To be lazy in French & Why we should go to bed when the sun sets
Friday, November 23, 2018
Hibernation is life sleeping inside of us. L'hibernation, c'est la vie qui sommeille en soi. --Claude-may Waia Némia
Today's word: paresser
: to be lazy
: lounging, loafing
Click here to listen to the French sentence, above
Lately, I've noticed that when the sun goes down I'm ready to get in bed. But I wonder if 6 o'clock in the evening isn't an ungodly hour to tuck in. After all, shouldn't one be more productive--even if that means watching a sitcom?
Meantime, je me mets sous la couette and tune in to Absolutely Fabulous (the outtakes are my latest guilty pleasure, one that guarantees a belly laugh--and don't we all need that?).
I was feeling sheepish about slipping off to bed si tôt, until I discovered my animals doing the very same thing at sundown. It began with my hens, who are now putting themselves to bed at 5 at night. You know when two industrious hens have called it a day it says something about natural instincts.
Do the stars have instincts too?
The French word coucher de soleil means the sun is going to bed...so if the sun's going to bed and my chickens and dog are too, maybe they're on to something and we should take note, me and you?
I no longer feel bad about tucking in around 6 pm. As for watching raunchy videos, once I get Edina and Patsy (the duo in the clip above...can you make out what they are saying about France and wine?) out of my system I promise to move on The National Geographic Channel (or whatever educational programs you might recommend. Your suggestions are welcome in the comments!)
FRENCH VOCABULARY
le sommeil = sleep
paresser = to be lazy, to laze about
sous la couette = under the duvet, under the covers
le coucher de soleil = sundown
une sitcom = comédie de situation
si tôt = so early
l'envie d'hiberner = the desire to hibernate
If you are new to this blog, you might enjoy my book Words in A French Life. The introductory chapter will tell you why I moved to France and how I came to know my husband. The chapter Viager talks about a reverse-mortgage my husband and I bought into when we were very young--when 75 seemed old to us. (It doesn't anymore. Don't miss this colorful chapter!)
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For more online reading: The Lost Gardens: A Story of Two Vineyards and a Sobriety