Improve your ear for French with this short & fast clip for intermediate learners, from the podcast Manger. It’s 84 words in 21 seconds. How many can you hear and understand?
This clip is from Manger Episode 1. Listen and fill in what you hear below. Read more and find a translation below. Listen to the full podcast episode here.
My childhood bedroom
I’ve changed this post quite a bit, it was originally focused on “alors”, but, alas, things have changed. I love the image this snippet paints, with fast speech and nearly 100 words. I don’t have any of the same memories, but I’m thinking about my own childhood with breakfast cereal.
This clip is lengthy, how are you finding it? What would you change in this quiz?
Originally posted July 22, 2022
This snippet picks up just after the previous snippet.
I love it because it’s extremely challenging for me to pick up the words and It seems like a perfectly natural expression for a native speaker. This is something you’re bound to hear in natural speech.
In the previous lesson for the Manger podcast I shared what drew me into this podcast. Breakfast cereal, for one. And also: because food. I’m breaking this podcast into as many small bites as I can, so keep watching.
We’ve all got similar questions that unite us, no matter what country or culture, we’re all human after all. Maybe that’s how I’ll use this expression as I’m walking the streets of Paris, or if I lost my sunglasses and run into someone else who’s also lost their sunglasses. It could happen.
I also absolutely love the French word “alors”. It’s beautiful and something heard on the streets around any hotel de ville in France. A wonderful expression that I will use all the time once I’m fluent.
Jumping in mid-sentence, this snippet has 19 words in well under 10 seconds.
How much of this podcast are you picking up?
Can you only hear the articles or are you catching keywords?
There’s absolutely no way that I could get through an entire podcast in French without melting my brain, that’s why I broke it up into snippets like this. What will be the next snippet?
The snippet in English
Find a translation of this snippet here, how much of this did you hear?
Mes parents nous ont toujours acheté des céréales industrielles à ma sœur et moi, et du coup, j’ai toujours associé les céréales à l’enfance et à son côté rassurant doux et sucré. Et quand j’ai emménagé à Paris et que je retournais voir mes parents, ils achetaient encore des Chocapics, exprès pour moi. Et je me faisais toujours un petit bol en regardant les rediffs de Sex and the City sur M6, dans ma chambre d’ado. Je retombais en insouciance, si je peux dire.
My parents always bought my sister and I industrial cereals, so I always associated cereals with childhood and its reassuring sweetness. And when I moved to Paris and went back to visit my parents, they still bought Chocapics, just for me. And I would always make myself a little bowl while watching Sex and the City reruns on M6, in my teenage bedroom. I was getting back to being carefree, so to speak.
The above text courtesy of Google Translate. Source.
What does “et du coup” mean in French?
“Et du coup” or simply “du coup” is a common French phrase that can be translated to “so” or “consequently” in English. It is often used in conversation to indicate a cause-and-effect relationship between two statements.
Here are some examples of how “du coup” is used in French:
- “J’ai raté mon train, du coup je suis arrivé en retard.” (I missed my train, so I arrived late.) – This use of “du coup” is used to indicate that missing the train caused the speaker to be late.
- “Il a plu toute la nuit, du coup le terrain est trempé.” (It rained all night, so the ground is soaked.) – This use of “du coup” is used to indicate that the rain caused the ground to become wet.
- “Je n’avais pas prévu d’acheter des chaussures, mais j’ai vu une promotion, du coup j’ai craqué.” (I didn’t plan on buying shoes, but I saw a sale, so I caved in.) – This use of “du coup” is used to indicate that seeing the sale caused the speaker to change their mind and buy the shoes.
“Du coup” is often used as a filler word in spoken French, similar to the English phrase “so, like”.
The phrase “du coup” is sometimes used sarcastically or humorously to indicate that the cause-and-effect relationship between two statements is tenuous or exaggerated. For example, “J’ai mis mes chaussures à l’envers, du coup j’ai gagné la loterie!” (I put my shoes on backwards, so I won the lottery!) – this is clearly an exaggerated and humorous use of the phrase.
The use of “du coup” in French is similar to the use of “so” in English, but it is more commonly used in spoken conversation than in written communication.
What does “à son côté rassurant”
“À son côté rassurant” is a French phrase that can be translated to “At his/her reassuring side” in English. It is often used to describe someone who provides comfort, support, and reassurance to others.
Here are some examples of how “à son côté rassurant” is used in French:
- “Mon meilleur ami est toujours à mon côté rassurant quand j’ai besoin de soutien.” (My best friend is always at my reassuring side when I need support.) – This use of “à son côté rassurant” is used to describe a friend who is always there to provide comfort and reassurance in times of need.
- “Le médecin a réussi à rassurer son patient grâce à son côté rassurant.” (The doctor was able to reassure his patient thanks to his reassuring side.) – This use of “à son côté rassurant” is used to describe a doctor who provides a sense of calm and reassurance to his patient.
- “Mon grand-père est à son côté rassurant pour mes enfants, ils se sentent en sécurité avec lui.” (My grandfather is at his reassuring side for my children, they feel safe with him.) – This use of “à son côté rassurant” is used to describe a grandparent who provides a sense of security and comfort to their grandchildren.
“À son côté rassurant” is a poetic and descriptive way of expressing the idea of someone who is comforting and reassuring. It is often used in literature and poetry in French.
The phrase can be used to describe someone’s demeanor or behavior, but it can also be used to describe a physical location. For example, “Je me suis assis à son côté rassurant” (I sat at his/her reassuring side) could describe a physical position next to someone who is providing comfort and reassurance.
What does “les rediffs” mean?
“Les rediffs” is a French abbreviation for “les rediffusions”, which translates to “reruns” or “repeats” in English. It is commonly used in French to refer to the repeated airing of a television or radio program, movie, or series.
Here are some examples of how “les rediffs” is used in French:
- “Je vais regarder les rediffs de cette émission ce soir.” (I’m going to watch the reruns of this show tonight.) – This use of “les rediffs” is used to indicate that the speaker will be watching a previously aired episode of a television program.
- “J’ai déjà vu ce film plusieurs fois, mais je ne m’en lasse pas des rediffs.” (I’ve already seen this movie several times, but I never get tired of the reruns.) – This use of “les rediffs” is used to express the speaker’s enjoyment of watching a movie multiple times.
- “Il y a une rediffusion de cette pièce de théâtre ce week-end, je vais y aller avec des amis.” (There’s a repeat showing of this play this weekend, I’m going to go with some friends.) – This use of “les rediffs” is used to indicate that the speaker will be attending a repeated performance of a play.
In French television, reruns are often aired during the summer months when new programming is less common.
The word “rediffusion” was coined in the 1950s by French television broadcasters to refer to the repeated airing of programs.
The use of “les rediffs” is a common abbreviation in spoken French and is often used in informal conversations.
What does “ma chambre d’ado” mean?
“Ma chambre d’ado” is a French phrase that translates to “My teenage bedroom” in English. It refers to the personal space of a teenager, typically in their family home, where they spend most of their time and express their individuality through decor, music, and other personal belongings.
Fun fact: In French culture, the concept of “ma chambre d’ado” has been romanticized in books, movies, and TV shows as a symbol of youth and freedom. It is often portrayed as a place of refuge and self-discovery for young people.
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