Improve your French listening skills at any level with this clip and quiz! This clip is 53 words in 26 seconds, how many can you pick up? Choose how much of the transcript you can see and listen!
This clip is from the Inner French podcast Episode 001. Listen and fill in what you hear below. Read more and find a translation below. Find the full podcast here.
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The above audio sample and transcription is from the Inner French podcast episode 001. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode here.
Maybe
Lately I’ve been reading “Bringing up Bébé” by Pamela Druckerman. It’s hilarious, and it’s eye opening as to why certain things happened the way they did for us and our kids when we traveled in France for over 3 months last year. It’s just a collection of stories right now, not the rules… not the grammar, at least not yet. Maybe there will be soon, I’ve only just begun. The stories are fascinating and helping me distinguish my own parenting style.
Maybe you are getting something different from this clip? Seeing something new? What’s opening up for you in this clip? I’m open to any and all feedback, as always. Let me know.
The snippet in English
Find a translation of this snippet here, how much of this did you hear?
Avec ce podcast, je vais aussi vous parler de différents sujets. Aujourd’hui je vous ai parlé des langues, mais la prochaine fois, on parlera d’un sujet complètement différent. Et je ne vous parlerai pas de grammaire. Je vais juste vous expliquer, vous raconter des histoires qui, peut-être, vous intéresseront, j’espère qu’elles vous intéresseront.
With this podcast, I’m also going to talk to you about different topics. Today I talked about languages, but next time we’ll talk about a completely different topic. And I’m not going to talk about grammar. I’m just going to explain, I’m going to tell you some stories that maybe you’ll be interested in, I hope you’ll be interested in them.
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “peut-être” mean?
“Peut-être” is a French phrase that means “maybe” or “perhaps.” It is commonly used in everyday speech and writing, and it is a useful expression to convey uncertainty or a lack of confidence in a statement.
The word “peut-être” is composed of two words: “peut” meaning “can” or “may” and “être” meaning “to be.” So, “peut-être” literally translates to “may be” or “can be.” It is a compound word, meaning that it is made up of two separate words that have been merged together over time.
Here are some examples of how “peut-être” can be used:
- Peut-être qu’il va pleuvoir demain. (Maybe it will rain tomorrow.)
- Peut-être que je viendrai à la soirée, mais je ne suis pas sûr. (Perhaps I’ll come to the party, but I’m not sure.)
- Peut-être que tu as raison, mais j’ai besoin de plus d’informations. (Maybe you’re right, but I need more information.)
“Peut-être” can be used as an adverb or as a noun. As an adverb, it modifies the verb in a sentence, as in the examples above. As a noun, it means “doubt” or “uncertainty,” as in “j’ai des peut-être” (I have doubts).
In French, “peut-être” can be combined with other words to create compound phrases with similar meanings, such as “peut-être bien” (maybe, quite possibly) or “peut-être que oui, peut-être que non” (maybe yes, maybe no).
Nuance in “différents sujets”
In French, both “différents sujets” and “sujets différents” are correct, but they have slightly different meanings and nuances.
When the adjective “différents” precedes the noun “sujets,” it emphasizes that the subjects are distinct and dissimilar from each other. For example, “différents sujets de conversation” (different conversation topics) implies that the topics are diverse and not related to each other.
On the other hand, when the noun “sujets” precedes the adjective “différents,” it emphasizes that there are multiple subjects, and the adjective “différents” simply indicates that each of them is different from one another. For example, “sujets différents de mathématiques” (different subjects from mathematics) implies that there are several subjects being discussed, but they are all different from mathematics.
So, both word orders are correct, but the emphasis and nuance are slightly different. It depends on the context and the meaning you want to convey.
What does “faire du” mean?
“Fair du français” means “to speak French” in English. The phrase “faire du” can be translated to “do some” or “engage in” in English, so “faire du français” essentially means “to do some French” or “to engage in speaking French.”
The phrase “faire du” is a common construction in French that can be used with a variety of nouns to express engaging in an activity. For example, “faire du sport” means “to do some sports” or “to engage in sports,” and “faire du shopping” means “to do some shopping” or “to engage in shopping.”
One interesting use of “faire du” is in the expression “faire du lèche-vitrine,” which means “to window-shop” in English. The literal translation of “faire du lèche-vitrine” is “to do some window-licking,” which may seem bizarre or even unappetizing in English, but it is a common expression in French.
Another interesting use of “faire du” is in the expression “faire du bruit,” which means “to make noise” in English. The literal translation of “faire du bruit” is “to do some noise,” which may seem odd to English speakers.
Overall, the phrase “faire du” is a versatile and common construction in French that is used to express engaging in various activities. It can be used in many different contexts and is often paired with a noun to specify the activity being engaged in.
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