Why it’s risqué but never passé to use a double entendre in france

JUST BECAUSE WE USE THE FRENCH WORD IN ENGLISH, IT MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME MEANING IN FRENCH Some French words and phrases are used quite ‘wrongly’ in English which has adopted them because

they sound flowery, sophisticated or clever but completely changed their meaning. So if you try a “reverse ferret” and attempt a literal translation of the English usage in French you are

likely to be met with blank incomprehension or laughter. Here are some of the French words you might not know we were using in the wrong way. TOUCHÉ In English, we use _touché _when having a

debate and someone else makes a good point against your argument. It is almost like saying “fair enough”. However, this is not how the French use _touché_. In French, _touché _has lots of

meanings, but not this one. For example, the verb _toucher_ can mean to touch - physically or emotionally - or to receive money;_ j’ai touché mon salaire hier_. It is often used

figuratively; if someone says_ ça m’a touché_ it means they feel moved by something. Un _touché_ in French is a touchdown, and is also used in fencing when the person gets hit or when

playing battleships and your boat is hit - touché ! RISQUÉ In English, we use _risqué _to describe something we deem as either sexually revealing or suggestive, for example someone might say

an outfit is a bit _risqué_. However in French, _risqué _literally means risky, and suggests there is something hazardous or dangerous. PASSÉ When talking about something outdated in

English, we might describe it as _passé_. However in French, _passé _is the past participle of _passer_, which means to pass or to happen. For example, if you said _qu’est-ce qui s’est

passé_ _?_ it means 'what happened?' Meanwhile,_ le passé_ means the past, but it does not refer to things being outdated. READ ALSO: DO YOU KNOW THE ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS OF THESE

FIVE FRENCH EXPRESSIONS? PORTEMANTEAU A _portemanteau_ in English refers to two words put together to make a new word - for example Brexit is a _portemanteau_ word formed by combining

Britain and exit. Meanwhile, in French a _portemanteau _is a coat rack or hat stand. VALET Valet is used in English to describe someone who parks your car for you when you attend an event or

at a fancy hotel. However, in French _valet_ actually refers to a male servant. It is also the French equivalent of Jack in a pack of cards - King, Queen, Jack become _Roi_, _Dame_,

_Valet_. CORSAGE A corsage to English speakers refers to a flower tied around your wrist or attached to your dress when you are attending a wedding or a fancy event. Meanwhile in French un

corsage is a piece of clothing - either a blouse or the bodice of a dress. DOUBLE ENTENDRE In English we use _double entendre_ when a word or phrase has two meanings, and often one meaning

is a bit risqué (in the English sense of the word!) Meanwhile in French, the equivalent would be _une expression à double sens_, while double entendre is not used as an expression in France.

ENSUITE When a room has an ensuite in English it means it has an adjoining bathroom. However, in French _ensuite_ literally means next, or following on. RELATED ARTICLES 10 WORDS USED IN

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