Given that its consonant and vowel linguistic organization produces words that sound lovely and pleasing to the ear, French is often referred to as the language of love.
Many people around the world, including myself, are learning French, and we have seen how it enables us to access a wide range of literature and cultural expression.
Even native speakers of other nations can use words like bonjour, bonsoir, je m’appelle, oui, merci, au revoir, and more to communicate in French.
In contrast to “Bon matin,” which is an attempt to say “Good morning,” “Bonne matinée” is a farewell greeting and is equivalent to saying “Have a wonderful morning.”
French can be easy to learn as it has some resonance with English, therefore French is among the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, according to a foreign language institute.
Keep reading to know more about French words and how their meanings differ from other words in French.
French Language
One of the Romance languages is French. It is the first or second official language in 29 nations across many continents.
With around 77.2 million individuals using it as their first language across 54 nations, it ranks as the 16th most spoken language in the world.
The final syllable of French words typically receives the most stress. Roman grammar served as the historical foundation for French grammar. Because of this, it has a lot in common with other Romance languages.
It serves as the universal tongue of the culinary arts, fashion, theatre, visual arts, dance, and architecture.
French Is The Language Of Love
It is a pleasure to learn French because it is a beautiful, rich, melodious language that is frequently referred to as the language of love. Additionally, it is a language of analysis that fosters critical thinking, a vital ability for conversations and negotiations.
This language has the potential to sound somewhat husky and breathy, both of which make a voice pleasant.
The breathy sound is due to the formation of sounds near the front of the speaker’s lips and the frequency of vowels found in the French language.
The approach is also used to emphasize words repeatedly, emphasizing the center of the word rather than the finish; sentences seem more romantic as a result.
Common Words In French
Our belief is that the French language is attractive and enjoyable to learn.
While honing your conversational French, you can choose from a variety of French dictionaries and more than 200,000 phrases and terms in the language.
You can get some confidence in your ability to grasp the fundamentals of the French language by learning or being familiar with some everyday expressions and basic French vocabulary. You will also get a sense of how the words sound.
Some common French words to learn are as follows:
| French Words | Meaning in English |
| Bonjour | Good morning |
| Bonsoir | Good evening |
| Enchante | Nice to meet you |
| Oui | Yes |
| Merci beaucoup | Thank you |
| Amour | Love |
| Excusez-moi | Excuse me |
What Is Bon Matin?
The English translation of bon matin is “Good Morning.”
The pronunciation is bon-mah-teen. Despite the fact that this is a direct translation of “good morning,” France does not frequently use it.
We strongly advise against using this phrase while wishing French folks good morning, unless you’re traveling in or around the Quebec region.
The formal greeting “bon matin” differs from the more informal “bonjour.”
Whenever you can respond “Hello, how are you doing today?” This is code for “Good morning, how are you?”
What Is Bonne Matinée?
Bonne matinée is another word for “good morning,” however it is used more as a farewell, as in “have a pleasant morning.”
But, it should always be spoken as a greeting when meeting or leaving in the morning. It won’t be proper to use it usually when saying “good morning” because it will completely affect the meaning of the message.
It’s vital to understand that whereas matin signifies a precise time in the morning, matinée refers to the entire morning.
To better comprehend this, consider the phrase “au revoir, bonne matiné,” which translates as “bye, have a good morning.”
Difference Between “Bon Matin” And “Bonne Matinée”
In French, both, ‘bon matin’ and ‘bonne matinee’ mean ‘good morning’. The difference that sets them apart is that one is used to greet someone during arrival or departure, other is restricted to ‘good morning’ only.
‘Bonne matinee’ from the morning is used to welcome someone when you need to differentiate between greetings and wishes. Bonne matinée is a wish that means “Have a great morning.”
In contrast, you mean “good morning” when you say ‘bon matin’. Sometimes those who don’t fully understand French will try to use this as a greeting.
These two expressions should never be used as greetings in French since they are both technically incorrect.
Individuals who speak French prefer to say, “Bonjour,” instead of just “Good morning.” in the morning since it is a more casual greeting and is used more frequently.
Is French Easy To Learn?
Certainly, learning French can be simple because it shares many similarities with English, both in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation.
The Foreign Service Institute ranks Spanish, Italian, and other well-known languages like French in the top 10 easiest languages for English speakers to learn.
The Foreign Service Institute classifies French as a language under category 1. This suggests that for the majority of English speakers, learning French takes 23 to 24 weeks.
Thanks to contemporary technology that has made access to learning languages easier, you can easily learn French on your own. Several French learners have found assistance from online teachers, interpreters, and books.
Why Is French A Famous Language?
In addition to France, it is a primary or official language in some parts of Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, and Canada.
In addition, it is extensively spoken in portions of southeast Asia, particularly in the former French colonies, Lebanon, and North and West Africa.
Portuguese is considered to be the second most extensively used foreign language in international communications, behind English, and is an official or primary second language in 55 nations throughout the world.
Nearly 300 million people speak French either as a first language or a second language.
In addition to being one of the two official languages of the International Postal Union, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Red Cross, it is currently one of the United Nation’s six official languages.
Some Other Famous French Words
Au Revoir
In French “au revoir” signifies goodbye, bye, and farewell. That is the most polite approach to bidding someone farewell.
The “au” is said like the “oh” in “Oh my god!” There is no sign of the letter “re.” Don’t say that out loud. You’re mispronouncing “au revoir” if you do. You pronounce the “voir” as “vwahr.”
The French commonly add the word “allez” before saying “au revoir”. The word “aller”—which signifies to go—is the source of this.
The phrase “Well, goodbye!” can also mean “Au revoir!”
Bonsoir
The standard French greeting for “Good evening” is “Bonsoir.” Its two components are bon, which means good, and soir, which means evening.
As you surely already know, the standard greeting in French is “Bonjour” when you first meet someone. Nevertheless, after a specific hour of the day (about sunset), you should use “Bonsoir” instead (Good evening).
But be careful—”Bonne soirée” is not the same as “Bonsoir.” You should use it when saying goodbye to someone in the evening since it signifies, “I wish you a pleasant evening.”
Conclusion
- Although “matin” and “matinée,” which are sometimes confused, both imply the same thing, their meanings in sentences vary.
- “Bon matin” can be used in the idiom “se lever de bon matin” which implies waking up very early. But, it’s the only expression that does so.
- Have a lovely morning by using “bonnée matinée” in the phrase “passe une bonne matinée.” Moreover, “matinée” always refers to “the entire morning period,” from dawn to noon.
- The language of love is French. It is adored by all for its charming cities, top-notch wines, delectable cuisine, and breathtaking coastline and beaches.
- As you become more proficient in French, you’ll see how many of the terms are remarkably similar even if many of the core vocabularies are considerably different from English.