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The above audio sample and transcription is from Balades ep. 1. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode here.

The height of happiness

Let’s continue with lesson 28, continuing to dive into Isabelle’s happiness of French summers.

In my approach, the content doesn’t really matter, it’s about the medium and understanding what’s being said, not what’s said.

While that’s the case, I love expressions like “le comble du bonheur” and “en fait”. Even the use of “c’était en été”, this was a new one for me. I haven’t had formal traning in times, seasons or anything, so this was one I learned here.

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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. Join me for the next snippet.

The snippet in English

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The above text courtesy of Google Translate. Source

What does “le comble du bonheur” mean?

“Le comble du bonheur” is a French phrase that can be translated to “The peak of happiness” or “The height of happiness” in English. It is an idiomatic expression that refers to the state of being extremely happy or content, the highest degree of happiness.

The word “comble” literally means “the summit” or “the height” and the word “bonheur” means “happiness”. Together, the phrase emphasizes that the happiness is at its peak, the best possible state.

For example:

• “Passer du temps en famille, c’est le comble du bonheur pour moi” which means “Spending time with family, it’s the height of happiness for me”
• “Gagner la finale de la coupe, c’est le comble du bonheur pour l’équipe” which means “Winning the final of the cup, it’s the summit of happiness for the team”

It’s used to express a high level of happiness and contentment, a feeling of having reached a pinnacle or summit.

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le comble du bonheur

c’était en été

nettoyer

le bassin

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