Start at any level and improve your French listening skills with this clip from the Manger podcast. It’s 63 words in 18 seconds, what can you hear? Take our transcription quiz and improve your French listening skills!
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 episode here.
The above audio sample and transcription is from Manger ep. 1. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode here.
Rings a bell
Still a lot of colloquial expressions at a great pace, but a bit clearer. No Skype connection to deal with here, this is professional audio! It still moves at quite the pace.
I love the two expressions I highlighted below, these seem highly relevant in normal conversation. What’s your favorite phrase from the clip?
What’s opening up for you in this clip?
The snippet in English
Find a translation of this snippet here, how much of this did you hear?
Si on est aussi nombreux et nombreuses à manger des céréales au petit déj, c’est la faute d’un homme, un homme au doux prénom de John. John Harvey Kellogg, ça vous dit sûrement quelque chose. C’était un médecin et chirurgien américain à la tête du sanitarium de Battle Creek aux États-Unis. Et là Mélissa, tu me demandes. Qu’est ce qu’un sanitarium, Nora ?
The reason so many of us eat cereal for breakfast is because of one man, a man with the sweet name of John. John Harvey Kellogg, that probably rings a bell. He was an American doctor and surgeon at the head of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in the United States. And now Melissa, you ask me. What is a sanitarium, Nora?
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “nombreux et nombreuses” mean?
“Nombreux et nombreuses” is a French phrase that translates to “many” or “numerous.” The phrase is used to indicate a large quantity or number of people or things. It is commonly used in French writing and speech, and it is considered a standard expression.
The use of “nombreux et nombreuses” indicates that the speaker is referring to both men and women, as the phrase is gender-inclusive. In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Therefore, “nombreux” is masculine plural and “nombreuses” is feminine plural, so together they cover both genders.
For example, “Il y avait de nombreux et nombreuses participants à la conférence” would mean “There were many participants at the conference” and includes both men and women.
Overall, “nombreux et nombreuses” is a useful phrase in French for describing a large quantity of people or things in a gender-inclusive way.
What does “ça vous dit sûrement quelque chose” mean?
“Ça vous dit sûrement quelque chose” is a common French phrase that translates to “You’ve probably heard of it” or “It probably rings a bell.” It’s a way of suggesting that something is familiar to the listener, and often used to introduce a topic or ask a question.
For example, someone might say, “Ça vous dit sûrement quelque chose, mais je ne me rappelle pas de son nom,” which translates to “It probably rings a bell, but I don’t remember their name.”
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