http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~mongoo...h/phrases.html


Some useful French phrases
Note: It is advised you visit the "Pronunciation" page first.
Contents
Greetings
General chit-chat
Helping others
Dealing with parents of children
Eating out
Passing through customs
Visiting friends
Commenting on fashion
Who is this Grenouille anyway?


Greetings
"You've put on weight"
"Tu as grossi"
(tu ah gro - si)

"Haven't the police found you yet?"

"La police, ne t'a pas encore trouvé?"
(la po - lees ne ta pa zen - cor troo - vay)



General chit-chat
"Would you stop spitting on me while you're talking!"
"Voulez-vous cesser de me cracher dessus pendant que vous parlez!"
(voo - lay voo se - say de me cra - shay de - su pen - dan que voo parl - ay)

"Reality and you don't get on, do they?"

"Le réalité et toi, vous ne vous entendez pas, n'est-ce pas?"
(le ree - al - ee - tay eh twa voo ne voo zen - ten - day pah nes pah)

"You've got a face that would blow off manhole covers"

"T'as une tête a faire sauter les plaques d'egouts!"
(ta zoon tait a fair saw - teh leh plahk de - goo)

"Are you drunk?"

"Est-ce que vous êtes ivre?"
(es - ke voo zet eevr)

"You have a chive on your tooth."

"Vous avez de la ciboulette sur votre dent"
(voo za - vay de la see - boo - let ser votr den)

"You're a complete moron"

"Tu es completement debile"
(tu eh com - plet - e - men de - beel)

"You get on my nerves

"Tu me peles le jonc"
(tu me pel - e le zhonc)

"As a child, was your cradle rocked too close to the wall?"

"On t'a bercé trop près du mur?"
(on ta ber - say troa pray du mer)

"Idiot", "Fool", "Cretin", "Imbecile"

"Idiot", "Fou", "Cretin", "Imbecile"
(ee - dee - o, foo, cre - tin, Im - be - seel)



Helping Others
"What did your last slave die of?"
"De quoi est mort votre dernier esclave?"
(de kwa eh mor votr der - nee - er es - klahv)

"I'd help you, but I don't like you."

"Je vous aurais bien aide, mais je ne vous aime pas."
(zhe voo zaw - ray bien ai - de may zhe ne voo zaim - e pah)

"Do it yourself."

"Faites-le vous-même"
(fay - teh le voo mehm)

"Stop bothering me!"

"Parle à mon cul, ma tête est malade"
(parl a mon cul, ma teht eh ma - lahd)



Dealing with Parents of children
"My God your children are ugly!"
"Mon Dieu, que vos enfants sont laids"
(Mon dyer ke voe zen - fant son lay)

"Your children are very attractive. Are they adopted?"

"Vos enfants sont très beaux. Ils sont adoptes?"
(vo zen - fant son tray boh. Il sont a - dop - te)

"How much for the little girl?"

"Combien pour la fillette"
(com - byen poor la fill - et)



Eating Out
"How many of your customers have died?"
"Combien de vos clients sont morts?"
(com - byen de vo clee - ent sont moo - ree)

"This restaurant isn't as good as Mc.Donald's"

"Ce restaurant n'est pas aussi bon que le Mc.Donalds'
(se re - staw - ran neh pas o - si bon ke le mac don - alds)

"Did these fish die of radiation sickness?"

"Ces poissons, ils sont mort d'irradiation?"
(se pwu - son il sont mor di - ray - di - ay - shun)

"I think this wine has been drunk before."

"Je pense que ce vin a déjà ete bu"
(zhe pens ke se vin a day - zha e - te bu)

"For dessert, what would you suggest to get the taste of the main course out of my mouth?"

"Comme dessert, que me suggereriez-vous pour effacer le goût du plat de resistance de ma bouche?"
(com de - zert com - en ke me su - zhair - er - i - ay voo poor eff - ah - say le goo du pla de re - zi - stans de ma boosh)



Avez Vous Quelque Chose à Declarer (Do you have anything to declare)
"I like Spain better"
"Je préfére l'Espagne"
(zhe pre - fer les - pan - ya)

"Yes, I am hungry"(Obelix)

"Oui, J'ai faim"
(wi zhay fin)

"Only my genius"(Oscar Wilde)

"Juste mon genie"
(zhust mon zhay - nee)

"Long live Algeria"

"Vive l'Algerie"
(vee - ve lal - zhe - ree)



Visiting
"Whoever painted this place was blind"
"Quiconque a peint cette maison etait aveugle"
(ki - conk a peint set e - mai - zon e - tay a - veugl)

"What an austere house!"

"Quelle maison austere!"
(Kel may - son au - steer)

"It's a bit of a dive, but it has some nice mould."

"Ça fait un peu boui-boui, mais il y a de la jolie moisissure"
(sa fay un peu bwi bwi, may zil ya de la zho - lee mwa - see - syer)

"It could be quite nice if it were decorated with taste."

"Ça pourrait être joli si c'etait décoré avec goût"
(sa poo - ray etr zho - li si se - tay de - cor - ay avec gu)



Commenting on fashion
"You should sue your tailor"
"Vous devriez poursuivre votre tailleur en justice"
(voo de - vri - ay poor - sweevr votr tay - yer en zhu - stees)

"I think the dress is too small for you."

"Je pense que la robe est trop petite pour vous"
(zhe pens ke la roab eh troa pe - teet poor voo)

"Was it difficult to find a tie more obnoxious than you?"

"Est-ce difficile trouver une cravate plus odieuse que vous?"
(Es di - fi - seel troo - veh oon cra - vat ploo zoa - dee - euz ke voo)



Who is this "Grenouille" anyway?
"I have a frog in my bidet!"
"J'ai une grenouille dans mon bidet!"
(zhay en gre - noo - ee dan mon bee - day)

"Your frog has eaten my lunch"

"Votre grenouille a mangé mon dejeuner"
(Votr gre - noo - ee a man - zhay mon de - zheu - ner)
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Earth First!

We can log the other planets later....

You've omitted, "I surrender!"

OK now my family thinks I'm nuts laughing!

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Shoot fast & live long
Warren

I've taken French lessons, and been to France. That's some funny stuff!

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Buy American!

I don't speak French and I haven't been to France....but that's still some funny stuff!

Brian~

You have no idea how often I've needed to say that in French. Thank you.

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Insert short witty words here

You know what the French say....edited.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Funny how Americans view the French (the Nation) as cowards. No fan of French politics and attitudes about America, but we'd more than likely still be English subjects without the many French soldiers who served and died in our war for independence. They've apparently forgotten we saved them in two world wars, but we've forgotten their considerable role in our first war with England.

I'll be in Paris in two weeks. I'll make sure to have these down and make some froggie friends.

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I mean, you feel me....

"I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."

Sorry, only French line I know.

True, they did help the colonists win their freedom from the British, however, it wasn't all altruistic. The French were also at war with Britain, and North America was just another theater of operations for them. In fact, the French were very reluctant to enter the theater until after the rebellious colonists won a major victory against the British, even with the excellent diplomacy and popularity of Benjamin Franklin. And, the colonists were expected to pay for the operation, which, as it turned out, we never did pay to France, since the loan agreement was made with their king, and after the French Revolution, there was no king to repay, so the U.S. never did. Our politicians were scoundrels even back then!

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Buy American!

laissez les bons temps rouler

Kinda frenchie, but more cajun

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My Mother likes me.

And this failure to pay the French was a contributing factor in their revolution. It can also be argued that the US didn't get involved early enough in both World Wars. It was late in the game during WW1. More than the attack on Pearl Harbor, I think FDR realized the peril Europe faced and the real possibility that England might be lost that America snapped out of its sit back and wait mode. Key factor was the error the Germans made in entering Russia, buying time for the rest of Europe and burning out men, material and morale. The Axis got a very good head start during WW2 before the US became involved. France was just one of those places that seemed to be a battle ground for hundreds of years. They owe, I believe.

The chive on your tooth cracked me up. How do you say " Did you just finish a spinach pizza" in French

I thought water boarding was out....geeezzz

I know this is ancient, but I can't get the link to work...comes back 404 web page cannot be found...
Does anyone have an updated link for the site?

My wife is going to Paris (not Paris Kentucky ) for work & I'd like for her to be able to well...sorta blend in with the locals
Thanks!!

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Adopt a retired Greyhound :)

Can't say anything about Paris as I've never been there but I have been to France a few times. Wouldn't give a nickel for a French politician of course I wouldn't give a nickel for most of ours either.

I've visited with Frenchman, ate with Frenchman and visited many French battlefields. From what I can see the average Frenchman is/was every bit as dedicated, brave and patriotic and most Americans. All I can say is visit a French battleground and you will realize there wasn't a whole lot of surrendering going on.

That said most of the French jokes come from IMHO their clueless politicians and even more clueless Generals.

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Mike
USMCR 84-87, USAF 87-07

Most of my French phrases would not be compatible with a G rating, but those are hilarious.

Parlay Englais, Cretin!

Visit Paris (TX).

Hey, I like Paris, KY. Beautiful old horse farms, white wooden fences. Plus, they've got the longest running gun show in the state. Given my choice between Paris, KY and Paris, france (no caps), I'll take the hillbillies every time. Besides, I've bought some fine handguns at Jerry Taylors shows.

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Dick Burg

Uncle Larry:

I was in Paris all of July, 2005. I'll give you what advice I can. Read books by Polly Platt, she has good advice on the French. Subscribe to the newsletter at expatica.com so she can be familiar with what is going on in France before leaving. Of course, learn as much French as possible. Study maps of Paris and learn the metro and bus routes for the area that she is going to be traveling. Find out which arrondisements are good to live in, which ones to avoid. Have your wife list on an internet pen pal site, and make some contacts in Paris before she goes. Tell your wife not to take a lot of clothes from the US with her, because she will want to buy clothes in France to blend in better--and that pertains to shoes, especially, I think (unless she buys French shoes, anyway!). The voltage in France is 220, so most electrical devices that she has will not work without an adapter of some kind. She can buy voltage converters at Radio Shack for use with some things, otherwise just have her buy some things there in France. If she is going to be taking the metro or bus quite regularly, she can buy a monthly pass, and that is the best deal (IIRC, it was cheaper than buying tickets each trip). If she cannot make any contacts there ahead of time, and you need some good contacts of trustworthy people, email me and I can give you names and contact info. If she has any other questions, just email me.

When is she leaving, and for how long?

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Buy American!

I loved the quotes.

The French get a bad rap. They didn't surrender in WWI. Most of the war was fought in their country, at least once the Germans plan of sending Lenin to Russia worked out.

The French, if I recall correctly, took more casualties per capita than any other country in WWI.

The French people were ready to fight the Nazis in WWII, but they were let down by their generals, who didn't understand the changes in warfare. They were also let down by their corporate leaders, who didn't like the Leon Blum and his Socialist Government and said "Better Hitler that Blum". The French corporations basically staged a corporate strike.

So we should really make fun of French industrialists.

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Regulate Banks, not guns