Bicycle Gourmet Teaches You French Fast

Prior to my first French adventure, I had one very irregular week of French words 'n phrases from a Dutch friend. They were right,left,pleasethank youand where is the toilet?"

Hey,.even the Bicycle Gourmet had to start somewhere!

A Vagabond's Progress

As that first trip continued, I, as do all travelers with their ears and hearts open, began to hear certain words repeated often. Paying attention to how those words were used, eventually "translated" them for me, and viola, more vocabulary. More confidence. Easier travelling.

So, here the "ESSENTIALS"followed by a power packed list of extremely helpful (as in butt saving) EXTRAS :

right - au droit
left - au gauche
straight ahead - tout droit
I would like je veux
I need je besoin
where - ou
when - quand
the toilet - les toilette
how much? - combien
how far? combien le distance
ok ( "ok" is universal.)
please - s'il vous plait (literally - "if you please")
thank you merci, merci bien (not merci beaucoup)
it's/that's good tres bien
excuse me excuse a - moi


Some of these words,"where"comes immediately to mind, are virtually impossible to"get" from the printed page. So, ponying up for some pronunciation tapes is really"de rigeur." And don't tear yer hair out if you're not pronouncing the word exactly like the tape, and the French don't get it. There will always be those vexing syllables that are beyond the ability of us folks from"over there."Just as the French are limited to pronouncing "the" as "zee."(As in"He was zee bruzzer of my muzzer.")

THE EXTRAS

1.absolutement (absolutely)

2 claire (clear)

These two are the hands down winners in the "perfect for any situation" category.(ie good,or bad.) So,if you dont perfectly understand the conversation, but you get the gist, interjecting one of the above, should save yer freakin bacon.

3. impeccable. (same meaning as English, not to mention the same spelling! - but pronounced : "am-pec-ab") At this point, time to hip you to Michel Thomas. A Frenchman who created a learning French Course, based on the 30,000 English words, like "impeccable" that have the same meaning/spelling as their French counterparts, but are just pronounced differently.

4 pour quoi pas? (why not?)

5 a bientt (see you soon)

6 a plus (until the next time)

7 a tout lheure. (see you later)

8 Bisous (kisses)

9 je tembrasse ( literally -I embrace you - in other words, folks -"hugs")

10 ca marche (literally that worksbut the practical useage is : "That works for me.")

BONUS NO ONE!

Thats right!..even though this is not an internet marketing"upsell"- Beege ,hisself is gonna give ya a free bonus!(and are'nt those the best kind?)

Alllrighty then!.....your bonus is the knowledge that when your French creeps up to something just past kindergarden level.you will discover that your fab French, being a Latin based language means that adding other Latin languages to your repertoire is a cake walk.

For example

French Italian Spanish

absolutement absolutementa absolutementa