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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Expression of the Day: La Première ministre

A brand new coinage in the French language that reflects the changing times.

Published: 20 May 2022 15:29 CEST
French Expression of the Day: La Première ministre
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know la Première ministre?

Because France has one now.

What does it mean?

La Première ministre – usually pronounced lah prem-ee-air mean-east-ruh– translates as “the prime minister,” but this spelling is different from what you might be used to seeing.

This title is feminised, indicating that the prime minister in question is a woman. Under former PMs such as Jean Castex, the masculine title Le Premier ministre was used.

Élisabeth Borne made headlines on May 16th not only because she was appointed as France’s second female prime minister, but also because she will be the first to use the feminisation of the work title: Madame la Première ministre. The female prime minister who held the position before her, Edith Cresson, used the masculine version of the title.

Feminising work titles has been controversial in France, and most titles like “le Premier ministre” have been automatically put in masculine form.

But in 2019, France’s infamous Academie Francaise, which polices the French language and typically resists any sweeping changes to it, changed their stance and said there was “no obstacle in principle” to the wholesale feminisation of job titles. 

Use it like this

Le Président Emmanuel Macron a fait une annonce importante. Élisabeth Borne est la Première ministre. – President Emmanuel Macron made an important announcement: Élisabeth Borne is the prime minister.

“Madame la Première ministre, qui avez-vous choisi pour diriger votre nouveau gouvernement ?” a demandé le journaliste. – “Madame Prime Minister, who have you chosen to lead your new government?” asked the journalist.

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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Expression of the Day: Ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche

This French expression is a good one to teach your unfiltered friend.

Published: 26 April 2024 10:50 CEST
French Expression of the Day: Ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche

Why do I need to know ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche?

Because depending on your sensitivity level, you would either seek out this type of person or try to stay far away from them.

What does it mean?

Ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche – roughly pronounced nuh pahz ah-vwar lah lahng dahn sah poe-sh – translates precisely as ‘to not have the tongue in the pocket’.

This is an old French expression, dating back to the 19th century, and it does not have anything to do with literal tongues in pockets. 

It refers to someone who speaks freely and without any restraint. In English one might say that ‘they do not hold back’ or perhaps ‘calls a spade a spade’ – it means someone who is blunt and says exactly what they are thinking, regardless of whether it might offend or upset people.

A person qui n’a pas la langue dans sa poche might be borderline rude, or impulsive, as they speak without thinking.

While you are most likely to hear this in the negative sense (about a blunt person), you could also use it in the opposite way (avoir la langue dans sa poche) to describe someone who is guarded and speaks carefully.

There are a couple of similar French expressions, though they do not convey exactly the same meaning of speaking carelessly. One option is être un moulin à paroles (‘to be a mill with words’, or to speak a lot and quickly, without taking any pauses). 

Another is une pipelette for someone who talks a lot and enjoys gossiping. 

Use it like this

Ne t’inquiète pas, ma belle-mère n’a pas la langue dans sa poche. Elle dira exactement ce qu’elle pense. – Don’t worry, my mother in law does not hold back. She will say exactly what she is thinking.

Il n’a pas la langue dans sa poche. Il m’a dit carrément que ma robe était moche. – He is brutally honest. He told be outright that my dress was ugly.

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