Chapter 1: The Essentials of Basic Communication – Le Vocabulaire
Vocabulary
Today, we will stick with what you already know. Thanks to the Norman conquest of 1066, 10,000 words were introduced into the English language, and about three-fourths of those words are still part of your daily vernacular. That, paired with the fact that both French and English shared some Latin/Greek root words, means that there are a ton of words that English-speakers currently share with their French friends.
For example, take the word auditorium, which has the same spelling and similar pronunciation in both French and English. The Latin aud, meaning hear, is the root of that word. The same goes for the Greek astir, meaning “star”, and astrology (astrologie in French).
This brings us to the concept of cognates and false cognates, or vrais amis and faux amis, respectively.
Vrais amis
The literal translation of vrais amis is "true friends," which is exactly how you will feel when you use them. They are friendly words that have the exact same spelling and meaning in both French and English. They are the free gift bag of vocabulary words that will act as a foundational cushion as you embark on your French journey.
However, French true cognates are oftentimes pronounced differently than their English twins. This is actually a blessing in disguise! Knowing the English pronunciation will help you comprehend and internalize the French pronunciation of the same word. There are over 1,700 French cognates, so a basic understanding of pronunciation will make all of those words available to you, which will then give context to words and phrases you do not yet understand.
For example, let's look at this sentence:
Ce week-end, je vais aller au concert jazz avec ma classe.
What looks familiar? We have week-end, concert, jazz, and potentially classe. From this, it is not that hard to put the sentence into context:
This weekend, I'm going to a jazz concert with my class.
Simple, right? And, like classe, there are plenty of other words that are near-cognates, or words with almost the same spelling and the exact same meaning. They will become fast friends for you as well. Here is a list of common cognates:
Useful words at work:
Listen to Track 4:
barbecue (masculine)
bikini (masculine)
bistro (masculine)
bungalow (masculine)
camp (masculine)
casino (masculine)
concert (masculine)
kayak (masculine noun)
parachute (masculine)
parasol (masculine)
promenade (feminine)
ski (masculine)
sport (masculine)
taxi (masculine)
tennis (masculine)
valise (feminine)
zoo (masculine)
At the restaurant:
Listen to Track 5:
addition (feminine)
apéritif (masculine)
chef (masculine)
dessert (masculine)
entrée (feminine)
fruit (masculine)
gourmet (masculine)
hors-d'oeuvre (masculine)
menu (masculine)
pizza (feminine)
quiche (feminine)
sorbet (masculine)
steak (masculine)
vodka (feminine)
Faux-amis
The literal translation of faux-amis is "false friend." These words have the same spelling as their English counterparts, but do not let that trick you into thinking they have the same meaning. It is very easy to use these words with confidence in a French-speaking situation, only to find yourself misunderstood or embarrassed when a French-speaker does not have any idea what you are talking about.
For instance, an English-speaking friend of mine was absolutely mortified when she discovered at the end of her first semester that "je suis excitée!" did not mean "I am excited!" in the way she understood it in English. It was only after her professor realized this had become the student's go-to phrase that she kindly informed her what she had really been saying all along: "I am turned on!" At that moment, she really wished she had not assumed it was a cognate and took the extra couple of minutes to look it up.
The confusion can come from the English-speaker's side of things as well. It would be confusing if someone asked you what "robe" you are planning to wear to the party, when "robe" in French means "dress."
The main suggestion for avoiding these embarrassing blunders is to study your false cognates well. Once you know them and the proper French word to use instead, you will avoid a large chunk of beginner mistakes.