Thinking about learning French? Chances are you already know more French than you might think. Borrowing is something that happens often between languages, and French is no exception. Many French words are used so often in the English language that you might not even be aware of their origin, and others are used precisely because they carry that French je ne sais quoi.

 

• À la mode (In the way/style of): English speakers generally use this phrase to mean “with ice cream”.

 

• RSVP = répondez s’il vous plait (Reply, if it pleases you): Party invitations look naked without this acronym, though I doubt many people know it comes from French.

 

• Femme fatale (Deadly woman): Often dressed in a sexy black dress, the femme fatale is as dangerous as she is seductive.

• Cul-de-sac (Bottom of the bag): This one just rolls off the tongue like it was created to describe a dead end street. The problem comes when one wants to make it plural. The English speaker adds the obligatory –s at the end but the proper pluralization is culs-de-sac.

 

• Faux pas (False/wrong step): Don’t stress out about committing too many of these or you’ll lose your…

 

• Joie de vivre (Joy of living): This one is pretty self-explanatory.

 

• Chic (stylish): Chic sounds more chic than using the word “stylish”.

 

• Eau de toilette (Grooming water): “Grooming water” sounds a lot better than the bathroom related faux amis usually attributed to this phrase.

• Hors d’oeuvre (Outside of the work): Want your cheese and cracker appetizer plate to seem more chic call them hors d’oeuvres and call it a day.

 

• Ménage à trois (Household of three): I doubt there are many people over the age of 14 that don’t know what this means to the average English speaker.

 

• Déjà-vu (Already seen before): I bet you’re feeling a bit of that looking at this list. How many of these words have you been using without really knowing you were speaking French at the time?

 

So, how do you feel about learning French now? Do you feel like you have a bit of a head start? Learning a new language can seem daunting, but the important thing is not to worry about what you have yet to do and stay positive about what you’ve already accomplished. By the looks of this list, you’ve already accomplished quite a bit without really even trying. Good for you!

 

What other French words have you been using in your everyday life?