Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with French

What to do in Montreal?

GlassHeart — Sun, 12 May 2013 23:36:32 -0800

I'll be in Montreal and Longueuil, Quebec, Canada for two weeks. What budget-friendly things should I do there? In a few days I'll be heading off, by train, to Montreal and Longueuil, Quebec, Canada and am not sure what, other than chill with my family, to do there.

I want to avoid doing costly activities and don't plan on spending more than $1000 CAD (I'll likely be spending much less than that).

I'll be spending most of my time in Longueuil, but should also be spending much time in Montreal.

Though I can speak French, I'm not fluent in it. But that shouldn't be much of a problem since I'll be with bilingual family members of mine who can act as translators for me when in very French places (supposedly most of Longueuil is very French) which means I can go pretty much anywhere without worrying much about language barriers. So please don't limit yourself to recommending very English places.

Questions regarding Montreal and Longueuil:

What are some good liquor stores there that sell beers such as Hoegaarden, Duvel and Holsten Festbock? Is Holsten Festbock, a great, cheap German beer (IMO; many beer connoisseurs would scoff at me for saying so), easily found in Montreal?

What are some good vegan restaurants there (I'm not vegan, but my partner, who'll be there with me, is)?

What are some interesting Quebec-exclusive products I should buy there?

What are some must-eat-at, budget-friendly, non-vegan restaurants there (anyone here been to Restaurant Lou Nissart? It's one restaurant I'm considering dining at)?

What are some must-see things there (I hope to snap lots of interesting photos there)?

What are some places that sell high-end colognes like Zino Davidoff or Rochas Man (I want to smell good while there)?

Questions regarding trains:

Do you handle your checked baggage yourself, or does someone else do it for you?

I'll be transferring trains on the way to and on the way back from Montreal . . . do you have to do much walking when transferring trains?

What's it like taking a train across Canada (the train ride will be extremely long and I don't really know what to expect on it. This is the first time I'll be traveling alone and am scared I'll lose my baggage—something which would be a huge bummer)?

Where exactly on the train does your checked baggage go?

Would it be stupid of me to bring expensive (closed) semi-portable headphones with me on the train (I've cheap, high-quality "beater" headphones that I could bring with me. But they're open, leak a ton of sound and I'm quite certain they'd annoy people on the train which would prevent me from getting use out of them)? Would there be much risk of them breaking on the train ride? I fear I'll be bored out of my mind if I don't bring headphones with me . . .

Explain the French legal system to me!

mippy — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:06:00 -0800

So SO and I are watching the first season of Spiral (Engrenages) and there's something about the procedural process that confuses me - suspects are brought in, and then soon after meet with a 'Judge' who decides a sentence - but unlike UK or US shows, this is done in a private office, not a courtroom. Can someone explain this to us? (No spoilers, if you know about French justice but not the programme!) In the first episode we saw a case take place in a courtroom with defence counsel, judge, and everything else that is familiar from police/courtroom dramas I've seen in the UK and US. However, in the second, a woman was arrested for a crime, brought into the station, and then appeared to be taken to the office of a man with the title 'Judge' (I don't know if this is equivalent to the same office in Anglophone countries). The Judge heard the woman's confession, looked at a report, and gave a verdict - but only the suspect, a detective and the Judge were present. No trial by jury, no public hearing.

Is this a common way to resolve criminal cases in France, or is this just how it has been written for dramatic purposes? (After all, we don't see the officers in UK police procedurals filling out paperwork...) The crime was a serious one, which is why it seemed odd to me that a decision was made pretty much privately and by one individual.

French SF/Fantasy Novels (in the original)

serelliya — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:50:42 -0800

I recently discovered an awesome local bookstore in France, hence I'd like to pick up a French-language SF/F novel that isn't a translation and would be difficult to find in the US. Suggestions? (Subgenre preferences below the jump) My favorite English-language authors are Guy Gavriel Kay and Ellen Kushner. I like complex political fantasy, philosopical-epic rather than swords-and-sorcery-epic, fantasy of manners, stories that explore class and ethnicity and gender. I am less well-read in science fiction, but generally tend towards character-driven "soft" SF or well-written space opera (going back to the philosophical epic idea) or SF romance à la Catherine Asaro.

Ideally--because I have limited luggage space and only want to buy one more book--this would be a standalone, contemporary novel that isn't too long (let's say <500 pages) because I read French much, much slower than English. I've already acquired several of my favorite books in French translation, but would like to try someone new. I prefer contemporary authors to the older classics, generally. Bonus points if it hasn't yet been translated into English!

Pls help me remember this french film about a poor girl...

n9 — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:44:39 -0800

I rented this film on VHS in 1999. It is about a younger french girl, living with her mother in a trailer park. Mother is a drunk, they are poor, she tries to get a job at a food stand at one point (??) There is love interest and conflict and some kind of crisis. I loved this movie and have thought about it often since I saw it but I am afraid that my memories may have started overwriting my recollections. She is a little bit of a feral child, medium length brown hair, very striking. Please help!

Easy French or French-English Podcast recommendations?

Scientist — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:06:26 -0800

I'm learning French, and am looking to increase my exposure to spoken French. Among other things, I've been listening to the Coffee Break French series of podcasts, which has been very helpful, but I'd like to add in some podcasts that aren't specifically about learning French -- podcasts that are by native French speakers and made for a French-speaking audience, but which ideally are fairly accessible or at least roughly comprehensible with some effort to someone who has only a patchy knowledge of the language. French news podcasts might be valuable to me, for instance. Bonus features: podcasts that are also broadcast in English, podcasts that are about scientific topics, and podcasts that are about or are produced in francophone Africa. Recommendations?

Postcard to Japan

Evstar — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:33:31 -0800

I want to send a postcard from France to this restaurant in Japan where my friend is a cook. There appears to be an address on the front page of the website, but I'll be damned if I can make out what it says, much less recreate it on a postcard in a way that the French post can parse. I'm sure I could ask him myself, but I would prefer to surprise him. Can anyone help me with this?

Could a fluent French speaker translate this for me?

uncannyslacks — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 18:41:50 -0800

I would like to know what the beginning of this song says translated to English from French (I'm assuming it's French; at least that's what it sounds like to me). Also, if there's any relevant information you can give me about the French that would be great (e.g., "It's a quotation from..." or "Everyone in France knows that this means..."). Nicolaas Jaar - Etre (Single Link Vimeo).

Are there other French TV shows I can watch via Roku?

lxs — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:56:34 -0800

Are there other French TV shows I can watch via Roku? I've gotten really, REALLY into watching Spiral (or 'Engrenages'), which is apparently the first French-language TV show that Netflix has made available for viewers in the US.

Are there other French-language TV shows (with English subtitles) that I can watch now that I've finished? The catch is that I'm hoping to specifically be able to watch via my Roku box, rather than on a computer. This means that Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are at my disposal, as well as whatever other channels are available on Roku. I looked (both on the device and by googling) and haven't found anything yet. But, most sites don't have the option to search for French-language TV so it seemed very possible that I'd missed something.

Thanks, in advance!

Looking for an old textbook.

gentian — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 21:35:09 -0800

My seventh grade French textbook had particularly charming illustrations. I don't remember the title of the book or what the cover looked like, but I'd know the illustrations if I saw them. They were mostly, if not entirely, in black-and-white and featured young people doing ordinary things like going to the beach. This textbook was used in about 1989 in a public school in southern New Hampshire. Is there any way of finding out more about it or perhaps buying a copy online? I suppose I could ask the school but I'd rather not.

Tips for learning advanced vocabulary and grammar in a foreign language?

kristi — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:31:16 -0800

What are your tips and techniques for learning advanced vocabulary and grammar in a foreign language? I'm happy with my techniques for learning basic vocabulary (sky, street, house, speak, run) in another language. I'd like to do better with more advanced vocabulary, especially:

* more abstract words (such as the adjective "striking")
* related words with specialized differences ("ship" vs. "boat")

I'm also struggling a bit with the best way to learn and review advanced grammar (for example, in Spanish, the personal subject pronoun can usually be omitted, but there are times when it's required).

What resources do you use?

What techniques do you use?

My main target languages are Spanish and French, but I'd also appreciate suggestions for Italian and German, as well as Russian and Japanese.

I am a huge fan of Anki spaced-repetition software, so I'd be delighted to have suggestions that take advantage of SRS. (For example, if you use additional material, such as example sentences that use the target, do you put them on the back or the front of the card?)

Thanks!

Help me learn advanced French food and restaurant vocabulary.

The Girl Who Ate Boston — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:59:53 -0800

Please recommend books, websites, and other resources to learn more advanced French food and restaurant vocabulary, so that I can read menus and cookbooks, navigate restaurants, and describe food ("salty," "sweet," etc.). I want to be able to read a French menu or cookbook and understand it as well as I do in English. I have basic knowledge of French food vocabulary, as in what they teach in the food unit of a seventh-grade French class (main fruits and vegetables, other common food items like bread, cake, ice cream, etc.), though I could use some refreshing.

I've looked through the French language section at some bookstores and it seems like food and restaurant vocabulary is limited to the basics, and confined to a chapter or two within a much larger general vocabulary book. I'm looking for something more advanced and food-specific.

Specific areas of interest:
— Advanced food item vocabulary (beyond the aforementioned basics), covering both ingredients and dishes: buttermilk, stew, pork belly, fried rice, squab, graham cracker, spices, various kinds of fish, etc.
— Cooking vocabulary: stir, sift, boil, dice, brine, measuring cups, frying pan, etc.
— Vocabulary for food descriptions: sweet, salty, tough, undercooked, medium-rare, grainy, etc.
— Restaurant vocabulary, basic through advanced: tip, napkin, wine glass, tasting menu, wine pairings, non-alcoholic drink pairings, bar area, etc.
— French/English menus: copies of the same menu in French and English, which I think I'd find both neat and useful.
— Food writing in French, ideally with an English translation available as well. Books, blogs, etc. The writing might be too advanced for me to understand now (especially until I learn more food vocabulary), but I can still use it as a goal.

Can you recommend any websites, books, or other resources related to those areas? Accuracy is important. (I stopped using Memrise when I realized that there were occasionally mistakes in the spellings of the user-generated French vocabulary.) If it's relevant, I'm in the Boston area.

Thanks in advance!

What are the (French) lyrics to this song?

Nabubrush — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:41:54 -0800

Can you help transcribe (I guess) a few lines of French from Lafayette Blues, by the White Stripes? Can you tell me what the missing lyrics are in the studio version of Lafayette Blues (YT link), by the White Stripes? I've taken the following lyrics from an online site, and they all seem pretty comparable as to what they have, but they're all missing the same sections. I've numbered the lines in case that will help. The lyrics were often changed when the song was performed live, but I'm looking for this specific version. Also, if you feel some of the words I have listed are in error, please do tell.

1 Marantette, Leverette
2 Lannette, Lafayette, Livernois
3 Labrosse, Louis, Mettetal
4 Rochelle, Marseilles
5 Riopelle, Manistique, Armour
6 ???
Oh, Oh, Mmmmm

Hey!

7 Mercier, Lemay
8 Tournier, Saliotte et Leroy
9 ???
10 Montlieu, Cadieux
11 Neveaux, Avenue en Detroit
12 ???
13 Well, I'm ready
14 I'm ready
15 I'm ready, ready, Teddy to
16 Rock and roll

Ohh

17 Lamphere, Belle Terre
18 Marseilles, Mettetal, et
19 Rouge, Le Blanc

The DaVinci Quote

padraigin — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:57:22 -0800

Help me track down the origin of this Leonardo Da Vinci maxim, of which I can only find a French translation. Last summer I visited Clos Luce, the last residence of Leonardo Da Vinci, his "retirement home" in France, so to speak.

There were several of his quotations framed throughout the villa, one of which was "Ne pas prevoir, c'est deja gemir". Roughly, in English, "not to plan is to be whining/moaning".

I'd like to know the origin of this quote: does it appear in his notebooks or is it attributed to him via some other source? Was it originally said in Italian, or in Latin, or did he actually say it in French? If it was in his notebooks, can someone point me to the location in one of the online versions of them?

It seems to be a well-known and oft-used maxim in France but I can't seem to track it back any further. Forgive my lack of proper accents, I have keyboard limitations apparently.

Do you speak French? Could you help me translate this?

mermily — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 18:57:48 -0800

My piano teacher gave me the music for this. The video is of one of my fave pianists (Cortot) giving a masterclass on the piece and I'd really like to know what he's saying. (Hope this is the appropriate place to ask.)

Help me find a hulking French-English dictionary

gnossie — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 05:20:03 -0800

I'm looking for the biggest, most complete French-English dictionary available in one volume. I'm aware of Le Petit Robert, but I need French-English, not French-French. The biggest I've found so far is the Collins-Robert, but that can't be the biggest. Any recommendations? Note that this can't be an online resource. Thanks.

Ça me manque depuis 15 ans

jepler — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:31:16 -0800

Teach me how to make Cancoillotte cheese from things I can buy in an American supermarket or (unlikely) where to buy it for shipment to the USA (Nebraska). Back in college, I studied for a semester in Besançon, Franche-Comté, France. Among my fond food memories are a couple of cheeses: Comté, which is readily available in a couple of local stores, and Cancoillotte which is not.

Google has explained to me that milk is made into metton and that metton is made into Cancoillotte by melting with butter and liquid such as white wine or water, but I'm quite unclear about how metton is made and I never saw or handled any while in France to know what it is. (In English, wikipedia calls metton 'runny' but cites a French description which says it has a 'pâte dure' which sounds anything but… it is Cancoillotte which is runny)

You may assume I do OK in the kitchen (including very limited experience helping make yogurt once or twice), but please do not assume I can read a recipe in French to save my life.

Why are shampoo labels more often than not in English & French?

zeoslap — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:24:54 -0800

Now my guess is that it's so they can sell the same thing in both the U.S and Canada but why does this seem to be unique to shampoo and not other products commonly found in the supermarket like detergent?

Simple French-language fiction?

thirdletter — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:35:05 -0800

I spent 4 years learning French in high school, and have retained just enough since then to vaguely eavesdrop on a fellow commuter's French novel the other day. I would like to brush up on my reading comprehension, and could use some suggestions for some simply written fiction to pick up. I read Le Petit Prince in school as well as a bunch of historical texts. I'm looking now for something contemporary and entertaining... I've lost most of my grip on complicated/formal tenses... maybe YA fiction would work for my skill level?

Bonus points for books available cheaply on Kindle.

Help me find this officer's uniform from the 1955 movie "French Cancan"?

steinwald — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 07:18:41 -0800

There's a character in the 1955 movie "French Cancan" who wears a very fancy uniform. He wears a light blue double-breasted jacket with white braid and bright red pants with stripes on the sides. I think it is some kind of old fashioned military dress uniform. You can see the outfit 0.26 seconds into the trailer (warning:there are 26 seconds of cancan dancing first). My question is: (1) What sort of uniform was this? Or is it just a costume they made up for the movie? (2) Where/how could a modern person most affordably get a similar outfit of sufficiently good quality to wear around town at fancy occasions that are not Halloween?

Parlez vous éducation?

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 17:53:09 -0800

I am in Seattle. I'd like to learn French, to the point where I could (in 6 months, say) carry on a rough conversation with someone in Québec or France. I have knowledge of a few words but would essentially be starting from scratch. With which group/center/school should I take classes, but most importantly: why? (In other words, what would make that class better than those offered through alternatives?)

Can't do ALL THE THINGS right now.

riddler — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:09:47 -0800

In 2013 I will have 2-3 hours a week to spend learning one or more of the following: French, guitar, advanced math (stats, calc). Which will benefit most from this limited amount of study effort? (Long and poorly edited. Sorry.)

Some background: In 2013 I will be spending most of my time outside of work studying for the CPA exam. I originally planned to ignore all other pursuits, but that's not realistic for me - it's healthy for me to have another semi-intellectual hobby to step away to (I already knit, but that's something I do to feel semi-productive when I watch TV), and planning in advance means it's less likely to make me obsess to the point of ignoring my CPA studying.

So I plan on spending 2-3 hours a week on another hobby (or maybe 2?) to keep my sanity mostly intact. I don't have a specific goal for any of these, because then it'd be too easy to get sucked in. But I'm still not sure which to choose:

French: I played around on duolingo for a week and really enjoyed it. My goal is currently more to be able to read/write the language than to speak it, so I would supplement duolingo with a book on French for reading comprehension and a couple of French language books. I am pretty good with languages and I had a year of French in college, so this isn't starting from scratch.

Guitar: I have a guitar. I can play 15 chords. Or so. I haven't picked it up for a while. I can't afford lessons at the moment. I don't have a specific style I'm interested in, but being the analytical person that I am (not like this question is an indication of that or anything), and because I don't have a natural ear for music, I'd like to learn some music theory (I have a book on music theory for guitar but I haven't read it). Also I'd want to learn to read music beyond the basic vague notion of it I got from learning piano in the 2nd grade. I have a classical guitar playing book that would work for this purpose. I guess working through these two books would be what I'd spend my time on for guitar.

Advanced math: I'm a little late to the game with Khan Academy, but I found it recently and it's fantastic. I had a semester of Stats in college, and I got an A but didn't really understand it. And I've always regretted stopping at precalc in high school. So for this hobby I would be working through the Khan Academy lessons. On the off chance I finish those, I'd probably delve into stats a bit more.

Comparison:
Guitar seems like it'd use a different part of my brain at least, and that's a plus, but the learning curve is a lot steeper (for me), and I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with that level of frustration. Maybe it's worth putting off until I have time and money to devote to lessons. On the other hand, I feel like I could learn placement of a bunch of notes on the fretboard and that would make things a lot easier once I do have more time to devote to practicing.

French sounds like the next best to me, but when I studied foreign languages in the past, I spent close to 2 hours a day learning and practicing. My progress was usually pretty quick. I honestly don't know if 15 minutes a day is even worth it - I've never tried that. I just worry that I'll spend 2 hours a week but never accumulate the knowledge or vocabulary needed.

Math: none of the above problems apply, but it's the one that would feel the most like studying. Definitely interested enough to learn despite this, but would need to find ways to add some extra fun to it.

Once I pass the exams, I hope to have time to devote to all of these things! I just want to feel like I'm making progress on one of my other goals instead of letting this damn test take over my life completely. I use the term 'goal' here loosely: I can't have specific goals for any of these hobbies next year if I want to keep them contained to a few hours a week. Also note that I fully plan on making time to be brain dead in front of the TV, go out with friends, and take care of myself.

tl;dr: I want to make some progress in either math, French, or guitar in a year while only spending 2-3 hours a week studying/practicing. What's my best option?

Bonus: other resources for any of these?

Le Pop Super-Bon!

Capt. Renault — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:53:32 -0800

Le Pop Super-Bon! Can anyone suggest French bubble-gum pop that's especially au courant? Like Yelle (particularly her first album), only more recent? Stuff good for dancing or for cleaning the house. I've seen these threads, but they're a bit stale. Merci à tous!

Are air quotes international, or localized?

zamboni — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:47:48 -0800

Do Francophones (or other users of non-English quotation marks) use “air quotes”? If so, is it the anglais rabbit ears of forced irony, or a gesture resembling «guillemets»?

Looking for specific quote by Charles de Gaulle on the alliance

amirachel — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:46:39 -0800

My boss (I work in Tokyo for an independent think tank) has asked me to track down a particular quote for him by Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French Forces and first president of the French Fifth Republic. Specifically, he is looking for a quote in which de Gaulle says something about the alliance not sharing a common destiny... I've been looking like crazy but have yet to find anything along these lines? Any ideas?? I tried sending my boss the following quote in the hopes of it being what he was looking for:

"No nation has friends, only interests."

However, he said that this was not quite it, and reiterated to me that the key word is "alliance".

Please help!! I really want to come through on this but am drawing a blank at this point!

I don't get French prepositions!

two lights above the sea — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 15:57:32 -0800

Dear French speaking Mefites: I am an idiot. I can't get the prepositions down! Knowing when to say "au" or "du" is KILLING me. I've made cheat sheets and have memorized most of the set phrases I can, but when I'm writing on my own I inevitably foul it up or blank. Can you help? My professor says that there are no tricks or easy ways to remember them, but you are a clever bunch, so maybe there's something I'm just not getting that you can help me with. Or you can just yell at me. I don't know why this is giving me so much trouble! I feel like a failure. How do I know when it's du vs. au or any other combination of prepositions?

I give you permission to speak to me like a 5 year old. Thank you!