Day 3356 (Sunday) 16th August 2026 

This is Villefranche

and this is Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

 

It was very hot and humid again today, we still don’t see any evidence of the canicule (heatwave) ending. We went down to the square for lunch in Bobby’s and surprisingly town wasn’t very busy considering it’s high season.

There were loads of boats in the bay and the tourist boat was full.

Here are the rest of the French expressions from the day before yesterday …

Madame v. Mademoiselle

Technically, the difference between these two terms is age, but this is also a situation where language has evolved and changed in recent years.

The basic difference is presumed age - madame would be for a woman, while mademoiselle would be for a girl or a young woman (teens and early 20s, usually). Historically the title of madame was only given to married women, while mademoiselle was given to young girls or single women, but the titles have not been linked to marital status for many years.

However, these days more and more women say they don't like mademoiselle and don't see why the language needs to differentiate between young women and older women, when all men are referred to simply as monsieur.

Because the language itself has changed, you'll likely notice a difference in how French people use these based on their age  - older people are more likely to call a waitress mademoiselle, for example.

You can safely use mademoiselle with children and teenagers, but once you have doubt about someone's age it is best to stick with 'madame' to avoid causing any offence  - although one of the benefits of being a foreigner is that you're more likely to be given the benefit of the doubt in these matters.

Examples

Comment je peux vous aider, madame ? - How can I help you, ma'am?

Que veux-tu pour Noël, mademoiselle ? - What do you want for Christmas, miss?

C'est bon v. C'est bien

Google Translate would have you believe that there is no difference between these two terms, as both translate into 'it's good'.

However, the choice between bon and bien can be tricky, and French people even get them confused. Don't stress too much about mixing up these words, as both do express a positive sentiment.

The easiest rule of thumb is to use 'bon' when talking about something you can taste or smell.

Bon is also used when discussing the weather or if something is correct (ex. The article is good like that - L'article est bon comme ça)

Meanwhile, bien is typically used when describing something that has been done in a satisfying manner. For example, you might reply 'c'était bien' after your friend asks how your holiday was.

There are some other grammar rules to keep in mind. While technically both words can be adjectives, you are much more likely to see bon in this sense. 

On the other hand, bien can be used as an adverb, similar to how one might use 'well' in English (ex. He speaks French well, Il parle bien français)

Examples

C'est un bon cuisinier - He is a good cook.

C'est très bon. J'aime ce vin. - It is very good. I like this wine.

Il cuisine bien. - He cooks well.

Les vacances se passent bien ? - Are your holidays going well?

Je pense v. Je crois

If you are looking to express an opinion, you can opt for either of these phrases.

The small difference between them is based on how you want your opinion to be received. Je pense means 'I think' and this can be rather neutral, simply informing the other person that based on your reasoning you think "X=Z".

Je crois means 'I believe', so you might use this when expressing a subjective conviction or when you want to leave a little room for doubt.

Examples

Je pense qu'elle est dans la cuisine - I think she is in the kitchen.

Je crois qu'il serait plus rapide de prendre le métro. - I believe it would be faster to take the Metro.

C'est pas grave v. Y'a pas de quoi

There are a few ways in French to tell someone that 'it's no big deal' or 'no worries'.

One option is c'est pas grave, which you might say to a waiter if they mixed up your drink order.

The other possibility is y'a pas de quoi - you might say this to your friend after fronting them a few euro for a drink. 

The difference between these expressions is very minute - y'a pas de quoi is a bit more colloquial, so it would be best used amongst friends, while c'est pas grave can be used in many different situations.

Examples

J'ai oublié le pain / C'est pas grave - I forgot the bread/ It's no big deal.

Merci, je t'inviterai la prochaine fois. / Y'a pas de quoi. - Thanks, I'll get you next time. / Don't worry about it.

De rien v. Je vous en prie

Most of the time, you can stick with de rien when saying 'you're welcome' in French, but if you want to give a more formal response you can say je vous en prie.

Oftentimes, servers or people who work in the service industry will respond 'je vous en prie' after a customer says thank you. It is slightly more polite than de rien.

Examples

Merci, le repas était délicieux/ Je vous en prie - Thank you, the meal was delicious / You're welcome.

Merci pour ton aide. / De rien - Thanks for your help / You're welcome.

Merde v. Mince

Looking to let off a little steam? Depending on your audience, you can opt for either merde or mince. 

Merde means 'shit' (as such, you will also hear it used literally to describe faeces, usually belonging to an animal). It is a more offensive way to express frustration or disappointment, so you should be careful who you say it around.

Meanwhile, mince basically means 'damn' or 'crap'. It is more acceptable around children, older people, nuns or in formal settings.

Mince is one of several examples of 'fake swearing' that take the first letter of a profanity - it's roughly equivalent to saying 'sugar' in English when you mean 'shit'. 

Examples

Merde, j'ai raté la sortie - Shit, I missed the exit

Oh mince, Julie a oublié ses devoirs à la maison - Oh crap, Julie forgot her homework at home

Au revoir v. Adieu

And finally, there are two words for goodbye in French, but one is a lot more final than the other.

If you are hanging up the phone, leaving a friend's house, or getting on the train - each with the assumption you will see the other person again - you might say au revoir. In fact, the The Sound of Music may have misled us, because the vast majority of situations would end in 'au revoir' instead of 'adieu.'

This is because adieu presumes finality. It is what you would say to someone you never expect to see again. Most of the time, it is used by the French press when wishing a farewell to actors or important figures who have died. 

Examples

J'y vais maintenant. Au revoir, à demain. - I am heading off now. Goodbye, see you tomorrow.

En 2023, nous avons dit adieu à l'acteur de Friends, Matthew Perry. - In 2023, we said farewell to the Friends actor Matthew Perry.