Comme une Française: The Real Meaning of Quand Même for English Speakers

Quand même is a very common expression in spoken French, but it’s very hard to translate. It’s literal English translation doesn’t make much sense, which often makes it difficult for native English speakers to learn. How can you use the expression quand même in spoken French? How can you understand what it means in spoken French conversation — especially whether it’s being used positively or negatively? We’ll explore all of that and more in today’s lesson. Let’s dive in!

Take care and stay safe.

😘 from Grenoble, France. Géraldine

French film critics crown Love Affair(s) their winner

Association of French Film Critics president Philippe Rouyer and director Emmanuel Mouret with his prize for Love Affair(s)
Association of French Film Critics president Philippe Rouyer and director Emmanuel Mouret with his prize for Love Affair(s)

08/03/2021 – Emmanuel Mouret’s feature film walks away with the title of Best French Film of 2020, while Aurel’s Josep is named Best First Film

The Association of French Film Critics has announced its champions for 2020. The accolade of Best French Film of the Year went to Love Affair(s) by Emmanuel Mouret, which sees the movie continuing a winning streak which began with Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection label and has since been bolstered by the 2021 Lumières award for Best Film, as well as 13 nominations for this year’s César awards, the victors of which will be announced on 12 March. Notably starring Camélia Jordana, Nils Schneider, Vincent Macaigne, Jeanna Thiam, Guillaume Gouix, Émilie Dequenne and Julia Piaton, this Moby Dick Films production which was distributed in France in September of last year, courtesy of Pyramide, is sold worldwide by Elle Driver.

The award for Best First French Film, meanwhile, was won by an animated film also bearing Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection stamp of approval: Josep by Aurel. Produced by Les Films d’Ici Méditerranée in co-production with France 3 Cinéma, Spanish group Imagic Telecom and film studios Les Films du Poisson Rouge, Lunanime (Belgium), Promenons nous dans les bois, Tchak, Les Fées Spéciales and Effecto, this trophy for Josep joins an already impressive horde (European Film Award for Best Animated Film, two Lumières awards and the Louis-Delluc Prize for Best First Film). Released in France back in the autumn, courtesy of Sophie Dulac Distribution, the feature film is sold by The Party Films Sales. Continue reading “French film critics crown Love Affair(s) their winner” →

Covid variants are sign of hope says leading French doctor

Covid variants are sign of hope says leading French doctor

By Joanna York

A leading French doctor has said that the emergence of new Covid variants could be a sign of “hope”, as immunity against the virus grows.

Professor Bruno Lina, virologist and member of national health advisory board le Conseil scientifique, spoke to news source FranceInfo yesterday.

He said that increasing immunity due to vaccinations and prior infections was “starting” to impact the spread of the virus, and new variants could be seen as a sign of the Covid-19 virus trying to survive.

He said: “If [the virus] wants to continue to spread within the human population, it has to adapt and evolve.

“That is what it is doing now.”

Virus will not completely disappear

The professor said that while the Covid-19 virus would not completely disappear, it would become less significant over time.

He said: “At a given moment, the potential for the virus to evolve will come to an end.

“At that point, it will join the ranks of other banal seasonal viruses that cause colds and other infections which are not serious.”

UK variant now dominant in France

Covid variants have been partially blamed for the health situation worsening in 20 departments in France in recent weeks.

The UK variant now accounts for 60% of Covid cases nationally.

Specialists have said that the highly contagious strain could become the only variant in circulation by the end of March.

And new strains are still emerging, such as the New York variant, which has been identified in 15 US states since it was first detected in November 2020.

But Professor Lina said the emergence of new variants is a positive sign.

He said: “It’s an element of hope.”

“We are maybe in a phase in which the virus has finished evolving, which means we are coming to the end of the pandemic phase, and will enter into a phase in which circulation of the virus is much lower.”

Source: Covid variants are sign of hope says leading French doctor