The french language can be a little bit complex. French people often speak at breakneck speed and never as the text book suggests. If you ask a french man to slow down his speech he will speed up automatically. And never, never ask any question in french if you're not prepared for the answer in french.
This is even more complex on the phone. Or, if you're not prepared for the answer in English, which will often come uninvited from those who think they are helping, from those who actually are helping, and from those who really want to test out their language skills on you. (Or from those who want to hint how rubbish your french actually is, though this category of people is thankfully, rare).
I have friends who speak fluent English. In which case I usually speak to them in English, as their English is better than my French. I have others who are half and half, in which case, I will speak half and half, and I'm ok with that. I have others who speak no English at all, and that suits me just fine as well, though of course I have to put more effort in and get the brain cells working. It's then I realise just how much I don't know!
For a person such as I who always does well with solid things, the french language is a great test. I love the German, the Russian and the Spanish language. Yet in french many of the letters at the beginning of a word are not pronounced. Many at the end are also not pronounced. The rest are squashed somewhere in the middle. And I mean squashed.
I said a french man will not slow down. Actually, it's the women who tend to speak faster. Probably too busy doing x, y and z, as women do. No bias there of course.
Anyway, for all that, they have a very useful word.
When I first moved to Wales my husband knew one word of Welsh in a very Welsh place. The two neighbouring farmers had the name of Jones. The two health visitors also had the surname of Jones. The three doctors in the village were all called Jones. The word was 'Iawn'. Meaning I think something like 'OK'. I don't know it's exact equivalent usage, but I remember he used to have whole conversions with farmer Jones, going back and forth using this word and not much else.
I think that the french word 'bon' is equally useful.
More so in fact. Take a look at this:
Happy Birthday Bon Anniversaire
Have a good trip Bon Voyage
Keep your chin up Bon Courage
Enjoy your meal Bon Appétit
Safe trip home Bon Retour
Get well soon Bon Rétablissement
Have a good trip Bon Voyage
Happy New Year Bonne Année (female equivalent 'cos a year is female. Well, this is french, it has to be complicated somewhere)
There are others, I'm sure anyone could tell me. But as you see, it is a useful word indeed. And that is my french lesson for today!
