In French, we have a word for not wanting to do the dishes tonight – and it’s not an insult. There’s another word for going soft at a cute little puppy in the street. These feelings aren’t impossible to translate, but where English makes you build a whole sentence, French just hands you the word. And you’ve felt every single one of them!
Today, let me take you through six of them, one at a time.
C’est parti !
1) Le ras-le-bol
Le ras-le-bol = “the bowl (le bol) is full right to the edge (ras).” That feeling of anger and frustration when problems are just too much.
J’en ai ras-le-bol. (= I’m completely fed up. I’ve had it up to here.)
Le ras-le-bol général = the public anger and frustration over how things are going
2) La hâte
La hâte = haste
Avoir hâte = feeling the excitement for what’s to come, the delightful impatience
J’ai hâte ! = I can’t wait!
J’ai hâte d’y être. (= I can’t wait to be there.)
3) La flemme
La flemme = not feeling like doing something in particular, or anything at all. Feeling tired and lazy in that particular moment, or for that particular thing.
J’ai la flemme. (= I can’t be bothered. I really don’t feel like it.)
J’ai la flemme de cuisiner, on commande une pizza ? (= I can’t be bothered to cook, shall we just order pizza?)
4) L'attendrissement
L’attendrissement = feeling a swell of tenderness for something really cute
La tendresse = tenderness, long-term feeling for someone
“Pas d’attendrissement.” = No sentimentality now.
5) La gourmandise
La gourmandise = gluttony, greed… but mainly something more positive: the love of good food.
La gourmandise is feeling like a child in front of a lemon pie. It’s going just a bit beyond what’s reasonable, and loving it.
Une gourmandise is a word for a treat like a piece of candy or a square of chocolate.
Être gourmand, un gourmand = being unashamed of wanting a bit more, for food in particular or for life in general.
Un plat gourmand, un dessert gourmand = an indulgent dish, comforting and hearty, unapologetic.
C’est très gourmand, ça ! (= That’s really good, that’s a treat!)
6) L'insouciance
L’insouciance = being carefree, a bit careless.
(Un souci = a worry)
It’s being a kid in summer, in an afternoon that never seems to end. There’s nothing to worry about. Work and consequences and bedtime are things for grown-ups, for later. Now is the time for joy… and maybe a bit of mischief.
L’insouciance de l’enfance, that summer-afternoon lightness of being a carefree child
Une insouciance coupable = a guilty carelessness
The first three words are everyday French words that we really use. The last three are less common, I must say. But they’re all part of the mental landscape of French culture. Think of it as a new little lens on your own life.
Now, The 10-Minute French Routine is the easiest way to start hearing words like these in real French. Five minutes listening, five minutes speaking, every day, at the link below. It’s free, and you’ll be ready to start tomorrow morning!
Allez, à très vite : j’ai hâte !
These are great! Extending the thought a bit further, how would “I fox you” fit into the real world? Is it only a tease or is it really a sincere tendresse?