Il est un connoisseur de vin. (He is a wine connoisseur.) 12. However it’s worth noting that connoisseur is outdated and rarely used in French these days, so you’ll most likely hear connaisseur or connaisseuse (the masculine and feminine forms, respectively) instead. ConnoisseurĪ connoisseur is someone who is very knowledgeable about something-and we use it to mean the same thing in English. Leur mariage était tellement cliché. (Their wedding was so cliché.) 11. In French, this word refers to something that has become so common that it’s overrated. Now we use the same word in English when we see something that resembles that French style of casual class.Įlle est très chic. (She is so well-dressed.) 10. In French, someone who is chicis well-dressed.
Chicįrench fashion is known for its simple elegance.
Il avait carte blanche. (He had the chance to do whatever he wanted.) 9. Nowadays, the French use this phrase the same way as we do! The literal translation is “white card” because when armies surrendered they would pass a white card to the enemy for them to write their terms of surrender on. In English, this means to give someone the opportunity to do whatever they want to do, surrendering to their whim. Le bureau des finances a refusé mon prêt. (The financial office denied my loan.) 8. The English “bureau” tends to be used for more political or governmental offices, such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). While the French version of this word refers to a physical desk, it also refers to an office, which is how English uses it. The French use this phrase to wish someone a “good trip,” and we use it the same way in English.īon voyage ! Tu vas me manquer ! (Have a good trip! I will miss you!) 7. I think we’ve all heard this one when leaving on a trip of some kind. Je vais vous acheter un bijou ! (I will buy you a jewel/item of jewelry!) 6. The French word for a small gem or jewel, bijouhas adopted a completely different meaning in the English language.Īmongst us English speakers, it’s considered a classy way to describe something stylish while implying that it’s small, like a bijou champagne bar. (Andy Warhol was an avant-garde artist) 5. The artistic meaning holds in French, but it can also mean the “front line.”Īndy Warhol était un artiste de l’ avant-garde. “Before guard” or “advance guard” are the literal translations of this French phrase.Įnglish speakers know it as an innovative movement in the arts, usually pertaining to artists who are “advanced” in their fields. *The literal translation is “she is attached to the ambassador” 4. (She’s an attaché* to the Canadian ambassador.) While this one literally means “attached” in French, English uses it to refer to someone who works for an ambassador.Įlle est attachée à l’ambassadeur du Canada. This must have hopped languages when serving pastry and vanilla ice cream was very fashionable in France.Ĭ’est très à la mode ! (It’s very fashionable!) 3. In the US you will also see it used to indicate that a dish is served with ice cream. This means “of the fashion” in French and is a way of describing something trendy right now. Je voudrais des frites à la carte. (I would like an order of fries on their own.) 2. Meaning “according to a menu” in French, this phrase refers to choosing individual items off a menu in both languages.
PAS TOUCHE MEANING IN ENGLISH PDF
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. Here are 35 entirely French words that we use in English. While a majority of English words with French roots have morphed, changing spelling and sound, there are endless everyday words we use in English that have remained purely French. French Words in English: 35 Words You Thought Were English… But Are Actually Frenchĭid you know that you were already semi-French before actually deciding to learn the language?Īt least 29 percent of the English language derives from “le français,” claiming French as the English language’s biggest influence-but wait, it gets better.
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