The Flirtacious French Language – France Today | EUROtoday

A seaside stranger gives Kristin a poetic perspective on French accents…

The French love to walk, glâner and flirt, and on a crisp morning lately I skilled all three whereas chatting beneath a parasol pine, blocks from the ocean.

I used to be getting back from my stroll after I observed the tree-cutters had moved on. There, the place their vehicles had been parked, lay a sprinkling of branches completely sized for kindling. After accumulating just a few handfuls, I straightened up, easing the kink in my again.

A bit additional alongside the sidewalk, I noticed a person strolling towards me. The solar was rising larger now, the crisp air turning delicate. As he shed his coat, I smiled and stated, “Yes, it’s getting hot!” “Rest assured,” he teased, smiling again. “I’m not taking off more than that!”

His remark might need been a bit misplaced. But my creep-o-meter instantly registered fairly harmless on its scale of shady, harmful, and hurry, run in your life! Besides, he was a minimum of twice my age and I’m 58. Well… perhaps he wasn’t that previous. As he approached, I observed his vibrant smile and longish silver locks.

“You have a charming accent!” he started.

“Oh, it’s not great,” I answered mechanically. We had been standing in entrance of Le Cosmos, a maze of residence buildings nestled among the many freshly trimmed pines. The birds had already returned to the branches, and I may barely hear Monsieur above their cheerful racket. He requested me just a few questions on myself: the place I used to be from (America), the place precisely (the southwest), how I appreciated France (I find it irresistible), and the way lengthy I had lived right here (32 years).

A POETIC LESSON

In return he shared just a few issues about himself: his identify (Arthur), his favourite movie (East of Eden – “You have to see it!”), his nationality (Armenian) and even his pastime (astronomy – becoming, given we stood in entrance of Le Cosmos). Our dialog ended with a mild scolding from Arthur. “I gave you a compliment on your accent, but you didn’t accept it. Music is the highest art what is an accent if not music?”

I thanked Arthur for probably the most poetic lesson on notion. There isn’t any such factor as a false notice on the subject of French accents. The subsequent time I open my mouth, I’ll smile because the symphony begins – and I’ll consider Arthur, the harmless flirt who made me be ok with my French.

FRENCH VOCABULARY

• FLANER = to walk, to wander
• GLANER = to assemble, to glean
• FLIRTER = to flirt
• THE TRUCK = truck
• THE SIDEWALK = sidewalk, pavement
• IT’S STARTING TO HEAT UP = It’s beginning to get sizzling
• REST assured. I DO NOT REMOVE MORE THAN
• THAT Don’t fear. I’m not taking something greater than that off
• DISPLACED = inappropriate, misplaced
• ENOUGH INNOCENT = fairly innocent
• LOUCHE = shady
• DANGEREUX = harmful
• YOU HAVE A CHARMANT ACCENT = You have a captivating accent
• OH, IT’S NOT TERRIBLE = Oh, it is not horrible
• AMERICA = America
• THE SOUTH-WEST = the Southwest
• EAST OF EDEN = East of Eden
• IT MUST SEE IT = You should see it
• ARMENIAN = Armenian
• ASTRONOMY = astronomy

From France Today Magazine

Lead photograph credit score: THE COSMOS