B1 · 33 words
Festivals and customs in French
What a year is made of, and what happens at each turn of it.
Practise this list
From these 33 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
The list for the days a calendar is built around. One word on it crossed into English and each language kept a different half. La fanfare in French is the *band*: the brass players in uniform who march at the front of a procession and play under the trees on a Sunday — a group of people you can point at. English « fanfare » is the *sound*: the short blast of trumpets that announces somebody, and from there the fuss made about anything at all, which is why « without fanfare » means quietly. Neither will do for the other. The English for the players is « a brass band »; the French for the blast is une sonnerie de trompettes or une fanfare de trompettes, where the second word has to be added. So a sentence saying a village has its own fanfare is about thirty people with instruments, not about a noise.
The words
Verb (2)
fêterto celebrateVerbB1
trinquerto clink glassesVerbB1
Noun (1)
Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une
les confettisthe confettiNounB1
Noun (m) (18)
Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une
l’anniversairethe birthday, the anniversaryNoun (m)B1
le saint patronthe patron saintNoun (m)B1
le défiléthe paradeNoun (m)B1
le marché de Noëlthe Christmas marketNoun (m)B1
le feu d’artificethe fireworks displayNoun (m)B1
le quatorze juilletthe French national dayNoun (m)B1
le carnavalthe carnivalNoun (m)B1
le masquethe maskNoun (m)B1
le costume traditionnelthe traditional dressNoun (m)B1
le réveillonthe late-night festive mealNoun (m)B1
le sapin de Noëlthe Christmas treeNoun (m)B1
le cadeau de Noëlthe Christmas presentNoun (m)B1
le muguetthe lily of the valleyNoun (m)B1
le toastthe toast (short speech)Noun (m)B1
le mariagethe weddingNoun (m)B1
le témointhe witness at a weddingNoun (m)B1
l’enterrementthe funeralNoun (m)B1
le deuilthe mourningNoun (m)B1
Noun (f) (12)
Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une
la traditionthe traditionNoun (f)B1
la coutumethe customNoun (f)B1
la fête patronalethe patronal festivalNoun (f)B1
la processionthe processionNoun (f)B1
la fanfarethe brass bandNoun (f)B1
la foirethe fairNoun (f)B1
la veillethe day before, the eveNoun (f)B1
la crèchethe nativity sceneNoun (f)B1
la bûchethe yule log cakeNoun (f)B1
la galette des roisthe Twelfth Night cakeNoun (f)B1
la fèvethe charm hidden in the Twelfth Night cakeNoun (f)B1
la mariéethe brideNoun (f)B1
Missing a word? Look it up in the dictionary
This list belongs to Food, weather and nature — twelve lists and 485 words that can also be practised as a whole.