Here are some nuances I have learned about French:
If you want bring up the politically-charged topic of wearing the hijab or burqa, make sure to use "le voile." If you happen to use "la voile" instead, you may find yourself off on an in-depth discussion of sailing.
L'avocat du diable can be correctly translated as "the devil's advocate" or as "the devil's avocado." My advice is to use context clues for this one.
If the French are plying you with food, and you wish to decline, do not attempt to translate the English sentence "I'm full" literally. Unfortunately, saying "je suis plein(e)" is a rather unsavory way of telling the world that you're expecting a new baby-friend.
It is not flattering to refer to a theatre troupe as un troupeau. Just stick with plain old une troupe. Otherwise you're using a term that is best reserved for flocks of animals.
Be careful with your pronunciation of menthe when you tell your host mother you'd like mint tea. Otherwise, she will understand "malt" and think that you are such a princess that you only drink tea from Malta or, alternatively, that you like malt-whiskey-flavored tea and are probably an alcoholic.
Telling someone that they smell good is nice. However, saying to your host mother "vous sentez bonne" is apparently not the same thing as "vous sentez bon." I think the difference is summed up well by my host-sister's advice to me: If someone says to you "Vous/tu êtes/es bonne," run.
Read carefully at all times. Otherwise you may read enseignante as enceinte. This may prove troublesome since "teacher" and "pregnant" have pretty different meanings.
Votre enseignante (careful!),
Maria
If you want bring up the politically-charged topic of wearing the hijab or burqa, make sure to use "le voile." If you happen to use "la voile" instead, you may find yourself off on an in-depth discussion of sailing.
L'avocat du diable can be correctly translated as "the devil's advocate" or as "the devil's avocado." My advice is to use context clues for this one.
If the French are plying you with food, and you wish to decline, do not attempt to translate the English sentence "I'm full" literally. Unfortunately, saying "je suis plein(e)" is a rather unsavory way of telling the world that you're expecting a new baby-friend.
It is not flattering to refer to a theatre troupe as un troupeau. Just stick with plain old une troupe. Otherwise you're using a term that is best reserved for flocks of animals.
Be careful with your pronunciation of menthe when you tell your host mother you'd like mint tea. Otherwise, she will understand "malt" and think that you are such a princess that you only drink tea from Malta or, alternatively, that you like malt-whiskey-flavored tea and are probably an alcoholic.
Telling someone that they smell good is nice. However, saying to your host mother "vous sentez bonne" is apparently not the same thing as "vous sentez bon." I think the difference is summed up well by my host-sister's advice to me: If someone says to you "Vous/tu êtes/es bonne," run.
Read carefully at all times. Otherwise you may read enseignante as enceinte. This may prove troublesome since "teacher" and "pregnant" have pretty different meanings.
Votre enseignante (careful!),
Maria
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