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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Word of the Day: Partager

You might think you already know this French word, but it has some other usages you may not be familiar with.

French Word of the Day: Partager
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know partager?

Because you may not be familiar with the other ways you can use this French verb.

What does it mean?

Partager – roughly pronounced par-tah-jay – is the French verb for ‘to share’, and probably one of the -ER verbs you first learned to conjugate in French.

As you would expect, you’ll most commonly hear the word partager when discussing sharing a dessert or teaching manners to small children. 

You might also use partager when discussing ‘sharing an experience’ – nous avons partagé une belle soirée ensemble (we shared a beautiful evening together).

But there are a few other contexts that you might hear this term, such as when you need to divide something. For example, if you want to split the bill with someone at a restaurant, you can tell the server on va partager. If you want an alternative, you can also say on va diviser par deux (we will divide it by two).

It can also be used when discussing one’s opinions or thoughts on a matter. If you saw a movie with your French friend, you might ask them what they thought after walking out of the theatre. In response, they might say Je ne sais pas. Je suis partagé, which means ‘I don’t know. I’m torn’.

In this context, partager basically means to be undecided or ‘in two minds’ about something. 

Use it like this

Je lui ai dit que je ne savais pas pour qui j’allais voter. Je suis partagé. – I told him I don’t know who I’m going to vote for. I’m torn.

Nous partagerons la facture, s’il vous plaît. – We will split the bill, please.

Il a dit au bambin de partager ses jouets avec sa sœur. – He told the toddler to share his toys with his sister.

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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Word of the Day: Flipper

This French word does not have anything to do with marine mammals.

French Word of the Day: Flipper

Why do I need to know flipper?

Because this anglicism is used a bit differently in French than it would be in English.

What does it mean?

Flipper – roughly pronounced flea-pay – is a colloquial French term and these days it means to be upset or overly anxious. People often use it similarly to the English expression ‘to freak out’.

As you may have expected, the term is an anglicism, and it comes from the English word ‘to flip’. 

However, in French it does not mean to literally flip something over – you would use renverser for that. It comes from a different usage of the word ‘flip’, more in line with ‘losing one’s head’.

The word started being popular in France in the 1970s, and at that time it was almost exclusively used to describe the experience of ‘freaking out’ or having a bad trip after taking LSD or other hallucinogenic drugs, according to Le Figaro.

Over time, it started to refer to the period of depression many people experience after feelings of euphoria when high, as well as the anxiety that one might feel due to withdrawal. 

Nowadays, people mainly use it to refer to any irrational response. You can also call something flippant (shocking).

A more formal synonym for flipper might be paniquer.

And if you find yourself in an arcade, you may hear the word a few times, as flipper is also the French term for a pinball machine.

Use it like this

Arrête de flipper, on va être à l’heure.  – Stop freaking out, we’re going to be on time.

Les résultats des élections m’ont vraiment fait flipper. Mes amis n’ont pas été surpris pour autant. – The results of the election really freaked me out. My friends weren’t surprised though.

J’ai flippé en regardant le film d’horreur. – I freaked out when I was watching the horror movie.

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