all these goooood tips to upgrade your French skills, so it helps to get to the point right away! I’m keep on learning French in Montreal, Qc, Ca. so I used to live and work with French native speakers and they’re showing me exactly the way you guys doing it here.
Congrats! #Magnifique
Omg, stumbled upon this by accident and so glad I did cuz it’s super helpful!
ow cool, welcome to our youtube channel :))
I love your channel, really feels like a whole new way of learning useful French tidbits!
ah cool, we're glad you enjoy our work :))
Thank you for answering back !!! What do you guys like eating for breakfast traditionally?? I love crepe !! What are some French holidays that are very unique and interesting and what festivities are there? Coq au vin is my favorite French dinner!! what do you guys like having for dinner in Paris
Thanks, this will help in my relearning .If not for this video, numbers 1,2,4,5,8,10and 11 would have still been in my French speech.I haven't learned the language in years , but I remembered enough to get by .
ah cool glad it's helpful! :):)
Thanks guys. I always look for such phrases when learnin foreign languages cos it makes us sound like a native speaker or at least sound more natural not like that in formal settings. Im lookin forward to more vids from you guys. Btw, your channel is one of my fav youtube channels for learnin french. Although I can hardly find people who can speak french here in Malaysia but Ill keep on learnin untill I get fluent in french. Keep it up!
ow cool, glad you like it :)
Great video! Thanks!
de rien :))
I would love to watch part 2 pls❤️❤️
ok ! :):)
mind blown! No idea this stuff was all formal or out of touch. I was taught in school, french immersion. Now looking to brush up and finding your videos helpful! Hello from a new subscriber. :)
Glad it was helpful! :))
Hi! I am a student learning French at Midd!!
"chai pas" is like "dunno"
yeah exactly ^^
When I learnt French at school (many, many years ago!), amongst other things we were taught "Comment vous portez-vous?". Never heard a French person say that. My guess is that it's much more formal than even "Comment allez-vous" ?
ah yeah that's really really formal, you'll rarely hear anyone say that. I don't think I've heard anyone say that :/
i really love your videos, truly! i love all that you do and you really are helping so many people! but i have to say that it would be good to point out that this is how we learn french in our french classes. everyone who learns french as a foreign language will go through this stage. the way Charlie describes all of these "mistakes" is like he is above that. i'm sure he has been at that stage at some point while learning french, so i don't think the sense of arrogance is warranted.
ow no sorry you sensed arrogance, that wasn't the point at all. we don't feel above that at all. That's also why at the beginning of the video we said multiple times that these aren't really "mistakes" but just how to sound more natural.
Also Charlie says he would have rather learned those thing immediately. That's kind of why we started Street French and we focus on spoken French :)
Hope this brings more clarity, but thanks for you feedback !
@@Street_French yes, i love Street French, you guys are seriously amazing, and I do appreciate the help you and things I have learned from your videos :-) thank you for the clarification!
I've just discovered your channel few days ago. I find your videos about slang very useful and well explained. However, there is one small thing I do not like about this channel: the number of subscribers. You deserve way more!
ow that's sweet :) thanks! We're growing slowly but surely :))
That was fun and interesting. I knew some of these more colloquial forms but not about the liaisons!! It cuts out the headache of remembering the rule. Like any language, the spoken 'street' form is different. I teach ESL and I struggle to get my students out of the 'formal English' trap. Thanks, both of you.
ah cool :)
oh i'm surprised because as a french native speaker I often say "comme-ci comme ça"
- "ça va ?"
- "mouais, comme-ci comme ça... on fait aller !"
or you can use also "couci-couça" for the english expression so-so
ah yeah that's weird I've never heard anyone every say "comme ci comme ça" in my life. I've heard "couci-couça" though :)
it's maybe a region thing? I'm from Paris, were are you from?
@@Street_French yeah a region thing i guess. I'm from the deep countryside named "Deux-sèvres"...People in others regions doesn't really understand when i'm saying "barrer la porte" (fermer la porte) or "poche plastique" (sac plastique). It's probably the same thing about "comme-ci comme-ça", but now i'm still saying it in alsace and no one of my coworkers told me it's weird.
anyway great advices for learners, keep going :)
Is it me or When she speaks English, She sounds like Hila from H3H3 Podcast
haha I guess we sound like that cause it's not our first language ^^ and we definitely have the same kind of calm energy, maybe ? lol
Oh my goodness such similar voices! And even the calm/ thought out vibe is spot on too! ❤️
Thank you! It's so helpful!
you're welcome! :)
Great video! I love all of your tips! I didn't know that it's more natural sounding to drop the liaison with the verb etre! You guys are great! By the way, I studied French for a summer at Middlebury in 1985! It was awesome and I learned so much! I want to go back someday!
Glad you enjoyed it! ah and that's so fun to know, glad you had a good experience studying there :)
I actually learned from my first teacher about how the "ne" was being dropped. For the sake of the class it stayed of course (it was introductory) but it was nice to get some reality of what the common speak would be like.
Also had a teacher from Africa who would speak much more formal French. She said she was surprised when going to Paris how fast it all was in comparison. There could be cultural variations but I never confirmed it truly. It was funny when she would pull out the Parisian French since it was so out of character.
ow that's really cool!^^
Good tips. I was unaware of those! I'm an English teacher and try to teach the same although I think it''s helpful to learn the 'correct' way before learning to sound more 'natural.' It's a slow process and some people pick it up faster than others...and that's okay!
yeah it's true, but it also depends on your goals. if the person just want to be able to speak a little bit of French when they travel here and there, it's ok to take short cuts ^^ some people get discouraged by all the complications and just stop learning the language most of the time :/ Either way it's okay^^
The issue is as well, if a French person is in a formal setting they will of course revert to a more formal way of speaking. In Italy we have the same thing - one can speak a relaxed language but then when the money strikes, you have to "code switch" - learning a language is quite comprehensive and covers not just the language and cultural connections and of course etiquette.
we don't use «comme si comme ça» but we use «coussi coussa», ou «coussi coussi» (mais je pense que c'est régional, dans le sud, parce que «coussi» c'est le mot occitan pour «comment»)
ah oui surement parce que même "coussi coussa" je trouve ça un peu vieillot
Love your channel
merci ! :)
I took French courses in France and I feel like walking out of text book when I speak. It sounds weird and at first I found it’s very difficult to catch up what French people say. And finally I found your channel, very helpful! ❤️
aw great! we're glad we're of help :)
"Je voudrais" is mostly used at stores, I guess. "Je voudrais une baguette, s'il-vous-plaît" is a very common use of it.
personnally I very rarely say that like that. I say "une baguette svp" or "je prendrais une baguette svp" or "je vais prendre le plat du jour svp"
Merci beaucoup à vous 🥺😍 your videos are so useful 😍
ow cool thanks :) we're glad to help!
@@Street_French 😍
Love this video. Really informative about how we SHOULD be speaking, as opposed to "text book" French. However, I'm finding that between the liasons, verlan, dropping the "ne", slang, slurring and speaking at indecipherable speeds, its maddening trying to learn it all! I'm still a total beginner, but if I'm going to learn, I don't want to learn a style of French that would be equated to Victorian English. Being from Brooklyn, I want to speak like I speak in BK, but in French, ie, super informal, every day speak, slang and all. As it would sound walking around Paris. But as a beginner, these two things butt heads completely. I'm technically learning "textbook" French, but everything in this video, and many others I've watched on YT say DON'T speak like that...What is the best way to incorporate the two? Do I need a "textbook" base and learn the liasons, verlan, dropping the "ne" and slang separately? Or is that twice the work and I should be doing it that way from jump? Its incredibly frustrating at times. Every time I feel like I made some progress, I see a video like this and realize what I've learned is really formal or outdated and not at all how I want to sound. I think I might be the ideal Street French customer, haha! Thanks again for this. Keep it up.
ah yeah I see how it can be frustrating! so for school and exams you have to use what they teach you, you don't really have a choice. and I think you should try to find people you can speak French with and kind of listen to how they speak, copy them and you'll see what you need to use, how to speak etc... we think it's a more natural approach and it makes sense because French language is then a living thing you use to communicate instead of just trying to make sense of it in books and even in video lesson on youtube.
Excellent advise
Glad it was helpful ! :))
I love your channel. Merci beaucoup :-)
ah de rien :))
OMG, this is so much fun. It's so nice to have someone explain everyday French. Wonder if Rosetta Stone will appreciate my French pronunciation with a common twist? Lol
ah glad you enjoy it :) haha don't know about rosetta stone, it'll probably get confused haha^^
Thank u so much guys, I'm new in France and I was looking for some good phrases on informal way👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️
ow cool ! glad you enjoy our videos! :):)
I wish everyone spoke super formally. It reminds me of like old French movies or something. You guys should watch the movie “Allied” and talk about the pronunciation they use in the movie.
ah yeah but would you want to speak in a super old fashioned and super formal way in your own language? haha
it's interesting because I see this comment a lot about the French language.
Like French culture and language has this image of prestige from the olden days and everything that's happening today is not valid kind of or insignificant.
It's interesting for me to see what people all over the world think of France and what image they have about my country. For you, old French sounds fancy, to me it can be very dusty and cold haha
I don't have anything against it of course, but I love how language, culture and society evolves :)
Just some random thoughts haha :)
Which character in Allied?
People tend to speak more formally in Belgium. They tend to keep the ne in je ne sais pas, would use apprecier without sounding formal. Also they don't use verlan.
@@andr386 Yes this is true, and that's a thing I really like about Belgium. (And all the cute "belgicismes" of course!)
I feel like I need to forget everything I worked so hard to learn 😭😭😭 I do love your videos keep up the awesome work ❣️
ow no it's ok, it depends, if you're goal is to come to a francophone country to live and work, you'll use your formal French in professional emails etc... :)
I'm very much enjoying your videos you guys. It's cool to see that a couple thought to do this together. My best friend is half French and I'm trying to learn the language not only for that reason but I like French culture in general and I would love to visit Paris one day I've dreamt of it for 10 years. So your tips on blending in in Paris and knowing what phrases are common is very helpful. Thank you guys !!! What do young people do in France for pleasure? I imagine there's some similarities to American leisure but I am curious :)
hi glad to hear that you enjoy what we do ☺☺
ah for hobbies and activities, it's pretty much the same thing as everywhere else ^^ but in summer we like to do "apéro" or picnics near the Seine in Paris:)
Wow! So helpful! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!☺☺☺
Merci les gars 🤩 C'était ouf.
de rien ! 🤗
"je veux" is at the present tense and "je voudrais" is at conditional tense.
Bonjour! Number 8 - Je suis American - you said not to say that but you forgot to mention what to say instead!! Please let us know 😊. Just discovered your channel a few weeks ago and I love it! My French teacher back in high school was an older lady from Paris and she taught us what she called ‘proper’ French. I see now that a lot of what she taught us was very formal!! Keep up the great work!
no listen to it once again we just say to not do the liaison.
glad you enjoy our channel :)
Omg. I sometimes say je voudrais but also j’aimerais so thanks for that tip.
it's ok it's such a slight difference^^
Learning the local lingo is important, however the accent and pronunciation is most important.
6:31 "Puis-je *prendre* un café ?"
8:32 This is highly subjective, and proper spoken French does take the liaison in the examples you gave.
Besides that, nice video!
Thank you, this is helpful to know what things are no longer useful for everyday French from what we were taught in school years ago. Poor Montaigne: "Que sais-je?"
This was a great lesson!
ah cool, glad you enjoyed it! :)