US presidential elections -- The American people chooses Trump - How are the French reacting?
« Une période d’incertitudes » s’ouvre, selon François Hollande
« Cette élection ouvre une période d’incertitudes. Je dois l’aborder avec lucidité et clarté. Les Etats-Unis constituent un partenaire de tout premier plan. Ce qui est en jeu, c’est notamment la paix, la situation au Moyen-Orient. Sur tous ces sujets, j’engagerai sans tarder une discussion avec la nouvelle administration américaine – elle entrera en fonction le 20 janvier – mais je le ferai avec vigilance et franchise car certaines positions prises par Donald Trump pendant la campagne doivent être confrontées aux valeurs et aux intérêt que nous partageons avec les États-Unis », a réagi le président François Hollande.
"A period of uncertainty" is launched, according to François Hollande, French President.
"This election [of Donald Trump] launches a period of uncertainty. I have to deal with it with lucidity and clarity. The United States is a major partner. Peace and the situation in the Middle East are especially at stake. On all of these issues, I will engage in a dialog without any delay with the new US administration - which will take office on January 20 - but I will do so very carefully and very honestly because some of the stands Donald Trump took during the campaign must be confronted with the values and the interests we share with the United States," President Francois Hollande noted.
How are the French reacting to the result of the American presidential elections? - Listen, read, understand the whole video transcribed in this course. Enroll in the course and click in this lesson. You can also hear it in slow French in the same lesson.
Les municipales - Lecture - Mayor and Town Council elections- Read Along.
Municipales : les « villes sans candidat » se démènent pour se sauver
Joanne Hunter connaissait presque l'ensemble des 47 habitants de Courties (Gers). Elle en connaît depuis peu « tous les chiens ». En quelques jours, cette pétillante blonde à lunettes a parcouru tout le village pour glisser dans chaque boîte aux lettres un courrier, portant l'en-tête « Election municipale du 30 mars 2014 ». « Election » au singulier car, à Courties, il n'y aura qu'un tour, et uniquement le second. Dimanche 23 mars, les habitants du village, les Courtisans, ne se sont pas déplacés aux urnes. Au soir du dépôt des listes pour le premier tour, ils n'avaient aucun candidat pour reprendre le flambeau à la petite mairie peinte en jaune, en plein cœur de la ruralité gersoise. Continuez la lecture in Le Monde.
Traduction
Mayor and Town Council elections: "cities without a candidate" are struggling to save themselves
Joanne Hunter knew almost all of the 47 inhabitants of Courties (Gers). And now, she knows "all the dogs." In a few days, this bubbly blonde lady with glasses traveled across the village to slide into each mailbox a letter bearing the heading "Municipal Election of March 30, 2014." "Election" in the singular form because, in Courties, there will be only one round, and only the second round. On Sunday, March 23, the villagers, the Courtiers, didn’t cast their votes. On the evening of the lists submission for the first round, they had no candidate to take over the small town hall painted in yellow, right in the heart of the Gers department country side.
What does the French expression ‘la langue de bois’ mean? How is it used in a sentence?
La langue de bois - the tongue of wood. la langue de bois is often used with 'pratiquer' (regular ER verb, conjugated like AIMER is). It's used mostly in politics and it means to doublespeak, to talk out of both sides of one's mouth.
« Chuis vénère, elle évite toujours la vérité et ne répond jamais aux questions. C'est toujours la langue de bois avec elle et on n'arrive jamais à rien. »
"I'm really irritated, she always avoids the truth and never answers questions. Everything she says is just pure talking out of both sides of her mouth and we can never get anywhere."
Élections américaines - US elections - The French reaction
Séisme aux États-Unis avec Trump- Tsunami in the States with Trump
How are the French reacting to the result of the American presidential elections? - listen, read, understand the whole video transcribed in this course. Enroll in the course and click in this lesson. You can also hear it in slow French in the same lesson.
How do you say "I just did" - What's 'venir de + infinitif' ? - just have, just had -- The near past or recent past
The expression ‘VENIR DE + infinitive verb’ expresses the notion of just did something, had just done something. It’s used when two actions happened in sequence, one very close to the other. It’s called the passé proche – near past, or recent past in English.
‘VENIR DE’ may be in the present tense. It expresses the idea of ‘just did something’ or ‘just have done something’.
Je viens de manger => I just ate or I have just eaten
Practice
To practice your knowledge of the near past, translate the following sentences into English.
Je viens de réparer le carburateur.
Tu viens de découvrir la ville.
Elle vient d’avoir son diplôme.
More challenging practice
To practice your knowledge of the near past, translate the following sentences into French.
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