Latest news with #AcadémieFrançaise
Local France
2 days ago
- General
- Local France
French Word of the Day: RDC
Why do I need to know RDC? Because this acronym might help you find your way out of a French building if you are lost. What does it mean? RDC - roughly pronounced RDC - may be the acronym for the central African country, known as 'DRC' or Democratic Republic of Congo in English. But it has a more common meaning in French too, and you might see it on an invitation, an address, or when riding in an elevator. RDC is the acronym for rez-de-chaussée , meaning the part of the building on the ground level, though you might occasionally also see people refer to this as the rez-de-cour or rez-de-jardin. Americans should beware that in Europe, the ground floor is either RDZ or '0' on elevators and staircases. The first floor, instead, is the first floor above the ground floor. Advertisement For example, if you are visiting a new friend in France, they might leave instructions saying Sonnez pour Dupont, première porte à droite, RDC (Ring for Dupont, first door on the right on the ground level). The word rez-de-chaussée has existed since the 14th century, according to the Académie Française . The old preposition rez comes from the Latin rasus , the past participle of radere , meaning to shave or polish. As for chaussée , linguists say that it likely came from the Latin calciata , referring to roads made of limestone. Use it like this Suivez les panneaux indiquant le bâtiment C. Le cabinet se trouve au numéro 12, RDC. - Follow the signs to Building C. The office is located at number 12, ground floor. J'étais perdue en cherchant sa place partout au premier étage, mais après j'ai compris qu'il avait dit RDC. - I was lost looking for his place anywhere on the first floor, but then I realised he'd said RDC.
LeMonde
5 days ago
- General
- LeMonde
Pierre Nora, historian who shaped intellectual life in France, dies at 93
Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in Paris's Left Bank, was his domain. Living at the corner of Place de Furstenberg, Pierre Nora was a few steps away from the Quai Conti, home to the Académie Française, of which he was a member, and from the headquarters of the prestigious Gallimard publishing house, where he oversaw collections in the social sciences and humanities. From this triangle, the founder of the journal Le Débat was a central figure in shaping intellectual life and debates in France. His elegant silhouette will no longer be seen crisscrossing these streets. Nora died on Monday, June 2, in Paris, at the age of 93, his family told Agence France-Presse. He had become an essential "public historian" whom journalists called upon for analysis of the evolution of national sentiment or the meaning of commemorations and national symbols. His name will remain above all associated with one of the most innovative historiographical undertakings of the past 40 years: Les Lieux de Mémoire, translated as Realms of Memory and Rethinking France, a monumental seven-volume project published between 1984 and 1993. As its director, he brought together 130 historians, including Raoul Girardet, Maurice Agulhon, Antoine Prost and Pascal Ory, notably to decipher the symbols of the French Republic (the tricolor flag, the Republican calendar, La Marseillaise) and its monuments (the Panthéon, town halls, war memorials).
Local France
22-05-2025
- Local France
French Word of the Day: Non-lieu
Why do I need to know non-lieu? Because you might see this in a headline after a scandal in France. What does it mean? Non-lieu - roughly pronounced non-lee-uh - translates precisely as 'not place'. The word lieu is widely used in everyday French to mean simply a place, as in lieu de naissance (place of birth) or lieu de travail (workplace). However non-lieu has a very specific legal meaning. It is actually a shortened version of a longer legal term, which is non-lieu à suivre or non-lieu à poursuivre. Advertisement In the French legal system, this basically means the dismissal of a case by the investigating judge ( juge d'instruction ). READ MORE: Crime and punishment: Understanding French legal language As such, you might see headlines non-lieu réquis par , which means 'dismissal of the case requested by (insert famous person). There are a few reasons why a non-lieu might occur, but some of the most common are a lack of sufficient evidence to justify further action, the end of the statute of limitations, or the death of the accused. A non-lieu differs from another term you might see - classement sans suite - which is based on the discretion of the public prosecutor who might choose to drop the case before going to trial. It also differs from l'aquittement (aquittal) which occurs at the end of a trial. As for the origin of this terminology, non-lieu has existed since the 19th century. In the more general use of lieu it usually it designates a real, physical space ( Lieu public ou privé - a public or private space). However according to the Académie Française , it can also be used more abstractly to refer to the 'grounds/reason for something'. The Académie gave some examples of this usage, like Il y a lieu de douter (there is a reason to doubt) or Il y a lieu à contestation (There are grounds to contest) - and it's from this sense that we get non-lieu . Use it like this La justice a prononcé un non-lieu pour les trois policiers impliqués dans l'incident. - The judge dismissed the investigation against the three police officers involved in the incident. L'avocat a défendu le non-lieu, affirmant qu'il était conforme au droit et qu'il n'y avait pas de preuves réelles contre son client. - The lawyer defended the dismissal of the investigation, saying that it was in line with the law and that there was no real evidence against his client.
Local France
09-05-2025
- General
- Local France
French grammar tips: Should you use 'je suis allé' or 'j'ai été' or both?
It can be very confusing to hear a French person seemingly make a grammatical mistake in their own language. If you ask your friend if they want to go to dinner and they enthusiastically reply je suis chaud! the French 101 sirens might go off in your head. Your French teacher probably told you to never say this, as it is also a way of describing sexual excitement. However, languages change and evolve, and these days, je suis chaud just means "I am up for it". A prime example of official versus colloquial French coming into conflict is the use of j'ai été versus je suis allé when trying to say "I went" or "I was (at)". Basically, when people do this, they use the past participle of être (to have) instead of the verb aller (to go), but you were probably taught to do the latter in French class. But in our modern times, a person speaking casual French might say j'ai été à la marché cet après-midi (I went to the market this afternoon), or j'ai été à Paris l'an dernier (I went to Paris last year, or I was in Paris last year). Some linguists believe that these examples aren't completely wrong. In fact, two French dictionaries, Le Larousse and Le Robert both allow for a more flexible usage of j'ai été , specifically as a casual variant of je suis allé. As for the guardian of the French language, the Académie Française, the rule is categorical: if you are trying to say that you went somewhere, you should use je suis allé . Advertisement If you want a more detailed explanation (in French), you can watch this helpful grammar video by the Parlez-Vous Français account. So all of that to say - you might be able to use j'ai été when discussing your comings and goings. However, you might want to prioritise the universally correct je suis allé (or je suis allée , if you are a woman) when writing a letter or email, or when having a more formal conversation. Grammar tips From agreeing adjectives to the subjunctive, French grammar can be fiendishly - some claim deliberately - complicated and almost all French learners have at one point despaired over ever getting it right. People learn languages in different ways - some people prefer to just throw themselves into chatting, others like to have a textbook and some exercises. But the formal and structured nature of the French language means that if you want to become fluent - and if you need written French - then you are going to have to learn some grammar. That's the purpose of our weekly series of French grammar tips and tricks - and you can also sign up to receive them as a newsletter. Advertisement The tips are not intended as a substitute for formal classes or sweating over those verb tables (sadly, those are necessary for most people), but may be of some help to language learners. They come from our own experiences of living and working in France, and as with our popular French word of the Day feature , we've tried to focus on examples that will be useful in everyday life. Read more French grammar tips; French grammar tips: Look out for the accent French grammar tips: Cheat the future Guessing the gender of nouns The cheat's guide to the subjunctive Understanding French place names Getting the date and time right Pay attention to your French friend's English mistakes Which French grammar rules do you find most confusing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Local France
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
French Word of the Day: Lubie
Why do I need to know lubie? Because every society has trends, and this word might help you describe the most recent French one. What does it mean? Lubie - roughly pronounced loo-bee - may look like a word made up for babies, but it has been around since at least the 17th century, according to the Académie Française . Une lubie is defined as a fleeting desire or whim. In English, we might say the 'fad of the moment'. The idea is that it is a temporary desire or focus. Some French synonyms might be caprice or fantaisie . You could also use the word tendance (trend) which is more neutral. Advertisement Lubie can be used to describe either an individual's wants or a collective obsession. For example, you might see articles about la dernière lubie de TikTok (the latest fad on TikTok). Usually, the term has a negative connotation, describing something that is either unrealistic or ridiculous. A young person defending an unpopular decision to their parents might assure them that it is not une lubie. You might also see the French press use this term to describe the political or social obsession of the moment. For example, one French news outlet wrote: Le Groenland, nouvelle lubie de Donald Trump (Greenland, Donald Trump's latest obsession). Use it like this Les parents doivent se méfier de la dernière lubie des réseaux sociaux qui consiste à envoyer des photos de manière anonyme. - Parents need to be wary of the latest social media fad of sending anonymous photos. Tu veux goûter ma pizza ? C'est une croûte farcie au fromage, la dernière lubie. - Do you want to try my pizza? It's the latest craze: cheesy stuffed crust.
