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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Word of the Day: Polémique

This English equivalent of this French word is rather highbrow, but in France you will hear this regularly in everyday conversation.

Published: 11 September 2024 11:27 CEST

French Word of the Day: Polémique

Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know polémique?

Because this word seems to be more common as society becomes more polarised.

What does it mean?

Polémique – roughly pronounced poe-lay-meek – is a commonly used word in France, and it differs slightly from its English counterpart.

In English, a polemic would be a speech or a critical piece of writing expressing a controversial opinion or attacking a person or thing. You would usually hear it in academic or high-brow settings and sometimes in the media.

Whereas the French word polémique is commonly used in everyday settings and does not solely refer to speeches or writing.

You would use it in the same way you might use the English word ‘controversy’. It can describe a political situation, or any lively debate about a subject people disagree on.

For example, the phrase nouvelle polémique may be a stand-in for ‘the latest culture war’ or describing something as ‘un sujet polémique‘ means that something is a controversial topic.

Polémique in French can also be used as an adjective – a controversial writer might be referred to as an écrivain polémique.

However, when describing people, a person who continuously sparks controversy would more likely be called a polémiste, similar to a polemicist in English.

Use it like this

La politique est épuisante. Les polémiques se succèdent. – Politics are exhausting. It’s just one controversy after the other.

Le joueur de football est au centre d’une nouvelle polémique. – The football player is at the centre of another controversy.

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French Phrase of the Day: Faire sa toilette

Why do I need to know faire sa toilette?

Because this expression might come up when discussing your pet’s daily habits.

What does it mean?

Faire sa toilette – roughly pronounced fair sah twa-let – translates as ‘to do one’s toilet’.

In reality, it does not have to do with urinating, but rather it means to ‘wash with water and soap’ or clean/groom/preen yourself.

This meaning may ring a bell for those familiar with old-fashioned English phrase ‘to be at one’s toilette’ – which can found in novels by authors ranging from Jane Austen to Agatha Christie.

Although the English phrase has largely fallen out of use, the French expression – sometimes shortened to faire toilette – is still used, though it is a bit traditional, and thus more likely to be used by older people.

Instead, you might hear people use se laver (to wash) or prendre une douche (to take a shower).

As for the origins of the expression, we can look to the original meaning of the word toilette (which eventually led to the English word ‘toilet’).

In the mid-16th century, a toilette was a ‘cloth or wrapper’, initially used as a “cloth cover for a dressing table”. Later, it went on to refer to washing oneself, and by the 19th century it referred to a dressing room or washing area.

These days you are most likely to hear faire sa toilette when referring to animals (particularly cats) grooming or cleaning themselves.

Similarly, the expression toilettage means ‘grooming’ for cats and dogs, so if you want to have your animals’ fur professionally brushed or trimmed, then you would pay for a toilettage.

This comes from the verb toiletter, which nowadays is used when discussing the cleaning or brushing of domestic animals. It has a second, colloquial meaning too. You might see toiletter used when discussing a slight modification to a law or legislative text.

Use it like this

Maman doit faire sa toilette avant l’arrivée des invités. – Mum needs to freshen up before the guests arrive.

Le chat fait sa toilette tous les matins. – The cat grooms himself every morning.

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