Start here at any level and improve your French listening skills! Do you know what “outre”, “presque”, & “verse le lait” mean? Hear them in this clip of fast spoken French, take our transcription quiz at your level and fill in the blanks with what you hear!
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.
But, you see
But you see, are these the limits of Deepl? It is interesting to see Deepl translate this final sentence. I think it is a creative sentence describing the ritual of breakfast cereal. “on prend un bol, on ouvre le paquet de céréales, on verse le lait et on mange en triturant le jouet.” Le jouet could be a pun meaning the cereal or the toy that comes in the box. Which do you hear?
I love this whole passage describing the experience. This is exactly why I still dream of breakfast cereals to this day. That Saturday morning experience of independently serving myself (a not so healthy, but oh so delicious) breakfast.
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?
Et voilà comment on nous a vendu les céréales dans la pub. Mais tu vois, si les céréales et leurs pubs nous ont autant marqués, c’est parce qu’elles nous vendaient, outre une expérience, un vrai rituel, un cérémonial presque. C’est ce que décrivait Simon : on prend un bol, on ouvre le paquet de céréales, on verse le lait et on mange en triturant le jouet.
And that’s how cereals were sold to us in commercials. But you see, if cereals and their commercials had such an impact on us, it was because they sold us, in addition to an experience, a real ritual, almost a ceremony. That’s what Simon was describing: you take a bowl, you open the cereal packet, you pour the milk and you eat while fidgeting with the toy.
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “mais tu vois” mean?
“Mais tu vois” is a common expression in French that can be translated to “But you see” or “You know”. It is often used to introduce a new idea or to emphasize a point in a conversation.
For example: “Mais tu vois, je ne suis pas d’accord avec cette décision” (But you see, I don’t agree with this decision) or “Je ne sais pas quoi faire de mes vacances, mais tu vois, je pense que je vais partir à la montagne” (I don’t know what to do for my vacation, but you see, I think I’m going to go to the mountains).
It can also be used to express hesitation or uncertainty, such as “Je ne sais pas si je dois lui dire la vérité…mais tu vois…” (I don’t know if I should tell him the truth…you know…)
What does “outre” mean?
“Outre” is a French preposition that means “besides” or “in addition to”. It can also be used as an adverb to mean “moreover” or “furthermore”. For example, “Outre son travail à temps plein, il donne des cours de musique le week-end” means “In addition to his full-time job, he teaches music on weekends”.
What does “presque” mean?
“Presque” is a French adverb that means “almost” or “nearly”. It is used to indicate that something is very close to being true or complete, but not quite there yet.
In the phrase “un cérémonial presque”, it implies that the experience or ritual being described is not quite a full-fledged ceremonial, but very close to being one. It adds a sense of nuance and subtlety to the description, suggesting that while the experience may not meet the strict definition of a ceremonial, it is still highly ritualized and significant in some way.
“Presque” is a common word in French and is used in a wide variety of contexts. It can be used to indicate approximation or estimation, as in “Il a presque 30 ans” (He’s almost 30 years old), or to suggest that something is just short of a particular standard, as in “C’est presque parfait” (It’s almost perfect).
What does “verse le lait” mean?
The phrase “verse le lait” is a French expression that translates to “pour the milk” in English. It refers to the action of pouring milk into a container, usually a bowl or a glass, as part of a meal or a recipe.
The verb “verser” means “to pour” and it is a common word used in various contexts, such as cooking, serving drinks, or even in expressions like “verser des larmes” (to shed tears). In the context of breakfast and cereal, “verse le lait” is often used to describe the final step of the process, when the milk is added to the cereal before eating.
The verb “verser” comes from the Latin word “vertere,” which means “to turn” or “to change.” Over time, the meaning of “verser” evolved to refer to pouring or spilling a liquid.
As for fun facts, “verser” is a versatile verb in French and can be used in a variety of contexts related to pouring or spilling. For example, it can be used to talk about pouring a drink, pouring concrete, or even spilling tears. Additionally, “verser” is often used in idiomatic expressions, such as “verser des larmes de crocodile” (to shed crocodile tears) or “verser dans la caricature” (to lapse into caricature).
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Start here at any level and improve your French listening skills! Do you know what “outre”, “presque”, & “verse le lait” mean? Hear them in this clip of fast spoken French, take our transcription quiz at your level and fill in the blanks with what you hear!
