5.21 Registers — soutenu, courant, familier, argot — Epoché
What you will be able to do Recognise the four registers of French: soutenu , courant , familier and argot , and place sixty words on that scale. Say the same thing four ways, from le véhicule to la bagnole , and choose the way that fits the situation. Understand the grammar of spoken familiar French: the dropped ne , on for nous , t'es for tu es . Decode verlan , the slang that turns words back to front: meuf , keuf , chelou . Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Nous sommes fatigués, mais nous n'abandonnerons pas. [1] We're tired, but we won't give up. Les dons sont maintenant acceptés. [2] Donations are now being accepted. Ma voiture a un pneu crevé. [3] My car has a flat tire. L'agent de police a arrêté l'adolescent pour vol à l'étalage. [4] The police constable arrested the teenager for shoplifting. Prerequisites : 5.20 — this lesson follows 5.20 Vocabulary . You met the idioms of everyday speech in 5.14 Vocabulary and the formal register of letters in 9.1 Writing ; this lesson puts them on one scale, and prepares the formal letter of complaint in 9.5 Writing . Every language has registers, but French keeps them further apart than English does. The written language of administrations and newspapers is more formal than its English counterpart, and the spoken language of friends is more informal, with a whole second vocabulary for everyday things: car, money, food, work, police. A learner who knows only the middle register understands the news but not a film, and one who picks up slang from films risks using it in the wrong place. The aim of this lesson is to recognise all four levels and to produce the two in the middle with confidence. Word list Sixty words in six groups: formal French, everyday things, people, doing and feeling, describing, and talking. The note says which register each word belongs to and gives the neutral word. Formal French (soutenu) Word Meaning Notes le véhicule fr vehicle Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Formal for la voiture ; in police reports and on signs. Ce véhicule a quatre roues. [5] This vehicle has four wheels. la demeure fr residence, home Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Formal for la maison ; à demeure , permanently . C'est notre demeure. [6] That's our house. l'individu fr individual, person Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Formal or official; in speech it can sound suspicious: un individu louche . Chaque individu est unique. [7] Every individual is unique. décéder fr to pass away Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Formal for mourir ; conjugated with être . Il est décédé. [8] He passed away. demeurer fr to remain; to reside Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Formal for rester or habiter . Le temps est demeuré pluvieux. [9] The weather remained rainy. se vêtir fr to dress Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Formal for s'habiller . J'aime me vêtir ainsi. [10] I like to dress this way. souhaiter fr to wish Gender / part of speech verb How English differs More formal than vouloir : je souhaite , I would like . Il souhaite déménager. [11] He wants to move. songer fr to think, to consider Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Formal for penser : songer à . J'y songe encore. [12] I'm still thinking about it. parvenir fr to manage, to reach Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Formal for réussir or arriver : parvenir à faire . Es-tu parvenu à dormir ? [13] Did you manage to get any sleep? s'avérer fr to prove, to turn out Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Formal: s'avérer utile , to prove useful . La rumeur s'est avérée vraie. [14] The rumor turned out to be true. néanmoins fr nevertheless Gender / part of speech adverb How English differs Formal for quand même . C'est néanmoins vrai. [15] It is none the less true. toutefois fr however Gender / part of speech adverb How English differs Formal for mais at the head of a clause. Elle était fatiguée mais tenta toutefois d'achever le travail. [16] She was tired. However, she tried to finish the work. certes fr admittedly, to be sure Gender / part of speech adverb How English differs Concedes a point before mais . Il est pauvre, certes, mais il est heureux. [17] He is poor, to be sure, but he is happy. dorénavant fr from now on Gender / part of speech adverb How English differs Formal for à partir de maintenant . Étudie plus dur dorénavant. [18] Study harder from now on. Everyday things (familier) Word Meaning Notes la bagnole fr car Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Familiar for la voiture . La bagnole est prête. [19] The car is ready. le fric fr money, cash Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Familiar for l'argent . Cache le fric. [20] Hide the money. le pognon fr dough, cash Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Familiar, a little coarser than le fric . Veux-tu du pognon ? [21] Do you want money? la thune fr cash Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Familiar to slang: pas une thune , not a penny . Je n'ai pas une thune. [22] I don't have any money. bosser fr to work Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Familiar for travailler . Je dois bosser. [23] I have to work. la bouffe fr food, grub Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Familiar for la nourriture ; the verb is bouffer . Merci pour la bouffe. [24] Thanks for the food. le bouquin fr book Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Familiar for le livre . Je donne mes vieux bouquins. [25] I'm giving my old books away. les fringues fr clothes Gender / part of speech feminine plural noun How English differs Familiar for les vêtements . Elle dépense tout son argent en fringues. [26] She spends all of her money on clothes. les godasses fr shoes Gender / part of speech feminine plural noun How