What does the French word ' FEVE ' mean? What does it sound like? How is it used in a sentence? Listen to Anne Audio.
la fève. une fève is a fava bean, or a broad bean. However LA fève, with the definite article LA means the lucky charm, lucky bean that you find in the galette des rois traditionally on January 6. The tradition is so popular in France that pâtisseries sell the galette des rois throughout the whole month of January. My friend Corinne has her birthday on January 22 and she always has a galette des rois - with la fève - for her birthday cake. La fève is a little figurine made out of ceramics, glass, plastic, or even diamond!
What does the French word ' les étrennes ' mean? What does it sound like? How is it used in a sentence? Listen to Anne Audio.
les étrennes – New Year's gift. Traditionally, grand parents, uncles and aunts give little ones leurs étrennes, their New Year’s gift. It is often an envelope with a Euro or two. Étrennes are also given to the local post(wo)man and fire(wo)man, who come to the door in December to sell a calendar, often featuring a kitten or a snowy landscape on the front page. The proceeds go to their charity organization.
« Il met toutes ses étrennes dans sa tirelire. »
“He puts all of his New Year's gifts in his piggy bank.”
What does the French expression ‘ sabrer le champagne ‘ mean? What does it sound like? How is it used in a sentence? Listen to Anne’s Audio.
sabrer le Champagne, to saber a bottle of Champagne, to open it with a saber. It's quite thrilling, and yet, surprisingly easy. All you need is a sharp knife - or a spoon, nobody around you, and you have to want to giggle a lot. Watch the video below and try it yourself. The expression, which dates from the Napoleon era, has evolved to just mean to celebrate with Champagne wine.
« Tu as eu ton diplôme, on va sabrer le Champagne ! »
"You got your degree, let's celebrate (let's saber the Champagne)!"
What does the French word ' cotillons ' mean? How is it used in a sentence? Listen to Anne Audio.
The word cotillon is an old word that used to mean a petticoat, or raggedy skirts poor women would wear in the old days. Today, it's often plural les cotillons, and it means sets of noise-makers, confetti and streamers you get when you go to a silly party.
« Eh, tu prendras les cotillons pour le réveillon du nouvel an? »
"Hey, will you get the noise-makers and streamers for the New Year's party?"
Note: 'le réveillon' is a special word for either Christmas or the New Year's eve party in France.
What does the French verb ‘ réveillonner ‘ mean? What does it sound like? How is it used in a sentence? Listen to Anne's Audio.
réveillonner means ‘to celebrate the réveillon.’ The word réveillon means the party on the eve of a big day. There are two réveillons in France: the eve before Christmas and a week later, the eve before the New Year.
« Vous réveillonnez où pour le premier de l’an cette année ? »
“ Where do the celebrate the New Year’s eve this year?”
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