Bonjour, this is Frederic and I would like to personally welcome you to the thirty-eighth episode of the Talk in French Podcast!
This podcast is intended for beginner to intermediate French language learners and French culture enthusiasts. For advanced level learners, I also have an all-French Podcast which you would probably enjoy more.
Talk In French Podcast is included in our Talk in French Membership program.

In this episode:
- Some information about French culture. Are the French rude? My opinion about this common question
- Some French Words and expressions
- French nouns with two genders: How the gender of a word changes a sentence immensely. Like saying "This is a basement" to "This is an idiot"
What's in This Podcast?
French Travel and Culture
Discover some interesting aspects of French travel and culture.
Vocabulary and Expressions
Learn useful French vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
French Grammar Explanation
Get to know important grammar points and learn how to use it.
Listen to This Podcast Episode Now
French Vocabulary Included in This Episode:
des baskets | trainers |
des chaussures | shoes |
les vêtements | clothes |
un haut | a top |
un jogging | a tracksuit |
un maillot de foot | a football shirt |
un pantalon | trousers |
un polo | a polo shirt |
un pull | a jumper |
un short | shorts |
un sweat | a sweatshirt |
une chemise | a shirt |
une jupe | a skirt |
une robe | a dress |
une veste | a jacket |
French Expressions from This Podcast Episode:
c’est kif-kif et bourricot | it's even, it's all the same |
Sauter au plafond | To show extreme signs of happiness |
une bonne bête good | natured person good beast |
Tenir quelqu’un à l’oeil | To watch someone |
C'est dans la poche | It's in the bag |
Chassez le naturel mais il revient au galop | You never hide / can rid of your natural tendencies |
bête à manger du foin | dumb enough to eat hay |
Confusing French Words with a Double Meaning
- le cave - (familiar) idiot, sucker vs la cave - basement, cellar
- le livre - book vs la livre - pound (currency and weight)
- le manche - handle vs la manche - sleeve la Manche - English Channel. Also an expression: "Il s’y prend comme un manche". Listen the podcast to learning the meaning
- le mémoire - memo, report, memoirs vs la mémoire - memory
- le mi-temps - (work) part-time vs la mi-temps - (sports) half, half-time
- le mode - method, way, mood vs la mode - fashion
- le moule - mold vs la moule - mussel
- le physique - physique, face vs la physique - physics
- le plastique - plastic vs la plastique - modeling arts, body shape
- le platine - platinum vs la platine - turntable, deck, strip of metal
- le poêle - stove vs la poêle - frying pan
- le tour - tour, turn, trick vs la tour - tower, rook (chess)

Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with Talk in French Complete Courses
Links to Articles and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Courses
- Grammar Articles
- Vocabulary Articles list
- Leaning Method
- Why Russians smile less than Westerners (in French). A perspective that can be similar with the French.
Also on iTunes
This podcast is also available on iTunes, so if you prefer to listen on your device, please check it out on iTunes and give me an honest review here . I updated the RSS feed so all the information is available there.
Once again your feedback will be greatly appreciated and it would help me develop more learning resources for you. If you have time, please leave a review in iTunes, too.

Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with Talk in French Complete Courses
J’aime bien le photo de Gerard Depardieu avec le sous-titre “rude”. Très rigolo!
Haha oui 🙂
This was so entertaining and informative!! I’m so sad I didn’t discover it till now! I went to France in 2019 and I did find a couple of Parisians “rude” from my point of view, but your clarified the exact reasons I had for them being rude and now I understand. I guess I had to look at it from a different angle. Merci beaucoup! I loved this!
I am glad you liked it.