French 101: A Crash Course

Traveling through France, you will undoubtedly encounter familiar words on signs and menus. Though these cognates will appear to help in your struggle to comprehend le monde francophone, beware! Some can also lead you astray. Here are some faux amis (false cognates; literally, “false friends”) to watch out for:

Blesser has nothing to do with spirituality (or sneezing). It means to hurt, not to bless.

Pain is anything but misery for the French: it’s their word for bread.

Bras is not a supportive undergarment, it’s an arm.

Rage is not just regular anger, it’s rabies.

Rabais, it follows, is not the disease you can catch from a dog, but a discount.

A sale is not an event with a lot of rabais; it means dirty.

Draguer means to hit on, not to drag, unless you encounter an overly aggressive flirt.

Balancer is to swing, not to steady oneself.

A peste is slightly more serious than a bothersome creature. It is a plague.

Puéril is not grave danger, just childhood.

Preservatif is not something found in packaged food, but it can be found in other packages, so to speak. This is the French word for condom.

Crayon means pencil, not crayon, and gomme is not for chewing, unless you like the taste of rubber—it is an eraser.

An extincteur is not some sort of bazooka. It is a fire extinguisher.

Fesses is not a colloquial term for “coming clean”; it means buttocks. Ass is not another way to say fesses or even an insult. This is a French compliment, meaning ace or champion.

Ranger is neither a woodsman nor a mighty morpher. This means to tidy up.

A smoking has little to do with tobacco (or any other substance). It is a tuxedo or dinner suit.

Raisins are juicy grapes, not the dried-up snack food. Try raisins-secs instead.

Prunes are plums. Pruneaus are the dried fruit.

Tampons are stamps (for documents), not the feminine care item. If you are looking for those, ask for a tampon hygiénique or napkins. To wipe your mouth, you would do better with a serviette.

The patron is the boss, not the customer.

A glacier does translate literally, meaning glacier, but you are more likely to see it around town on signs for ice cream vendors; glace does not mean glass, but a frozen summer treat.

If the French language seems full of deception, think again. Deception in French actually means disappointment.