Dimanche de Rameaux, or Palm Sunday in France, is a major Christian holiday with many fascinating traditions. In this article, you’ll learn about the story behind Palm Sunday, France’s most common celebrations, and some useful vocabulary. Let’s get started! 1. What is Palm Sunday? On Palm Sunday, exactly one week before Easter (Pâques), Christians celebrate Jesus’ entrée, or "entrance," into Jerusalem. According to the Bible, people welcomed his arrival by throwing palm branches on the ground he traveled, hence this holiday’s name. Palm Sunday is also the first day of Semaine Sainte, or "Holy Week." In France, Palm Sunday is a day strongly associated with plants and other springtime elements, as is true in some other... Show more

https://youtu.be/L50RVTcuCZs?si=Y05y2yBRd7W9wD4O Can you imagine how boring life would be without adjectives? You could never describe what you like or what you want, and giving an opinion on anything would be as bland and binary as clicking a "Like" button. You probably already know several French adjectives and are aware of their importance. French adjective placement isn’t obvious, but it’s not rocket science either. As soon as you get familiar with the irregular adjectives list and how to handle their feminine and plural forms, they’ll unveil their secrets to you. In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about how to use and adapt adjectives to your needs. Then, I’ll give you the ultimate list of the 100 most common... Show more

International Women’s Day (sometimes referred to as International Working Women’s Day) is an important holiday in France and around the world. It’s a holiday dedicated to promoting women’s rights, fighting for gender equality, and celebrating the achievements of women. In this article, you’ll learn about the history of International Women’s Day, France’s unique celebrations for it, and more fun facts. Let’s get started! 1. What is International Women’s Day? The main focus of International Women’s Day varies from country to country, but there are usually three common threads: Women’s right to vote (droit de vote) Women’s right to work (droit de travail) The promotion of equality (égalité) between genders ... Show more

When you think about language-learning, what are the first apps that come to mind? I bet Netflix is not among them, but think about it for a moment. What if you could improve your French from the comfort of your couch, without any schedule-crushing commitment? Netflix France features many French movies and French TV shows, but you can also find many of them while in your country. They’re not necessarily easy to filter, and sorting by audio will give you many dubbed American movies, but this is a good place to start if you want to get the list of all French movies on Netflix and all French TV shows on Netflix. Now that this unstoppable Behemoth of streaming is taking television by storm, it’s only fair we talk about how you can combine... Show more

Do you know what a conjunction is? Many people don’t, even though they use them every day, hundreds of times a day! Stick around to see our French conjunctions charts and more information on important French conjunctions. Languages are all about connecting people, allowing them to understand each other and bond over a friendly conversation. Similarly, conjunctions connect words together, allowing them to make sense and become more than the sum of their parts. French connecting words—also called conjunction words—are an important part of the language. You could learn as many vocabulary lists as you can possibly remember, but if you don’t know how to connect them with the right linking words, you’ll quickly feel limited in what you can... Show more

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. But what is it they do, now that eating in horizontal position while watching gladiators fight has gone out of style? I must confess I don’t know, just as you may not know what the French are doing in France. Now you may be wondering, "So, what is French etiquette?" Luckily, I can help with that! French etiquette and table manners aren’t things you can improvise. Dining etiquette, for instance, varies wildly from one country to the next, and French dining etiquette rules have the reputation of being quite rigorous. To be fair, there are some misconceptions and many exaggerations out there about the importance of social etiquette in France. If you believe everything you read, you probably think we’re... Show more

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