façon
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Une façon de décorer sa fenêtre /one way to decorate one's window.
1. way, manner
La façon la plus rapide de mettre fin à une guerre est de la perdre.
The quickest way to end a war is to lose it. --George Orwell
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A Day in a French Life... by Kristin Espinasse
Because sometimes it is hard to say no... Here are 10 alternative ways, or façons, (some rigolo,* others not so apropos) to say "Non!"* in French:
Façon polie (Polite way):
Je regrette mais... I'm sorry but...
Façon rapide (Rapid way):
Rêve! / Dream on!
Négative. / Negative.
Façon évasive (Evasive way):
Je ne pense pas... / I don't think so...
Ce n'est pas possible. / It's not possible.
Façon directe (Direct way):
Absolument pas! / Absolutely not!
Hors de question! / (It's) out of the question!
Façon honnête (Honest way):
Je n'ai pas trop envie. / I don't really feel like it.
Cela ne me dit rien. / That doesn't sing to me.
Façon familière (Informal way):
Jamais de la vie! / Not in (this) life!
Mais, vous êtes dingue? / Are you crazy?
Tu fumes ou quoi? / Are you smoking something?
Quand les poules auront des dents! / When chicken have teeth. (Or, as the English expression goes: When pigs fly!)
Façon marseillaise (The Marseilles way):
C'est la fête! It's party time! (In other words, "Not!")
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References: rigolo = funny; non! = no
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French Pronunciation:
Listen to eight-year-old Jackie's sentence:
Expressions:
de toute(s) façon(s) = at any rate, anyway
sans façon = unpretentiously
faire des façons = to make a fuss

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