#like chien...... like in french.....

[impgall]

I miss when I was in highschool and obsessed w archaeolexicology. Just learned "wolf" in Mongolian is "chono". What the fuck

[cry-ptidd]

I know we all compare Alucard to a cat (rightfully so, the resemblance is uncanny) but have yall ever had a dachshund? Those adorable little shits are so clingy to the point where they want to crawl into your skin (and even that probably wouldn’t combat their clinginess)

I've never owned a dachshund

However

That sounds exactly like Alucard so

Hellsing au where everything is the same except Baskerville is a dachshund

[mmyashas]

Hello after psrty thoughts. I think etoiles was my best qsmp find . Hes literally perfect

[deathbyoctopi]

A-Xian... Ah, chien!

And here’s why The Untamed can never be dubbed to French. Yanli calling his name ought to cause an immediate panic reaction that would derail the whole series, or else fall into a dog-induced plot paradox. 

[grisou-01]

MK1 Earthrealmers x French!Reader

Hello everyone here is a new x reader with the earthrealmers men ! :) So i'm basically french and i thought it would be funny to do a French reader with the mk1 character, I put the traduction to the french setence ( even if most of them are insults lol ) Again English is not my first language so sorry if there are any mistakes :( Let me know of you have any request for the next x reader :)

Since the day you were recruited as one of the champion you never told anyone where you were from. Not that you were ashamed or anything but you didn't felt the urge of telling everyone that you were not a real American like Johnny for example. You lived in this country for now 3 years so your accent was practicly undetectable for anyone outside french speakers. It was easy for you to hide it since you didn't lived in France anymore.

But there is one thing that could make your "French side" rise again. When you were reallyyyy pissed off or more generaly when you had really strong emotions. To be honest you didn't really knew what made you drop the act : Was it Kung Lao's huge ego? Or perhaps Johnny's constant flirting? Or Bi-Han's stubbornness and coldness? Maybe it was even the humble demeanour of Raiden and Liu Kang? Or maybe it was the constant winning at the spars of Tomas and Kuai Liang and their constant quarrels with Bi-Han? Or is it Kenshi's obession for Sento and his constant fight with Johnny ? You will never know. You thought you were the only one normal here. But what happened during the meal was the straw that broke the camel's back. So you the other champions , Liu Kang and the 3 Lin Kuei brothers were eating after a long day of intense training. It was pretty peacefull , until Johnny started to tease Kenshi about Sento and when Tomas tried to intervene he begin to get scold by Bi-Han for whatever reason, Kuai Liang tried to calm his brother but he began to yell at him too, and then Kung Lao entered in Johnny and Kenshi's fight, Raiden tried to stop him but it only maked them fight even louder. Only Liu Kang remained calm trying to stop both arguments. But it was inneficient. You continued to eat, trying to remain calm, to not just snap at everyone, but hearing everyone yell make it very hard. So after 1 minutes that felt like hour you just yelled without even taking your eyes off your food

"BON QUAND EST CE QUE VOUS ALLEZ TOUS FERMER VOS PUTAINS DE GUEULES ?" [ Trad : SO WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP? ]

As you Yelled every eyes were now on you. They didn't understood a single word, or maybe Liu Kang since he could basically speak every language after eons of living. But seeing you snap like that was very unexpected. Bi-Han who even when he did not understood a single words didn't liked to be yelled at tried to snap back "Who do you think you are to yell like this ?! I am the Grandmaster of-" During his little speech Your eyes finally looked away from your food and went directly at his direction. And before he could even finish you snapped a second time "J'EN AI RIEN A FOUTRE DE CE QUE TU DIS ! SERIEUX TU TE PRENDS POUR QUI A PARLER COMME CA A TOUT LE MONDE COMME CI ON ETAIT TES CHIENS ?" [Trad : I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU SAY! SERIOUSLY, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TALKING LIKE THAT TO EVERYONE AS IF WE WERE YOUR DOGS?]

And for the first time in a long time. Bi-Han. Didn't answered anything. Well he couldn't because he didn't understood a thing about your speech. And that's when Johnny finally talked "Doll , you didn't told us you were French ?!" He said a bit stunned. You turned to face him and raised an eye brow "It wasn't necessary, so I didn't told you." You muttered. Everyone was pretty much stuned by how quickly you just became calm again. "So you're one of those Oui Oui Baguette-" Johnny said "La baguette je te la fous dans ton cul, serieux Johnny, vas te faire foutre avec tes clichés a la con la !" [Trad : "I'll stick the baguette up your arse, seriously Johnny, fuck off with your stupid clichés!"] You said as you looked at him with a pissed off face. But as you finished to spoke Liu Kang gave you a disappointed look at your talking maner. "Y/N Even if they don't understand you, It doesn't mean you can insult and talk down to them" "Oui oui pardon monsieur" [Trad : yeah yeah sorry sir]

you said as you quickly looked away. Everything was suddenly silent but then Kung Lao who had began to eat again said "How's the food in your country, i heard you had the best gastronomy !" "Well it's not bad our pastries are excellent but i don't know if you'de like frogs ' legs and snail" Kung Lao took a moment and said "Well if you'de like to to do one of this dishes, i can't say i would be bothered" you chuckled sligthly of course the only thing that would come in mind would be the food. "So i'm finally not the only European here" Tomas said with a slight grin on his face, you smirked and nodded amused by his demeanor. Bi-Han continued to give you a look filled with hatred, at least that's what you thinked because deep down he was impressed that someone (even if he didn't comprehend a damn thing) snapped back at him, it wasn't often at all that he was put in his place. And he couldn't say he didn't liked it (But he will never admit it). Kuai Liang, just looked at you with an impressed look, first you stuned his brother to the point that he didn't answered anything and second he had to admit that hearing you talking in French was pretty hot. He had a sly smirk on his face that you didn't missed to see. Raiden and Kenshi looked at each other then at you, Raiden said hesitantly

"How did you manage to hide this ? It's not likes it a big deal you could have told us" a soft smile appeared on your lips as he questionned you "Like i said i didn't felt it was necessary plus it wouldn't have changed anything !" You answered, Raiden gave you and understanding nod, you were right, what would it have changed? But still it was like they didn't knew you ? In fact you didn't talk about you that much ! Raiden thinked as he continued to look at you. Kenshi just looked at you with an understanding look too, like you he was from another country too. So he understood that you didn't felt the urge to tell them about this. "Well you could have at least told your favorite person here Sweetheart !" Johnny said as he winked at you . Amused by his words you just rolled your eyes. Then you just stood up and took your plate to put it to the dishes and said "Well this was very tiring day, i'm going to sleep, Bonne nuit tout le monde !" [Trad : Good night everyone] You waved at them with now a slight french accent as you spoke. You turned back and walked away from the dinning room to go to your room.

Leaving them all still stunned by the event that just happened. Liu Kang had a soft smile on his lips and stood up too before saying goodnight to everyone and walked away too. It was nice that you finally said your little "secret" even if it wasn't a big one. Things would be much simpler now. The champions and the Lin Kuei bros just continued to eat in silence, but everyone had a slight smile on their face. You were an interesting person. To say the least.

Let me know if you enjoyed it ! :]

[secretmellowblog]

So, what does “Patron-Minette” mean? If you put it in google translate:

Are they really “boss pussy”???

Kinda, the real meaning is basically an elaborate pun.

As Hugo notes in the novel, the gang’s name comes from the French phrase “des potron minette,” an idiomatic French phrase which refers to the time around dawn. The literal translation of the phrase is “kitty butt”— “potron” being an archaic word for for butt and “minette” being a slightly cute term for a cat.

"Des potron Minette" became a term for dawn because cats prowl around in the dawn.

As Hugo says, it's similar to the phrase "entre chien et loup"— between dog and wolf— which is a poetic term for twilight. (It’s a a liminal time between dog and wolf, a time so dark you can no longer tell the difference between a dog and wolf, etc.)

However, the gang makes a pun on the phrase and calls themselves pATron Minette instead of Potron Minette, because “patron” means “boss.”

They were like “cat butt? No…Cat BOSS”

[modernimpressionism]

a higher power compelled me to write this

Swann Arlaud x Reader Fluff

(First meetings, art museums, slight awkwardness)

1285 Words

• ───── ୨୧ ───── •

Like the work of art she was, he first saw her at a museum.

More specifically, at the Musée d'Orsay. Standing in front of Olympia. He had wandered in on a walk home from a meeting with his manager, feeling a little stressed and pretty annoyed. He assumed a walk around an air-conditioned maze would calm his mind a bit, and this one was just the closest when he googled 'museum'. He recalls visiting it as a boy because being a child in Paris meant field trips to insane historical monuments and world-famous museums.

She stared at the painting as if trying to memorize every brush stroke, occasionally adjusting the tote bag on her shoulder or tucking her hair behind her ear, but not moving onto another piece. The relaxed nude figure seemed to entrance her like the woman was communicating something secret and sensual and womanly through 150 years of dried pigment.

This gave him plenty of time to memorize her as well, to notice the hair falling gently on her back. Her fingers, the nails neatly painted but the skin around them picked and chewed to bits. She wore a watch on her left wrist, a real watch that ticked silently with the seconds, he thought higher of her because of this but couldn't place why. Her clothes looked nice, but not excessive. He imagined her being picky with what she wore, and not caring about brands or fashion houses, which felt rare in Paris. The tote bag on her shoulder was obviously full, and he yearned to hold it for her, to take the weight off if only for a moment. She obviously carried it every day and thought little of the weight anymore, but he was willing to take it.

He paused his study for a moment to look around the gallery. He noticed the similarity between all of the paintings, and with how long she was staring at the one, he assumed she must be a fan.

Shit

He leaned over to check the name of the artist on a few of the paintings, Manet, Manet, Manet, ok. He pulls his phone out and quickly searches for him. If he's going to talk to this woman, he should at least pretend to have a reason to.

He was starting to regret not paying attention during those field trips.

He slipped his phone back into his back pocket and ran his fingers through his hair. It seemed like he was eternally trying to fix it, and if there was ever a time for it to behave, it was right now.

He took one confident step before she started moving and he lost all of his nerve. He snapped his head around before finding a random painting to pretend to stare at, hoping she didn't notice his extended and possibly creepy staring. He shoved his hands in his front pockets to try to look calmer than he was.

He heard the slight tap of her shoes against the stone floor but didn't dare to look where she was going. This is disastrous, he thought, deciding to leave as soon as she stopped moving. He was counting down the seconds when he felt a slight shade move on his left side and heard her movements more closely.

She stood right next to them, looking at the same painting.

His plan to abandon ship quickly dissipated, knowing this was the only opportunity he had to talk to her. If he ignored her now and followed her around the museum to talk to her later, he would look mental.

He scanned the painting in a panic, trying to understand 150 years of art history before opening his mouth. To him, it just looked like a couple of people standing on a balcony but he felt like it meant much more to her. He thought that if he waited any more, he would lose his nerve, so he opened his mouth and...

"J'aime le chien"

"Oh, I. I'm sorry but I'm still learning French, I'm not sure-"

"You're American!"

Shit!

In his anxiety-ridden brain, he forgot to shut his mouth and his words bypassed any filter he possessed. It's over, this was a total failure, he thought as he felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

But instead he heard her giggle gently, before responding,

"I am! All of my life actually"

Oh god, and she's funny...

He smiled back at her with his signature goofy lopsided smile, too engrossed by her face, her mouth, her eyes to actually respond to anything.

"I like the dog too", she replies after a few silent seconds.

They both stared at the small animal painted in the bottom left corner, tucked into the petticoat of a figure. His eyes weren't visible beneath his fur, permanently hidden from the world. Looking at the animal and hearing her approval gave him the confidence to keep their conversation going a bit longer.

"So is he your favorite?"

"He's one of my favorites, i just love the choice of subjects, how average they were."

He's entranced by her voice. By the way her lips move to make the words, by the way her eyes light up as she speaks about art. He realizes that he must look silly, staring at her speak with a dumb smile, but he can't bring himself to care.

"Have you ever seen where he painted? In Giverny?"

She tilts her head slightly at that question, slightly confused.

Shit.

"Do you mean Monet? With the lilies? He painted in Giverny. This is Manet."

SHIT!

His mouth opens and closes like a fish, feeling like a deer in headlights, he can't possibly save this now.

So he just starts laughing. A genuine belly laugh, full of joy at his own stupidity. And then she starts laughing just as hard.

"Did you just google him a minute ago?", she asks, in between giggles.

"I did, it must have been uh... vérification orthographique.. spellcheck"

They look at each other earnestly, both admiring the other.

"I'm Y/N", she says, reaching out her hand.

He grabs it and is astounded by how comfortable he feels in hers

"Swann"

*One Year Later*

"Love I told you, I didn't want anything for our anniversary, just to do things together"

"Well this is a together present, sort of, it's for uh.. l'appartement"

He pulls a large, flat, wrapped present from the back of his closet, lifting it and placing it in front of Y/N, who's sat on their bed. He sits down next to her, leaning one hand on the bed behind her, subconsciously wanting to be close to her.

Her hands reach for the paper and start tearing, she makes a mental note of his gift-wrapping skills, assigning him that job in the future. Her were always horribly crumpled, but he was neat and untarnished, and she almost felt bad destroying it.

She quickly uncovered a gold frame with a glass pane, something familiar peeking out from inside.

"It's the Manet painting, The Balcony. A print of it, I mean. I thought it would be nice to hang out here since it's ours." he says, almost shyly... No matter how confident he was, he always felt the risk of gift-giving.

"Swann, I love it, It's perfect"

She places the framed print on the bed behind her, safely, before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him with as much love as she could muster. It was such a quick transition that he was almost surprised, but he soon caught up and reached his arm around her and grabbed her waist, pulling her tighter. After a while, he placed a hand on her cheek to pull her away and leaned in to kiss her lips gently and with love.

"Joyeux anniversaire chérie, I would get you the real painting if I could.

[charlesslut16]

-puppy-

summary : you and charles walk on the sidewalk until you see a animal shelter and fell in love with a puppy...

PAIRING : charles leclerc x fem!reader

WARNINGS : none

masterlist

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Your boyfriend, charles, and you were walking on the sidewalk holding hands. We were on vacation in Spain. You passed by an animal shelter and you immediately stopped and looked at the animals in the window.

"What's wrong, mon coeur? Why did you- Oh not again, my love." Charles whined when he felt you stop and walk a few meters away from him, trying to pull you back to him.

"Aren't they so cute?" You exclaimed, looking at the dogs and cats in the window. He watched in awe, as you looked at all the puppies and cats, through the window, kneeling to get a better look at them. 

You watched as a dog walk up to the window in front of you both. Your hand touched the glass, as the dog touched the window with his paw where your hand was. Your heart instantly melted.

"Pouvons-nous l’avoir? Ou lui ? I don't know what gender it is, but it's just so cute! I mean, it copied me and put its paw where my hand was. C’est comme le destin, non? Can-" You said, switching between french and englisch. Can we get her? Or him?   That's like fate, right?

Charles cuts your rambling off. "Ma puce, calm down" He caught your hands in his, kissing your wrist, while staring at your happy, exited, enthusiastic face with amusement.

"Can we please get it." You asked, while smiling at him.

"Nous n’avons pas le chien stupide." he grunted, looking at your face with distaste. We are not getting the dumb dog.

"Why not" you asked pouting and turned away from him to look at the cute puppy.

"It will steal your attention. I don't want to share you. Ever." he first mumbled, but said it again, this time firmly.

You felt him glaring at the puppy because you were no longer looking at him but at the puppy. You smiled a bit because of the statement he said.

"See, it had already stolen you from him. " He huffed, gently tugging at your hand, trying to pull you closer to him. Charles has always been possessive over you and your attention.

"Fine, let's go back home." you sigh and start walking again. Charles strutting after you, pouting because you didn't hold his hand. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You were sitting on the couch of your rented home, watching some movie, waiting for Charles to come back. He went out an hour ago.

After some time, you heard the door opening, revealing Charles holding a crate. You looked at him confused, looking at his face, seeing his dimples with a smile.

"Qu’est-ce que c est?" You asked him, tilting your head, as he walked towards you and sat next to you. SO you could look him in the face. What is that?

"ici, pour vous" he gently shoved the crate towards you. You toke it and gasp when you see what's inside it. You opened the door and picked up the little puppy from the shelter. Here, for you.

"You got me the dog?" you asked him, your eyes filling with tears of joy.

"Oui. I got you the damn dog." Charles grumbled, wiping the tears that have fell onto your cheeks away. 

"Aren't you the cutest and fluffiest puppy ever." you cooed to the puppy, petting it, and you heard Charles grunted. He wrapped his arm around you and kissed your forehead. You turned your head to give him a kiss, to which the dog barked. 

"Fucker." Charles said, glaring at the dog as if it was the cruelest creature on the whole earth and universe.

[whencyclopedia]

Cheyenne

The Cheyenne are a North American Native nation, originally from the Great Lakes region, who migrated to modern-day Minnesota and then to areas in North Dakota and further southwest. They are associated with the Plains Indians culture and, after mastering the horse, became one of the most powerful nations of the American West.

Initially hunter-gatherers, the Cheyenne adopted agriculture and lived in permanent dwellings, raising crops that included wild rice. Some of the Cheyenne's defining characteristics are given by scholar Michael G. Johnson:

they lived in fixed villages, practiced agriculture, and made pottery, but lost these arts after being driven out onto the Plains to become nomadic bison hunters. They became one of the focal points of the Plains culture, characterized by tipi dwelling, development of age-graded male societies, geometrical art, and the development of the ceremonial world renewal complex, the Sun Dance. (118)

After their migration from the Great Lakes region, caused by the influx of other Native peoples into the area, they abandoned permanent settlements for a nomadic lifestyle, adopted the teepee (tipi) as housing, and followed the buffalo, which, like with other Plains Indians nations, was their primary food source. At first, they used dogs as pack animals to move their villages, but, after they mastered the horse in the 17th century, horses became their central mode of transportation as well as a status symbol of wealth and power.

They spoke (and still speak) the Cheyenne language which belongs to the Algonquian language group and allied themselves with the Arapaho, another Algonquian-speaking nation, in the early 19th century. The Cheyenne and Arapaho have continued their relationship up through the present day.

They hold to an animistic religious belief that all life is sacred, imbued with a spirit, and interconnected. Religious rituals include the Sun Dance, which is said to have been given to them by their great prophet Sweet Medicine, who also instituted formal government, societal structure, and the original four military societies that would become increasingly important in the wars of the 19th century fought against Euro-American expansion across their lands and the genocidal policies of the US government.

Conflicts with the US Army, the mass slaughter of the buffalo by white hunters to eliminate their food source, and the introduction of European diseases greatly reduced the number of Cheyenne throughout the 19th century, during which they were forced onto reservations as more of their land was taken by white settlers. Today the majority of the Northern Cheyenne live on the reservation in Montana while most of the Southern Cheyenne live on the reservations in Oklahoma.

Name & Nation

The name they are most commonly known by was given by the Sioux. Scholar Adele Nozedar comments:

The name Cheyenne was, for a while, believed to be derived from the French word for "dog" which is chien, since this people had a noted society of Dog Soldiers. However, the name is actually a Sioux word meaning "people of different speech." The Cheyenne name for themselves, Tsistsistas, means "beautiful people." (93)

The meaning of Tsistsistas has actually been translated in several ways, including "the people", "like-minded people", and "like-hearted people." They called their homelands Tsiihistano, meaning "home of the people," which, at the height of Cheyenne power, stretched from Montana to Texas and their economy depended on the great herds of bison, which they hunted across these lands seasonally.

The Cheyenne nation, originally of three groups, expanded to ten prior to the 19th century, including:

Heviqs-nipahis

Hevhaitanio

Masikota

Omisis

Sutaio

Wotapio

Oivimana

Hisiometanio

Ogtoguna

Honowa

These ten make up "the people" of the Cheyenne nation, who are represented by delegates to the governing body known as the Council of Forty-Four, but there are other bands who are also considered Cheyenne. Further, the nation is divided into the people known as Northern Cheyenne and Southern Cheyenne.

Continue reading...

[meirimerens]

what is something in English (language) that you like (specific words, sounds, turns of phrase, etc) that doesn't exist in French, and the other way around. asking because you write prose in your (second?) language; thank you; hope you had a horsesome mountaincation.

favorite type of question but equally there's so much to be said i don't even know where to begin.... cometh off the top of the dome:

in english that doesn't exist in french:

the sound th in english. inexistant in french, which is why you can recognize a french speaker by the fact that the "th" sound will be switched for a "s", "f" or "z" depending on the word. it's not as sibilant as sss, not as ethereal/light as fff. it can be subdued or it can be overt and wide, baring all the upper teeth, almost animal. it's also very common, so you can very easily use it for alliterations and the like.

an easier time "building" words, especially color-related adjectives, as well as the -ness, and the -less. ironblue eyes. rustred skin. chalkwhite, bloodblue, almost comes naturally to the english syntax due to the position of its adjectives relating to the noun.

the pronoun "it" in the meanings of "it ought to", "it should be", etc. french doesn't have a neutral grammatical gender and all neutral statements that in english are formed around "it ought to", "it is raining," etc are created with "il" (masculine singular), which sometimes just doesn't fit the vibe. doesn't fit the syntax, the atmosphere, the statement, the mood.

verbs that, regardless of tense, are similar in tones and construction enough that you can deploy multiple in a sentence while still keeping a rhythm. french grammar & conjugation is, for that, a headache.

in french that doesn't exist in english:

a distinction between a singular informal you, a singular formal You, and a plural yous (tu and vous). this exists in so many languages and lacks in english. it is so wonderful for all matters of multiplicity, of power struggle (inherently Oneirotects-esque), it is inherently erotic in the way it codifies language between two strangers that get closer. there is a line in P2 where, in the russian version, Burakh slips from formal You to informal you when speaking to Dankovsky, immediately catches himself, and Dankovsky reassures him that no, go on. it has been changed for a curse word slip-up in english, but that decimates imo the change of the power dynamic that is implied with a change between You and you.

the word Cyprine. if you were #there when i wrote my yulieva piece, i was sooo mad about its nonexistence in english i just ended up using it as it exists in french, because all the translations in english are so neutered, bordering on crass, and not even in a sensual way. ptoo!!!

the phrase "entre chien et loup". my fave among all. literally, it means "between dog and wolf". figuratively, it is used to speak about this hour of the evening where the light begins to dip, and all forms and shapes begin looking alike: a light in which you would not be able to differentiate between a dog and a wolf. the "between" also has a double meaning: it is the between of "picking between one & the other", and the between of a physical space that one could inhabit.

an ABUNDANCE of ways to have the sound "eh": é, ée, és, ées, ai, ais, ait, ez, er, aient, ..., and to have them often. this makes it so writing, even without trying, can have a rhythm, pleasant sonorities, assonances. this is something i found when writing PSLR, i was constantly running into the -é- sound, and it ended up giving this "rocking" motion of a boat, of waves... fitting for the subject matter. it is a very easy rhyme/assonance, demands basically no thought, but because it is so simple & common, it gives a sense of pleasant and familiar motion. almost lulling.

off the top of the dome here's what i can find... there's prolly so much more. i could talk about how french is so much more fitted i find to long sentences, to déambulations, to wordy wanderings, to sensible introspection, which Does Not Stop Me from writing this way in english, and reciprocally english is fitted for abrasion, swiftness, for a bounciness that french sometimes lacks, for sentences without a subject that appear like gashes or bruises... i have to learn every language on earth ever.

and THANK YOU + you know it yourself. watch this

[yurizzsblog]

French Facts:

International Language: French is spoken in over 29 countries across five continents. It is the official language in countries like France, Canada (Quebec), Belgium, Switzerland, and many African nations.

Global Influence: French was the dominant international language in diplomacy, science, literature, and art from the 17th to the mid-20th century. Even today, it's one of the working languages of the United Nations and the European Union.

Words and Phrases in English: English has borrowed many words and phrases from French. Some examples include "rendezvous," "fiancé," "déjà vu," "cul-de-sac," and "sauté."

Gendered Nouns: French nouns have genders; they are either masculine or feminine. For example, "le livre" (the book) is masculine, and "la table" (the table) is feminine. This can be a challenge for learners, as the gender affects the article and adjective forms.

Accents: French uses five different accents: acute (é), grave (è, à, ù), circumflex (â, ê, î, ô, û), diaeresis (ë, ï, ü), and cedilla (ç). These accents can change the pronunciation and meaning of words.

The Longest French Word: The longest officially recognized French word is "anticonstitutionnellement," which means "in an unconstitutional manner." It has 25 letters.

Silent Letters: French has many silent letters, especially at the end of words. For example, in "vous" (you) and "frais" (fresh), the final "s" is silent.

Tongue Twisters: French has its own set of tongue twisters, like "Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien" (A hunter knowing how to hunt must know how to hunt without his dog).

Cultural Expressions: French is rich in idiomatic expressions that often don't translate directly into English. For example, "avoir le cafard" literally means "to have the cockroach" but actually means "to feel down."

Learning French: French is considered one of the easier languages for English speakers to learn due to its significant lexical similarities with English. However, mastering pronunciation and grammar can still be challenging.

Verlan: This is a type of French slang where syllables of words are reversed. For example, "fou" (crazy) becomes "ouf." It's especially popular among younger speakers.

French Academy: The Académie Française is an institution founded in 1635 tasked with preserving the French language. It regulates French grammar, spelling, and literature.

Multiple Dialects: Besides standard French (le français standard), there are many regional dialects and languages in France, including Breton, Occitan, and Alsatian.

French in Space: French is one of the official languages of the International Space Station (ISS), alongside English and Russian.

Rich Literary Tradition: French has a rich literary tradition with renowned authors like Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust, and Albert Camus contributing to world literature.

Homophones: French has many homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings), such as "mer" (sea), "mère" (mother), and "maire" (mayor). This can make listening comprehension tricky.

Loanwords: French continues to borrow words from other languages. For example, "le week-end" and "le parking" are borrowed from English.

[ninja-muse]

As you can tell, my plan to acquire only two books this month went perfectly. No notes. 😰 On the upside, four of these I did not pay for and only one of them was full price, so it’s like I saved money.

I really do need to get better at reading off my physical TBR though. I’ve started a Storygraph challenge for myself, so we’ll see how that goes.

July started with a bookish bang: there was the planned bookstore visit (three books bought, not two, but I unhauled ten and used my credit), and then my dad came down so we could marathon the local Shakespeare festival, which was great! And somehow not the Shakespeare overdose I was worried about, and they nailed the play we were worried they weren’t going to.

After that, it’s been business as usual. I feel like I’m behind in my reading because Malady of the Mind took so long to get through, but honestly, I suspect I’m not because I’ve been blowing through lighter fiction on the side. The library’s finally getting April releases into circulation though, so I’ve had physical reads from them again. (Which will totally help my physical TBR goals, I know.) Very much looking forward to The Library Thief, which I picked up this week.

The only other noteworthy thing of the month is I discovered my library has an ebook of Rose/House by Arkady Martine! Except it’s in French, so it’s been taking me a bit to get through. I might not even get it done before it’s due back, but if so I’ll just check it out again because it is good, just … in French.

Click through to see everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

Malady of the Mind - Jeffery A. Lieberman

A history of schizophrenia, with a hopeful ending.

10/10

warning: detailed descriptions of the symptoms of schizophrenia and past and present medical and societal treatments of the mentally ill

reading copy

The Reappearance of Rachel Price - Holly Jackson

Bel’s participating in a documentary about the disappearance of her mother sixteen years ago when her mom walks back in the door. Now nothing is okay.

8.5/10

Black British secondary character

warning: kidnapping, gaslighting, psychological abuse

library ebook

The Pairing - Casey McQuiston

Theo is over Kit. Four years over, which means there’s enough distance to take their dream European food tour solo and close the book. Except Kit had the same idea. Out in August.

8/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (bi man, bi enby), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary and incidental characters (sapphic, achillean), 🏳️‍🌈 author

reading copy

Dear Wendy - Ann Zhao

Two aroace teens start competing college advice columns. Professionally they’re rivals. Unknowingly, they’re becoming friends.

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (aroace), Chinese-American protagonist, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (lesbian, bi, demisexual), Indian-American secondary character, Black secondary character, Latin secondary character, Chinese-American author, 🏳️‍🌈 author

warning: aceophobia

library book

Goodnight Tokyo - Atsuhiro Yoshida

Interwoven stories about nighttime life in Tokyo. A prop procurer seeks the perfect items, a crack detective seeks his father’s films, a diner owner seeks a past customer, and more.

7/10

Japanese cast, Japanese author

reading copy

Peking Duck and Cover - Vivien Chien

Lana’s helping run the Chinese New Year celebrations at Asia Village and everything’s going great—until someone kills a lion dancer.

7/10

Taiwanese-American protagonist, largely Chinese-American cast, Taiwanese-American author

warning: gun violence

borrowed from work

The Tomb of the Mili Mongga - Samuel Turvey

A conservationist seeking fossils in Indonesia is sidetracked by a local legend of a giant wild man, and along the way muses on extinction, human cultures, folklore, and our place in the world.

7.5/10

Indonesian secondary characters

library book

My Love in Stitches, Vol. 1 - Emily Gossmann

Frankie’s trying to get her life together when she meets Momo, but dating her is going to be hard. First, she needs a job, and also their friends are dead set on keeping them apart….

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 author, 🇨🇦

kickstarted/off my TBR

The Dishonest Miss Take - Faye Murphy

Desperate to clear her name after a murder she didn't commit, a superpowered former villain stumbles onto a mystery—and a curious assassin. Out in September.

5.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (sapphic)

digital reading copy/won

Picture Books

It’s Raining Bats & Frogs - Rebecca Colby

The witch parade is in danger of being rained out but one young witch has the solution. Or does she?

Scorch, Hedgehog of Doom - Cate Berry

Scorch is going to be the biggest, baddest hedgehog ever, no matter what.

Into the Goblin Market - Vikki VanSickle

Two sisters live near the goblin market. When one seeks out its temptations, the other follows to save her.

Reread

Timeline - Michael Crichton

In the late 1990s, a tech company finds a way to send people to the Hundred Years’ War. Immediately, things go wrong.

7/10

warning: misogyny, attempted sexual violence

library ebook

Currently reading

A Gentleman from Japan - Thomas Lockley

The true story of a Japanese man who found himself at the court of Elizabeth I.

warning: slavery, orientalism

library book

Rose/House - Arkady Martine

There is a body within Rose House—two, if you count its architect, who ordered the house shuttered with his passing and left to its AI. Only one person is allowed to enter now, and she’s accounted for. And yet there is a body within Rose House….

library ebook

Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin

A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

Victorian detective stories.

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 9 + 1 + 3 Yearly total: 68 Queer books: 4 Authors of colour: 3 Books by women: 5 Authors outside the binary: 1 Canadian authors: 1 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 1 Books hauled: 11 ARCs acquired: 4 ARCs unhauled: 4 DNFs: 0

January February March April May June

[theungracefulpasterie]

Second part of @imaushisimp 's request !

A/N : Sorry for the long time I took, I got a lot of exams and I had a hard time finding inspiration. Anyways, hope you'll like it !! (It'll still be in French as you have requested)

P.O.V : You throw a surprise party for him (Dazai)

Warning : get a tiny tiny bit heated towards the end.

Dazai

Ça fait 2 ans que tu fais partie de l'Agence, 2 ans qu'un certain homme parsemé de bandages sur tout le corps est entré dans ta vie. L'année dernière, lors de votre anniversaire, c'est Dazai qui a tout organisé. Mais cette année, tu as décidé que c'était ton tour de faire de cette journée la meilleure. Tu décida donc de faire de cette fête une surprise et de convié tout les membres de l'Agence.

~~little timeskip~~

Tu avais tout prévu. Vous alliez passer toute une après-midi à fêter votre amour avec tout vos amis, puis une balade au parc entre amoureux au crépuscule pour admirer le coucher du soleil et enfin pour finir la soirée chez toi.

"Bon, c'est quand que je peux voir ?", dit-il impatiemment. Tu lui avais mis les mains devant les yeux et essayait de le guider tant bien que mal à le guider jusqu'au bureau.

"Oh mais attends !!", tu soupiras parce que t'avais l'impression de parler à un enfant. Vous étiez enfin arrivé devant la porte et tu lui enlevas tes mains de ses yeux. "C'est bon, tu peux ouvrir la porte !".

Il ouvrit la porte quand tout le monde cria "Surprise !!" et sauta sur lui, à ça de l'écraser au sol avec leur poids. Tu éclatas de rire et il se leva endolori.

"C'est pas drôle !", dit-il en faisant semblant de faire des yeux de chien battu pour attiser ta pitié. Il reprena son air sérieux et admira toute la décoration. "C'est... c'est toi qui a fait ça ?", dit-il en te regardant comme si il te croyait pas.

"Et oui ! Avec l'aide de tout le monde bien sûr...", tu répondis en regardant ailleurs et en rougissant. Dazai venu vers toi, entoura ta taille avec un de ses bras et te pris par le menton et approcha son visage du tien et dit d'une voix suave et séducteur comme il sait bien le faire : "C'est magnifique, ça te reflète parfaitement chéri." Et il t'embrassa tendrement. Tu entouras tes bras autour de son cou et tu te laissas faire par ce baiser envoûtant. Tout le monde sifflait et vous disait de réserver pour ce soir, à quoi tu leur répondis tout rouge "CE N'EST PAS VOS AFFAIRES !!".

Vous passiez une après-midi fabuleuse avec tout le monde quand tu remarquas que le ciel était déjà d'un orange doré. "Osamu, ça te dit une balade au parc ?", demandas-tu en lui tendant ta main. Il la prit et se leva. "Avec plaisir, mon amour~", répondit-il, plus amoureux que quiconque. Ton cœur palpitait tellement il était sexy en paroles et en apparence. Tu pouvais pas croire que la vie t'avait béni avec un homme comme ça.

Vous marchiez dans le parc main dans la main, en parlant de tout et de rien et en admirant la nature. Ce que Dazai aimait chez toi était ton amour pour la nature, c'était peut-être le seul domaine dans lequel tu le dépassais, lui et son gros cerveau. Et c'était ça le problème, tu savais que son intellect le permettait de prédire carrément l'avenir.

Vous vous asseyez donc sur un banc, admirant le coucher du soleil. Tu posas ta tête sur son épaule et lui dis :

"Tu le savais depuis le début pour cette surprise, hein ?"

Après quelques secondes, il disa avec de l'embarras dans sa voix :

"Haha... malheureusement...", il était également très nerveux. "Mais pour être honnête, même si je l'avais déjà prévu, les moments qu'on a passé ensemble et avec tout le monde m'ont beaucoup touché et ça, tu vois, c'est quelque chose que je n'arrive jamais à prédire."

Tu lui souris et répondis :

"Merci d'avoir jouer le jeu, vraiment... c'est ça que j'aime chez toi, Osamu. Même si tu sais déjà ce que je veux faire avec toi, tu ne laisses jamais ton intelligence gâcher le moment et tu laisses libre cours à tes sentiments et aux sentiments des autres. Et ça, je te suis à jamais reconnaissant. Je t'aime, Osamu."

Il sourit à ta réponse et te regarda tendrement.

"Moi aussi je t'aime." Il posa ses mains sur ton visage et t'embrassa. Il inséra sa langue dans ta bouche et domina ta langue. Tu te laissas faire et vous commenciez à vous allonger sur le banc, Dazai au-dessus de toi, continuant à te rouler une pelle. Ton pantalon commença à devenir trop inconfortable au niveau de ton entrejambe, pareil pour Dazai. Quand tu te rendis compte que ça commençait à devenir torride et que vous étiez encore en public, tu te rappellas de la dernière étape de ta surprise. Tu séparas tes lèvres des siennes, à son grand désarroi, et dis :

"Chez moi ?~"

Il sourit sournoisement et répondit :

"J'ai cru que tu le demanderais pas~"

A/N : At last, it's over !! My first time writing a more heated story, I'm not too good at this yes but I wanted to try, so I would like feedback ! Don't hesitate y'all to request more things, I'd be happy to make them !!

[monstermommie]

woof woof woof you speak french???? what do you mean you speak french??? do you speak french,,?'m ushsish

oui, je parle français… such a cute little thing, barking in my ask box just as i’ve asked. you like to follow orders, don’t you, pup? bon chien, tu es très intelligente, mon beau chien. awwh, you like it when i compliment you in french? don’t even know i'm what saying but that pretty little puppybrain just melts hearing my tone. you like my accent too, dont you, pup? oui, tu aimes mon accent? tu es plus mingion. such a curious puppy, it’s adorable.

[valvertweek]

Other pitch: “Dog and Wolf”/ Between Dog and Wolf!”

In the animal symbolism of Les Mis, Jean Valjean is often compared to a wolf, while Javert is often compared to a hunting dog— Jean Valjean is a wild animal persecuted by society, while Javert is an animal who’s been “domesticated” by society and who is tolerated because he hunts down the “wild animals” like Jean Valjean. The phrase “Entre chien et loup,” or “between dog and wolf,” is a poetic French term for twilight— the time when you can’t see whether an animal is a dog or wolf.

Iirc there’s at least one scene in Les Mis where the phrase “Entre chien et loup” is used (I think it might be used In Javert and Valjean’s encounter outside the sewers? Either way, that scene takes place at twilight, during a time that would be considered “Entre chien et loup.”)

People can write/draw furries if they want. But they don’t have to. They can just involve hunting dog imagery, wolf imagery, or a poetic twilight scene 😄

now that's what I call a solid pitch

but I also love that factoid. That twilight is between dog and wolf. Lots of werewolf potential there too

that's really really good

[pompadourpink]

Les déterminants

Les articles

#1. Indefinite articles (unknown noun)

Un (masculine sg) > j'ai une chienne - I have a dog

Une (feminine sg) > j'ai un chat - I have a cat

Des (plural) > il y a des oiseaux dehors - there are birds outside*

#2. Definite articles (known noun)

Le + consonant, L' + vowel (masc sg) > le dîner est servi - dinner is served

La + consonant, L' + vowel (fem sg) > la table est prête - the table is reay

Les (plural) > les invitées sont là - the (female) guests are here

#3. Partitive articles (portion of the noun, not all of it)

Du > je vais prendre du café - I'm going to get coffee

De la > je voudrais de la salade - I would like some salad

Des > le matin je mange des céréales - In the morning I eat cereals

*Des becomes De 1/ when there is an adjective before the noun > tu as de beaux yeux - you have got nice eyes or 2/ in negative sentences after avoir > je n’ai pas de chaussettes - I don’t have socks.

N.B. When attached to prepositions à or de, le and les become contracted articles: au (à + le), aux (à + les), du (de + le), des (de + les): au clair de la lune - in the moonlight.

-

Les déterminants possessifs

#1. For a single owner

Mon, ton, son (masculine singular) - my, your, his > mon chat est blanc

Ma, ta, sa (feminine singular) - my, your, her* > sa chienne est noire

Mes, tes, ses (plural) - my, your, their > son lapin est gris

*When a feminine noun following a possessive determiner starts with a vowel, we use the masculine version > c'est mon amie - she's my friend.

#2. For several owners

Notre, votre, leur (singular) - our, your, their > notre chien est vieux

Nos, vos, leurs (plural) - our, your, their > leurs chats sont jeunes

N.B. French focuses on the gender of the property > c’est son chien - it's his/her male dog (there is no information given about the owner).

-

Les déterminants démonstratifs

Demonstrative determiners (from verb montrer - to show, point at) are used to point out the thing or person that is being talked about. They all start with the letter C (mnemonic: here's what I want you to "see").

Ce + consonant, c' + vowel (masc singular) - this > cet arbre est grand

Cette (fem singular) - this > cette maison est immense

Ces (plural) - these > ces fenêtres sont en bois

Les déterminants exclamatifs et interrogatifs

Quel (masculine singular) > quel est ce bruit ? - what is that noise?

Quelle (feminine singular) > quelle belle maison ! - what a beautiful house!

Quels (masculine plural) > quels drôles d'oiseaux ! - what peculiar people!

Quelles (feminine plural) > tu vas acheter quelles chaussures ? - which shoes are you getting?

NB. In front of a stative verb (être, rester, sembler...), those determiners become modifiers and therefore agree with the noun they are referring to > quelle était sa surprise quand je suis arrivée ! - what great was her surprise when I arrived!

-

Les déterminants indéfinis

Indefinite determiners are used when the object is vague or unknown, can come with another determiner (les quelques - the few) or be locutions formed by a quantity adverb and the preposition de. Some are invariable. They can express:

A non existent quantity: aucun-e - no(ne), pas de - no > Tu n'as fait aucun effort !

A quantity of one: chaque* - each, n'importe quel-le - any

A quantity slightly over two: un peu de - a little of, quelques - a few, plusieurs - several, certain-es - some, d'autres - some others (works with certains)

A large quantity: beaucoup de - a lot of, trop de - too much of, la plupart de - most of suffisamment de - enough of, tant de - so much, différent-es - many, divers-es - various, énormément de - a great amount of

Everything: tout, toute, tous, toutes > Tu as mangé tous les chocolats !

*Chaque is not very common except in à chaque fois (every time), one would typically use tous with a plural (tous les jours, not chaque jour).

N.B. It's always beaucoup de. Beaucoup des is sinful and punishable by death.

-

Les déterminants cardinaux numéraux

Cardinal determiners express a quantity and take the place of an article. They are invariable (can't agree in gender or number) except for one (un, une) + twenty and hundred that get an -s when there's no other number after (vingt, cent: cent-trois but deux cents) + thousand, million, billion that can be pluralised (millier, million, milliard)

-

L'article zéro (physically absent but theoretically present)

#1. Proper nouns

Je vis à Paris (works for cities and islands),

C’est Noël (holidays),

Je l'ai vu sur Facebook (brands),

Tu as rencontré Isabelle (first and last names)

#2. Regular nouns

Des livres pour enfants, des croquettes pour chats (categories),

Pierre qui roule n’amasse pas mousse (proverbs),

Hommes, femmes, enfants (enumeration),

Avoir faim, sans crainte, homme de loi (locutions),

Elle part vendredi (about something happening a particular day),

Appartement à vendre, sel de mer (signs, labels),

Céline Dion, reine du metgala (apposition)

Movie: La Jetée - Chris Marker, 1962 (inspo for Terry Gilliam's Twelve monkeys)

Other posts: is it les or des?

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