Each year, France celebrates the Épiphanie the French way, with lots of great food. In this article, you’ll learn about French Epiphany customs and more facts about the Christian Feast of the Epiphany. At FrenchPod101.com, it’s our goal to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both fun and informative—starting with this article! Ready? Let’s dive in. 1. What is Epiphany Day? Epiphany (Épiphanie) is a Christian feast that celebrates the visit of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus. However, this feast takes root in pagan celebrations. The word "Epiphany" comes from Greek, and it means "appearance." For the Greeks, the epiphanes were gods who made themselves visible to men. To honor them, they observed the... Show more

Some dates grow on trees, others are arranged on Tinder, but today, we’re interested in the ones that live and thrive on the French calendar. If you’re planning to travel to or leave France, or if you have occasional interactions with French speakers, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually have to deal with calendar dates in French, including how to write days of the week in French. This could happen if someone inquires about your anniversaire (birthday), if you have to fill out a formulaire (form), or make a rendez-vous (appointment). Dates go with your signature on most official documents, and knowing how to write them will also make the booking of your train tickets a much smoother experience. Learning to write dates in French is... Show more

Your romance with a lovely French local has gained momentum and the time has come for one of the most terrifying milestones of ‘serious’ relationships: meeting your mother-in-law. Whether she’s a gatekeeper mom or just genuinely interested in her daughter’s "one and only," chances are, you’ll be asked a lot of questions that will make you say: "Damn, how do I say mother in French? Or father or family in French?" When meeting your parents-in-law, or any random person before a work meeting or over a beer, the trick is to find some common ground and get the other person to talk about something they can relate to. Hence, before you get to know a person and learn about your common interests, talking about their family or yours is a highly... Show more

If you’re reading this, you already know why you want to travel to France, be it the beauty and diversity of its landscapes, the appeal of its cuisine, or its wealth of history. But you may find yourself in need of helpful French travel phrases, and fast! As a travel destination, France is notorious for a reason and it will delight the casual beach-goers and culture vultures alike. But to be fair, it’s not the cheapest travel destination and the language barrier can be challenging. Even though the number of English speakers has been rising rapidly over recent years, we’re still lagging behind most of our European neighbors. Even in the most touristic spots, you might bump into a waiter, a taxi driver, or a ticket seller who doesn’t speak... Show more

How do the French celebrate Armistice Day, and why? Armistice Day in French culture is one of the most important and widely celebrated holidays. It commemorates the end of WWI, during which France suffered heavy losses. In this article, you’ll learn about his significant public holiday in France, and about French Armistice Day traditions. At FrenchPod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both fun and informative! 1. What is Armistice Day? If you know French history, you might know that November 11, 1918, is an important date for French people. In fact, it is a public holiday. This is the date of an armistice, a convention signed by several governments in order to stop combat between... Show more

Numbers are everywhere, in countless aspects of our daily life: from counting time to money, people, or things. As it is, they’re a vital part of our communication skills, especially in our modern societies where digital worlds and capitalism are prominent. Let’s not sugarcoat it: French numbers aren’t the easiest to learn and, once again, the proverb “There is an exception to every rule” applies perfectly. However, stick with me for a while and you’ll quickly learn how to count to with French numbers from 1 to 100. From there, I’ll show you how easy it gets to keep going higher and higher, as far as our minds can fathom…and more! Table of Contents Counting from 0 to 9 How to Count with Your Fingers in France Counting from 10 to... Show more

You're learning to speak French, and it's going well. Your confidence is growing! So much so that you feel ready to share your experiences on social media—in French. At Learn French, we make this easy for you to get it right the first time. Post like a boss with these phrases and guidelines, and get to practice your French in the process. 1. Talking about Your Restaurant Visit in French Eating out is fun, and often an experience you'd like to share. Take a pic, and start a conversation on social media in French. Your friend will be amazed by your language skills...and perhaps your taste in restaurants! François eats at a restaurant with his friends, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment: POST Let's break down François's... Show more

“An apology is the super glue of life. It can repair just about anything.” (Lynn Johnston) Whatever our reasons are, it’s never easy nor pleasant to apologize. Even in our native language where we can express all the subtleties needed to tone things down and smooth off the rough edges, “Sorry” still seems to be the hardest word. Now, imagine you have to offer your apologies in another language, like French. Would you know how to say “sorry” in French? Of course, you won’t want to risk any further mishap or an unfortunate choice of words that could put you in a tougher spot. Learning how to say “sorry” in French will not only help you go through delicate situations when you’ve made a mistake or behaved poorly. It will also provide you... Show more

Have you ever savored traditional French cuisine, paired with some of the best French wine available? You haven’t really lived until you have. Truly, French cuisine dishes have taken the world by storm, along with the country’s fascinating food culture. It should be no surprise, then, that the French honor this each year on French Gastronomy Day. In this article, you’ll learn a little bit about French gastronomy history, what food means to the French, and how people like to celebrate! At FrenchPod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your learning journey both fun and informative—and we think you’ll agree that food is a good place to start! 1. What is French Gastronomy Day? First of all, what is French gastronomy? ... Show more

Have you ever traveled to a foreign country without speaking a word of its language? How can anybody survive in such a predicament? If you’ve ever been in that situation, you already know the answer: body talk and gestures! Far too often, body gestures are neglected by language teachers and hardly mentioned at all. Nonetheless, learning the specifics of French body language and gestures will help you understand people better and allow you to convey meaning without words. Once you start learning the gestures and using them in daily interactions with your French friends, you’ll become more comfortable with them and you’ll appear much more fluent than you are! If you already know everything about spoken French, there’s a whole new... Show more