Friday, November 30, 2007

богатый - rich

Мой дедушка очень богат и дает мне деньги.

My grandfather is very rich and gives me money.


Его семья богата.

His family is wealthy.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

танцевать - to dance [imp]

Мой парень счастлив, когда я танцую.

My boyfriend is happy when I dance.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

счастливый - happy

Это счастливая семья: счастливый дедушка, счастливый отец, счастливая дочь.

That is a happy family: happy grandfather, happy father, happy daughter.


Все хотят быть счастливыми.

Everybody wants to be happy.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

парень - a boyfriend

Мой парень хочет жить в России.

My boyfriend wants to live in Russia.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Sunday, November 25, 2007

la chaîne - the TV channel

J'ai pris la télécommande et changé de chaîne.

I took the remote control and changed the channel.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

la bricolage - handiwork, DIY project

Ces camps de jour offrent des activités de bricolage, de lecture et de baignade en français. 

These day camps offer French-language activities such as crafts, reading, and swimming.

Friday, November 23, 2007

un brouillon - a rough draft, version

J'ai montré le brouillon de ma dissertation à mon professeur.

I showed my professor the rough draft of my essay.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

These tacos will make you explode all right

Everyone knows that burrito is from the Spanish meaning "little donkey" (based on the food's resemblance to the animal's back, I assume), but I learned a fun etymology about another delicious Mexican food.

Taco comes from a Spanish word meaning plug or light wadding.  It's Germanic, not Romance, in origin, and related to the English word "tack."

So how does that come to mean the tacos we know today?  Well, actually it's uncertain.  But the best guess, as explained in this Smithsonian article, is:

It dates from the 18th century and the silver mines in Mexico, because in those mines the word "taco" referred to the little charges they would use to excavate the ore. These were pieces of paper that they would wrap around gunpowder and insert into the holes they carved in the rock face. When you think about it, a chicken taquito with a good hot sauce is really a lot like a stick of dynamite. The first references [to the taco] in any sort of archive or dictionary come from the end of the 19th century. And one of the first types of tacos described is called tacos de minero—miner’s tacos. So the taco is not necessarily this age-old cultural expression; it’s not a food that goes back to time immemorial.

However!  This is just a theory.

This site states that taco comes from the Nahuatl word tlahco which means "half or in the middle," referring to the way it is formed.

Wikipedia gives space to both ideas.  Maybe both are true, and they just converged linguistically by coincidence.  Either way, if a taco makes you blow up nowadays, it will be in the bathroom, not in a miner's cave.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

frôler - to brush (against), skim

Le bateau a frôlé la jetée et a été légèrement endommagé.

The boat brushed the jetty and was slightly damaged.


Vivre dans l'espace, c'est frôler la mort de temps en temps.

Living in space is to have a brush with death once in a while.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

miser - to bet

Je croyais tellement à ce projet que j'ai tout misé sur sa réussite.

I believed so strongly in this project that I staked everything on its success.

Monday, November 19, 2007

gaillard - vigorous, healthy

Droite et gaillarde dans sa robe de chambre claire, Diane donnait en effet l'impression de la santé et de la vigueur.

Upright and strong in her translucent dressing gown, Diane radiated health and vigor.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

fourbe - cunning, deceitful, fraudulent

De gens fiers on a fait des laquais, d'honnêtes on a fait des fourbes, de francs, des menteurs.    

Proud people have been made into servants, the honest into frauds, and the truthful into liars.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

épargner - to spare; to save up

Quoi qu'il en soit, l'espérance de revoir le pauvre baron gai et gaillard m'a bien épargné de la tristesse.

In any case, the hope of seeing the poor baron happy and healthy spared me from any sadness.


Nous n'avons guère de provisions, il faut les épargner.

We have very little in the way of provisions; we must conserve them.

Friday, November 16, 2007

la formation - educational background, training period

Il crée aussi de petites entreprises qui offrent aux femmes démunies une formation en cours d'emploi et la possibilité de trouver du travail.

It also creates small enterprises that offer underprivileged women on-the-job career training and the possibility of future employment.


Grâce à sa formation, il a trouvé un bon emploi.

Thanks to his educational background, he found a good job.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

une rognure - a clipping, cutting

Un chiffon est un mauvais linge, mauvais morceau d'étoffe ou rognure d'une étoffe neuve, utilisé pour nettoyer.

A washrag is a used cloth, used piece of fabric or cutting from a new fabric, used to clean.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

un chiffon - a rag, dustcloth

N'utilisez pas un chiffon sec pour nettoyer les rouleaux; vous pourriez les endommager. 

Don't use a dry rag to clean the rollers; you may damage them.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

saugrenu - bizarre, outlandish

L'idée que cela puisse avoir, à moyen ou long terme, un effet négatif sur l'image et les résultats de l'entreprise n'a rien de saugrenu

The idea that this could have a medium or long term negative effect on the company's image and success is not at all far-fetched.


On dit généralement que, par ce titre saugrenu, Satie a voulu se moquer de Debussy qui lui aurait reproché de ne pas soigner suffisamment la forme.

It is generally thought that with this outlandish title, Satie wanted to mock Debussy, who had criticized him for his lack of attention to form.

Monday, November 12, 2007

loufoque - crazy, wacky, goofy

Elle invente des jeux loufoques ou carrément absurdes qui réconcilient tout le monde par rire.

She invents goofy or outright absurd games that bring everyone together in laughter.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

insolite - unusual, freak

Nous avons des curiosités, oeuvres d'art, concept-designs, ouliposeries, livres insolites ou tout simplement inclassables, titres loufoques ou irresistibles.

We have curiosities, artwork, concept designs, Oulipo writings, unusual or simply unclassifiable books, grotesque, crazy, or irresistible titles.


Une tempête de neige est un évènement insolite dans la région.

A snowstorm is a freak occurrence in this region.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

la verrue - a wart

Les verrues que nous avons sur les mains ou sous les pieds sont d’origine virale (papillomas virus humain ou HPV) ; elles n’ont donc aucun lien avec les crapauds, mais sont par contre contagieuses.

The warts that we get on our hands and feet originate from viruses (human papillomavirus, or HPV); they have nothing to do with toads, but are, however, contagious.

Friday, November 9, 2007

un bidon - a can, drum, cannister

Le bidon a éclaté à cause d'une pression excessivement élevée.

The drum burst due to excessively high pressure.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

verrouiller - to lock, latch, bolt

J'ai verrouillé la porte avant d'aller me coucher. 

I locked the door before going to bed.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

un rein - a kidney

Il a pris la courageuse décision de donner un rein.

He made the brave decision to donate a kidney.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

carrément - outright; bluntly

Les quatre requins ont carrément rejeté son offre. Un seul requin, Kevin O'Leary, a fait une offre.

Four sharks rejected his offer outright.  Only one shark, Kevin O'Leary, made an offer.


Elle a dit carrément dans sa lettre: «Je sais que le gouvernement fédéral est responsable.»

She stated bluntly in her letter: "I know that the federal government is to blame."

Monday, November 5, 2007

gérer - to manage, handle, deal with

Je suis sûr qu'il sait comment gérer la situation.

I'm sure he knows how to handle the situation.


La propriété est gérée par une fiducie.

The property is managed by a trust.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

外套 - a coat, jacket

他 穿着 一件 蓝色 外套。

tā chuānzhuó yī jiàn lán sè wàitào

He wore a blue coat.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

帽 - a hat

给 我 我 的 绿 帽子。

gěi wǒ wǒ de lǜmàozi

Give me my green hat.

Friday, November 2, 2007

蓝 - blue

他 有 一顶 蓝色 的 帽子。 

tā yǒuyī dǐng lán sè de màozi

He has a blue hat.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

encadrer - to oversee, supervise

Le chef d'équipe encadre le travail de ses collègues.

The team leader oversees the work of his colleagues.

пытаться - to try, attempt [imp]

Если вы умны, вы не будете пытаться это сделать. If you are smart, you won't attempt this.   Я пытался играть на гитаре , но не могу. I ...