Title: French Vocabulary

SourceSentence: Lost in these unknown streets with new smells and foreign signs, I felt a profound sense of disorientation.
Term: dépaysement
Pronunciation: /depɛizmɑ̃/
Meaning: feeling of disorientation in an unfamiliar place
TargetSentence: Perdu dans ces rues inconnues aux odeurs nouvelles et aux enseignes étrangères, j'ai éprouvé un profond dépaysement.
Importance: 5
Hint: Not just physically traveling like *déplacement*, but feeling entirely elsewhere.
Context: Meaning.
- disorientation or novel feeling from being in a foreign environment
- psychological sensation from a complete change of surroundings
Where you'll hear it. Travel memoirs, expat stories, and conversations about visiting a radically different country.
Where it's out of place. A routine trip to the next town over; use voyage or déplacement instead.
Subtlety. Unlike simple disorientation, this noun often carries a positive connotation of exciting novelty rather than discomfort.
PronunciationAll: /pɛʁdy dɑ̃ se ʁy zɛ̃kɔny oz odœʁ nuvɛl e oz ɑ̃sɛɲ étʁɑ̃ʒɛʁ ʒe epʁuve œ̃ pʁɔfɔ̃ depɛizmɑ̃/

SourceSentence: On Sundays, I like to meander along the banks of the Seine.
Term: flâner
Pronunciation: /fla.ne/
Meaning: to meander leisurely
TargetSentence: Le dimanche, j'aime flâner le long des quais de la Seine.
Importance: 6
Hint: Not power-walking with purpose like marcher, but idling along shop windows.
Context: Meaning.
- leisurely idling through city streets or riverbanks
Where you'll hear it. Sunday walks, French literature, travel guides, and discussions about weekend plans.
Where it's out of place. Urgent professional contexts or fitness routines; use marcher instead.
Subtlety. It implies actively taking in your surroundings rather than simply wasting time.
PronunciationAll: /lə dimɑ̃ʃ ʒɛm fla.ne lə lɔ̃ de ke də la sɛn/

SourceSentence: My son loves giving breadcrumbs to the duck.
Term: canard
Pronunciation: /kanaʁ/
Meaning: duck
TargetSentence: Mon fils adore donner des miettes de pain au canard.
Importance: 5
Hint: Not an oie with a long neck, but a stockier waterbird.
Context: Meaning.
- swimming waterbird with webbed feet
- duck meat in cooking
- false rumor in journalism
Where you'll hear it. Park ponds, family walks, traditional bistro menus, and French media discussions.
Where it's out of place. Do not use it for a swan or goose; use cygne or oie for those larger species.
Subtlety. The famous French satirical paper Le Canard enchaîné draws directly on an old slang meaning for newspaper or rumor.
PronunciationAll: /mɔ̃ fis adɔʁ dɔne de mjɛt də pɛ̃ o kanaʁ/

SourceSentence: This rumor about the minister was just a false story invented by the press.
Term: canard
Pronunciation: /kanaʁ/
Meaning: false story, hoax
TargetSentence: Cette rumeur sur le ministre n'était qu'un canard inventé par la presse.
Importance: 3
Hint: Not unverified spoken word like rumeur, but a deliberately printed fabrication.
Context: Meaning.
- deliberate hoax: It refers to a fake news piece created intentionally to mislead the public.
Where you'll hear it. You will find this in political essays, media analysis, or classic literary prose.
Where it's out of place. Do not use this for everyday casual gossip; use rumeur instead.
Subtlety. Though literally meaning duck, this term points specifically to a fabricated report published in print or media.
PronunciationAll: /sɛt ʁymœʁ syʁ lə ministʁ netɛ kœ̃ kanaʁ ɛ̃vɑ̃te paʁ la pʁɛs/

SourceSentence: It's a neat idea to go to the beach this weekend.
Term: chouette
Pronunciation: /ʃwɛt/
Meaning: cool, neat, lovely
TargetSentence: C'est une chouette idée d'aller à la plage ce week-end.
Importance: 8
Hint: Not grand, breathtaking beauty like magnifique, but cozy, casual charm.
Context: Meaning.
- casual charm: Describes a person, thing, or idea that is pleasant and neat in a warm, informal way.
Where you'll hear it. Everyday conversations among friends, family chats, or warm praise for a plan or gesture.
Where it's out of place. Avoid it in formal business presentations or legal documents; swap in agréable instead.
Subtlety. Although used as an adjective here, it stays invariable, keeping this exact form regardless of gender or number.
PronunciationAll: /sɛt yn ʃwɛt ide dale a la plaʒ sə wikɛnd/

SourceSentence: Stop complaining about details and enjoy the trip!
Term: râler
Pronunciation: /ʁale/
Meaning: to complain, to grumble
TargetSentence: Arrête de râler pour des détails et profite du voyage !
Importance: 8
Hint: Not filing a se plaindre report, but petty daily grumbling.
Context: Meaning.
- petty grumbling: Expressing persistent irritation about minor annoyances.
Where you'll hear it. Friends chatting at a café, colleagues venting about traffic, or family members grumbling about late trains.
Where it's out of place. Avoid in formal customer complaints or legal disputes; use se plaindre instead.
Subtlety. In French culture, it is often a lighthearted social bonding ritual rather than genuine hostility.
PronunciationAll: /aʁɛt də ʁale puʁ de detaj e pʁɔfit dy vwajaʒ/

SourceSentence: This Burgundy wine perfectly reflects the richness of its terroir.
Term: terroir
Pronunciation: /tɛʁwaʁ/
Meaning: terroir, local soil and climate
TargetSentence: Ce vin de Bourgogne reflète parfaitement la richesse de son terroir.
Importance: 6
Hint: Not just physical sol, but climate, elevation, and tradition combined.
Context: Meaning.
- local character: A blend of soil, climate, and tradition shaping local produce.
Where you'll hear it. Wine tastings, cheese shops, artisanal markets, and French gastronomy discussions.
Where it's out of place. When referring strictly to plain dirt or garden ground, swap in sol.
Subtlety. It carries strong cultural pride in France and cannot be reduced to just one physical factor like weather.
PronunciationAll: /sə vɛ̃ də buʁɡɔɲ ʁəflɛt paʁfɛtmɑ̃ la ʁiʃɛs də sɔ̃ tɛʁwaʁ/

SourceSentence: Meh, I don't really feel like going.
Term: bof
Pronunciation: /bɔf/
Meaning: meh, whatever
TargetSentence: Bof, je n'ai pas très envie d'y aller.
Importance: 8
Hint: Not a quality rating like moyen, but a vocal shrug.
Context: Meaning.
- indifference: Expresses a lukewarm response or a complete lack of enthusiasm.
Where you'll hear it. Casual chats among friends when reacting to a movie suggestion, food option, or weekend plan.
Where it's out of place. Formal interviews or professional client emails where it sounds dismissive; use sans plus instead.
Subtlety. It is almost always paired with a characteristic French shoulder shrug and a brief pout.
PronunciationAll: /bɔf ʒə ne pa tʁɛ ɑ̃vi di ale/

SourceSentence: I'm too lazy to go out tonight.
Term: flemme
Pronunciation: /flɛm/
Meaning: laziness, reluctance
TargetSentence: J'ai la flemme de sortir ce soir.
Importance: 9
Hint: Not the lifelong habit of paresse, but tonight's heavy couch slump.
Context: Meaning.
- sudden reluctance: A deep, immediate feeling of not wanting to make an effort.
Where you'll hear it. Everyday conversations among friends, family texts, and casual complaints about chores or going out.
Where it's out of place. Job interviews, formal emails, or professional settings. Swap in `paresse` or `manque de motivation` instead.
Subtlety. It almost always appears in the fixed expression `avoir la flemme` followed by `de` plus an infinitive verb.
PronunciationAll: /ʒe la flɛm də sɔʁtiʁ sə swaʁ/

SourceSentence: We are meeting at Thomas's place for pre-dinner drinks around seven o'clock.
Term: apéro
Pronunciation: /apeʁo/
Meaning: pre-dinner drinks, aperitif
TargetSentence: On se retrouve chez Thomas pour l'apéro vers dix-neuf heures.
Importance: 9
Hint: Not drinks after dinner like digestif, but casual bites before.
Context: Meaning.
- evening drinks: A relaxed social gathering for drinks and snacks before dinner.
Where you'll hear it. You will hear this constantly among friends, colleagues after work, or family on weekends across France.
Where it's out of place. Do not use it in formal corporate events or high-end restaurant service, where apéritif is the appropriate word.
Subtlety. While short for apéritif, this term is a warm cultural ritual that often evolves into an apéro dînatoire where snacks replace dinner entirely.
PronunciationAll: /ɔ̃ sə ʁətʁuv ʃe toma puʁ lapeʁo vɛʁ diz nœf œʁ/