5 most confusing French expressions
French is a beguiling language! At first sight, it appears simple enough to try, but it becomes increasingly difficult as you progress. And how could it not? The language spoken by great minds like Montaigne, Descartes, Sartre, Voltaire, and the like is meant to be confounding for smaller minds like ours.
“They were gods who created <<Bonjour>> and <<Merci>>. And you can’t acquire languages like that. But it is our job to try.”
For someone who speaks conversational French with a certain ease, there are several widely used expressions and words that I still find difficult to comprehend or too amusing to use in my conversations.
Here’s the rundown. As usual, I saved the best for last, so keep reading…
1. Ça y est!
The literal translation of this phrase is “That’s it!” However, the figurative implications are too many to be counted. A ‘Ça y est’ can both be a question and the answer to it. On top of that, the French speak it so fast, without taking a single breath in between the words, that it actually sounds like one sound rather than three distinct words. At the end of a long weekday, you might overhear two coworkers saying:
Worker 1: Alors, ça y est? Worker 2: Oui, ça y est!
Figurative meaning: Worker 1: How was it? Worker 2: It was terrible/ I survived/ I want to go home/ I can’t take it anymore etc. etc.
2. J’ai chaud
This phrase literally means “I am hot” which translates to “I am feeling hot”! I’m not sure whether it’s just me, but the phrase “J’ai chaud” has a sexual connotation to my anglophone brain. Doesn’t saying “I am hot” suggest you’re feeling heated regardless of the weather? Obviously, the French don’t like to simplify things, therefore here’s a classic example of a conversation I overheard one day:
There were two people on a scooter. The girl standing in front kept yelling “J’ai chaud…j’ai chaud…j’ai chaud” to the guy behind her. I guess she was scared on the scooter from her expression, but your guess is as good as mine.😉
3. C’est chaud
Another phrase with chaud, this one literally means “It is hot.” But don’t jump to conclusions because this has nothing to do with the weather. In English, the most common figurative meaning of this statement is “It is intense.” However, the French once again trap us, the naive anglophones, in their tedious maze of connotations and interpretations. A typical exchange between two students after class could be as follows:
Student 1: C’est chaud! Student 2: C’est chaud!
Figurative meaning: Student 1: The class is super boring! Student 2: I don’t understand a single thing the teacher says!😆
4. Au cas où
This literally means “In a case where…” but the French stop right there. They don’t say in which case!!! That’s for you to figure out. The idea is that if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know which case the speaker is implying. However, to a rational anglophone, it is not that straightforward because a single action can have several outcomes. Here’s an example:
Two people are talking about a project they are working on. One of them says: Je fais le Powerpoint, au cas où.
Figurative meaning: The person says: I am making the PowerPoint, in a case where <you die/ I die/ the boss dies/ the world comes to an end/ World War III starts>. You choose what you like!
5. Préservatif
You may be wondering how this word can be double-meaning! It is so close to the English word <Preservative> and yet so far from it. In French, it means condoms 😟 How do condoms and preservation go together??? My brain refuses to accept this word into its vocabulary box and to remove the English word <preservative> from there because that’s also important. Here’s why:
On one of my first grocery shop visits, I pointed to a packaged food and asked the salesperson, “No preservatives?” But for him, the question was, “No condoms?”. It remains one of my most embarrassing conversations in France!
The above is an appreciation post of the beauty of the French language! The caprices and quirks of the language keep me on the edge and push me to pursue it even harder. It is a language that has opened up a whole new universe for me, transformed the way I think and see things, and, most importantly, reignited my love of reading. So, if you’ve been wanting to learn French, your cue is right here!
The author writes about daily life, personal growth, and self-help. She has no certificate in either of the subjects. Follow her on her journey of self-discovery and share your thoughts in the comments below!
