Do you know “ça me gene”, “ça me met”, and “mal à l’aise”? Hear them all in this quiz from a clip of the Passerelles podcast. Set your level and fill in the blanks while you listen. Practice in just a few minutes with French in real life
This clip is from Passerelles Episode 1. Listen and fill in what you hear below. Read more and find a translation below. Listen to the full episode here.
This audio sample and transcription is from Passerelles ep. 1. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode
it makes me
What’s opening up for you with this clip?
The snippet in English
Find a translation of this snippet here, how much of this did you hear?
Je crois que c’est parce que ça me gêne d’être le centre de l’attention. Ça me gêne, là j’utilise le verbe gêner, ça veut dire que ça me met mal à l’aise.
I think it’s because it bothers me to be the center of attention. It bothers me, and here I use the verb “to bother”, meaning that it makes me feel uncomfortable.
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “ça me gêne” mean?
The phrase “ça me gêne” is a common expression in French that translates to “it bothers me” or “it makes me uncomfortable” in English. It’s used to convey a sense of discomfort or unease about a situation, action, or behavior.
Here, “ça” means “it” or “that,” “me” is the reflexive pronoun meaning “myself,” and “gêne” is the verb meaning “bother” or “discomfort.” So, “ça me gêne” literally translates to “it bothers me” with a focus on personal discomfort.
For example:
- “Ça me gêne de parler en public.” → “It bothers me to speak in public.”
- “Ça me gêne quand il regarde mon écran d’ordinateur.” → “It bothers me when he looks at my computer screen.”
The phrase is often used to politely express a personal boundary or to indicate that something makes the speaker uncomfortable. It’s commonly used in everyday conversations and is considered a polite way to communicate discomfort or inconvenience without being confrontational.
What does “ça me met” mean?
The phrase “ça me met” is a colloquial expression in French that is often used to express how something makes a person feel. It is composed of the pronoun “ça” (which means “it” or “that”) and the verb “mettre” (to put or to place), conjugated in the third person singular.
In this context, “mettre” is used idiomatically, and “ça me met” essentially means “it puts me” or “it makes me feel.” The verb “mettre” is followed by an adjective or an emotion to describe the feeling or reaction that the speaker experiences due to a specific situation or action.
For example:
- “Ça me met en colère.” → “It makes me angry.”
- “Ça me met de bonne humeur.” → “It puts me in a good mood.”
- “Ça me met mal à l’aise.” → “It makes me uncomfortable.”
In these examples, the phrase “ça me met” is followed by an adjective (en colère, de bonne humeur, mal à l’aise) that describes the emotional response of the speaker to a certain situation.
It’s important to note that “ça me met” is an informal expression commonly used in casual conversations to describe one’s emotions or reactions.
What does “mal à l’aise”?
“Mal à l’aise” is a French expression that translates to “uncomfortable” or “ill at ease” in English. It’s used to describe a feeling of unease, discomfort, or awkwardness in a particular situation.
Here, “mal” means “badly” or “unwell,” “à” means “at,” and “aise” means “ease” or “comfort.” So, “mal à l’aise” literally means “badly at ease” or “uncomfortable.”
For example:
- “Je me sens mal à l’aise quand je parle en public.” → “I feel uncomfortable when I speak in public.”
- “Elle était mal à l’aise lors de la réunion.” → “She was ill at ease during the meeting.”
This expression is commonly used in conversations to convey a sense of discomfort or unease without being overly negative. It’s a way to express a feeling of being out of one’s comfort zone or not at ease in a situation.
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Do you know “ça me gene”, “ça me met”, and “mal à l’aise”? Hear them all in this quiz from a clip of the Passerelles podcast. Set your level and fill in the blanks while you listen. Practice in just a few minutes with French in real life