About thirty-five percent of English vocabulary is of French origin. People tend to forget that, until the end of the 13th century, Latin was the language of all official written documents and Norman French was almost exclusively used as a spoken language - including in the English royal court.
In turn, France has also borrowed many words from English and continues to do so in spite of loud protests by purists who condemn this trend as a sign of cultural contamination and name it franglais.
In 1999, the French government published a list of recommended French equivalents for English terms related to the Internet. Those who work government jobs, for instance, cannot in official communication use the words "e-mail" or "hashtag," and instead must say "courriel" and "mot-dièse" ("sharp word").
Nonetheless, you might be surprised by how much French you already know.
l'acteur
lahk-tuhr
|
l'adresse
lah-drehs
|
l'aéroport
lah-eyr-oh-pohr
|
l'allée
lah-ley
|
l'art
lahr
|
brave
brahv
|
le budget
luh bewd-zheh
|
le bureau
luh bew-roh
|
le business
luh beez-nehs
|
le camping
luh kahN-peeng
|
le chat (chat, not cat)
luh chaht
|
le chewing-gum
luh shweeng-gohhm
|
les chips
ley sheeps
|
le client
koohl
|
le coca
luh koh-kah
|
le concert
luh kohN-sehr
|
le condition
lah kohN-dee-syohN
|
content
kohN-tahN
|
le courage
luh kooh-rahzh
|
le cousin
luh kooh-zaN
|
cool
koohl
|
la culture
lah kewl-tewr
|
différent
dee-fey-rahN
|
excellent
ehk-sch-lahN
|
le fast food
luh fahst foohd
|
le garage
luh gah-rahzh
|
le guide
luh-geed
|
le hamburger
luh ahm-boohr-guhr
|
l'hôtel
loh-tehl
|
important
aN-pohr-tahN
|
le jet set
luh jeht seht
|
le journal
luh zhoohr-nahl
|
le kiosque
luh kyohhsk
|
la lampe
lah lahmp
|
la lettre
lah leh-truh
|
la machine
lah mah-sheen
|
le manager
luh mah-nah-jehr
|
le marketing
luh mahr-kuh-teeng
|
le message
luh mey-sahzh
|
le moment
luh moh-mahN
|
la nation
lah nah-syohN
|
la nièce
lah nyehs
|
l'orange
loh-rahNzh
|
le parent
luh pah-rahN
|
le parking
luh pahr-keen
|
possible
poh-see-bluh
|
principal
praN-see-pahl
|
probable
proh-bah-bluh
|
la question
lah kehs-tyohN
|
la radio
lah rah-dyoh
|
le restaurant
luh rehs-toh-rahN
|
le rock
luh rohk
|
la rose
lah rohz
|
rouge
roohzh
|
l'aéroport
lah-eyr-oh-pohr
|
la science
lay syahNs
|
le secret
luh suh-kreh
|
le service
luh sehr-vees
|
le shopping
luh shoh-peeng
|
le signal
luh see-nyahl
|
le silence
luh see-lahNs
|
la solitude
lah soh-lee-tewd
|
le sport
luh spohr
|
la station
lah stah-syohN
|
la statue
lah stah-tew
|
le steak
luh stehk
|
la suggestion
lah sewg-zheh-styohN
|
la surprise
lah sewr-preez
|
la table
lah tah-bluh
|
le taxi
luh tah-ksee
|
le tennis
luh tey-nees
|
le train
luh traN
|
le tunnel
luh tew-nehl
|
urgent
ewr-zhahN
|
violet
vyoh-leh
|
le voyage
luh voh-yahzh
|
le week-end
luh wee-kehnd
|
le zoo
luh zooh
|
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