You'll love this term for "family reunion"!
Les transats (something you can rent on French beaches)...

Vocabulary Roundup - Listen to all the French words we learned in June

Colonie des vacances
Did you miss a post this month? Pas de souci. No worries! Here are all the words and stories from June, accompanied by recent photos from our area (St Cyr-sur-Mer). Click on the title links to access the posts and even more photos. This is a good post to share with a friend, who would like to learn French, as they will get a good taste of this language journal.

Ready to begin? Prepare to scroll down the following list, then...

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN LISTENING TO JEAN-MARC PRONOUNCE ALL THE WORDS WE LEARNED IN JUNE

 

1. L'Un Pour L'autre: Deciding With or For a Family Member

l'un pour l'autre = for each other, one for another
une larme = tear

une chaise roulante = wheelchair
*correction: le fauteuil roulant

et ainsi de suite = and so on
douceur = gentleness
un sourire = smile

Le bonheur est l'art de faire un bouquet avec les fleurs qui sont à notre portée. - Anonymous
Happiness is the art of making a bouquet with the flowers that are within our grasp.
Le bonheur est l'art de faire un bouquet avec les fleurs qui sont à notre portée. - Anonymous
Happiness is the art of making a bouquet with the flowers that are within our grasp.

Le bonheur est l'art de faire un bouquet avec les fleurs qui sont à notre portée. - Anonymous
Happiness is the art of making a bouquet with the flowers that are within our grasp.

Photo bomb toddler chouchou
Photo bombed by a French toddler and his doudou while taking this photo of the blue door.

2. Happiness is...A Notre Portée
le bonheur = happiness
l'art de faire = art of making
la fleur = flower

Bastide rose
House along the sea near St Cyr-sur-Mer

3. Ça Passe ou Ça Casse + Doggy Bags in France

(story re-run: click the link above)

Houses along the port of Madrague

4. Racines: My Father's "Cousins Germains"

Reverse Dictionary:

maiden name = le nom de jeune fille
catching up = le rattrapage
fishing village = le village de pêcheurs
sundown = le coucher du soleil
to be supportive = être d'un grand soutien

Boulder in Mediterranean

5. Oh, Pétard! The Things You Hear & See When Eavesdropping
oh, pétard! = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone

Reinette

oh, pétard = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone

6. Le Coton-Tige + French Doctor's Thoughts on Cleaning Your Ears

oh, pétard = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone

nager = to swim
le fond marin = seabed
se boucher = to clog up
désagréable = unpleasant
le coton-tige = cotton swab
un aspirateur = vacuum
un gant de toilette = wash mitt

Motorcycle-at-port-de-la-madrague
Motorcycle parked at the docks of Port de la Madrague

7. You'll Love This Term for "Family Reunion"!

une cousinade = family reunion
la belle-mère = mother-in-law (also can mean "step-mother")
la belle-soeur = sister-in-law
le soin = care
le mas = old French country-house/farmhouse
le livreur = delivery man
un agneau = lamb
le pois chiche = chickpea or garbanzo bean
le poulet = chicken
la canicule = heatwave

Maison des pelerins
Spectacular views from every window, a charming, private courtyard, comfortable spacious rooms, and air-conditioned bedrooms make Maison des Pèlerins very inviting all year round. View this rental property.

Thank you for your orders, which help support this free language journal.

une cousinade = family reunion
la belle-mère = mother-in-law (also can mean "step-mother")
la belle-soeur = sister-in-law
le soin = care
le mas = old French country-house/farmhouse
le livreur = delivery man
un agneau = lamb
le pois chiche = chickpea or garbanzo bean
le poulet = chicken
la canicule = heatwav
une cousinade = family reunion
la belle-mère = mother-in-law (also can mean "step-mother")
la belle-soeur = sister-in-law
le soin = care
le mas = old French country-house/farmhouse
le livreur = delivery man
un agneau = lamb
le pois chiche = chickpea or garbanzo bean
le poulet = chicken
la canicule = heatwave

 This type of wash mitt, or gant, is the traditional washcloth in French homes

La ROCHE-POSAY sunscreen is rated top by Consumer Reports

THE FRENCH LOVE THESE BEACH TOWELS - quick drying, good-looking

Bonjour AuRevoir doormat

To order "Bonjour/Au Revoir doormat", click here

 

 

Sentier littoral st cyr
Suivez vos rêves ils, connaissent le chemin - Follow your dreams, they know the way

oh, pétard = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone
oh, pétard = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone
oh, pétard = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone
oh, pétard = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone
oh, pétard = oh my gosh!
La Fête des Pères = Father's Day
le papa poule = father hen
et si on... = and what if we...
se garer = to park
le sentier = path
littoral = coastal
la plage = beach
le caillou = pebble, stone

Whether you have read my journal for 15 years or recently signed up--help keep this language website going. A small donation is a great help. Click here to send support.

A Message from KristiOngoing support from readers like you keeps me writing and publishing this free language journal each week. If you find joy or value in these stories and would like to keep this site going, donating today will help so much. Thank you for being a part of this community and helping me to maintain this site and its newsletter.

Ways to contribute:
1.Zelle®, The best way to donate and there are no transaction fees. Zelle to [email protected]

2.Paypal or credit card
Or purchase my book for a friend and so help them discover this free weekly journal.
For more online reading: The Lost Gardens: A Story of Two Vineyards and a Sobriety

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Margaret

Oh the nostalgia of the Colonie de Vacances sign .... It took me back 60 (yes!) years to when I went to a Colonie in France aged 16. I was one of the oldest but it was a wonderful experience, for life skills and for my French. The following 2 years I went back to other colonies as a monitrice. I grew up almost overnight and my French improved so much I went on to study French at university and eventually teach it. Does anyone have more recent experiences of Colonies and/or any ways to help a young English child improve his French through a stay in France, suitable from say age 7? We take less risks with our children nowadays and in some ways that cuts down their chances to grow up and flourish.

Leslie NYC

I have to say your post about the cousinade convinced me to hop on a plane and join my friends/adopted family in Burgundy when they celebrate the father's 70th birthday. Usually I go and cook during the harvest, but this time I'll go to dance and eat at the end of July. I don't want to miss this chance to get together to celebrate. Life is short and precious! You are a good influence.

Eileen deCamp

Hi Kristi and Jean-Marc,

Thanks! I like to repeat after Jean-Marc and I enjoyed hearing the cicadas in the background of the recording! I picture you both sitting out near some beautiful bougainvillea with your cool drinks or maybe some Mas de Brun! :-)

Natalia

Our dear Kristi and Jean Marc,
THANK YOU for this wonderful post and vocabulary round up!
I can only imagine how much work this must have entailed,but it is so helpful and appreciated!
Seeing the words and phrases both written and spoken is an enormous boost for someone who is not surrounded on a daily basis by French speakers!
(especially if one's memory is not what it used to be!!!LOL)
Love
Natalia XO

Stacy - Sweet Life Farm

Thank you Kristi! I had missed a couple posts in June. Your photographs never fail to delight and inspire me, just as your words do. Have a lovely weekend!

PS As many times in my life as I've heard "Follow your dreams" don't remember ever hearing the second half of "they know the way". I love it! ;)

Kristin Espinasse


Glad you could hear the cicadas, Eileen! They made their way into a few recordings this month. :-) 

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Your Information

(Name is required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)