法语

• Pinyin: Fǎ yǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 法 = France (abbreviated); 语 = 言 (speech) + 吾 (I, phonetic) — French language

Meaning

French (language). The Romance language spoken in France and many other countries.

One of the six official UN languages, spoken in France, parts of Canada (Quebec), Belgium, Switzerland, and many African countries. Related: 法国 (France), 法国人 (French person), 学法语 (study French). France is often romanticized in Chinese culture for fashion, cuisine, and romance.

Examples

1. 她大学主修法语，毕业后在一家法国公司工作。 She majored in French in college and works at a French company after graduation.
2. 法语的发音对中国人来说挺难的，尤其是那个小舌音。 French pronunciation is quite difficult for Chinese people, especially that uvular sound.
3. 魁北克虽然在加拿大，但主要语言是法语而不是英语。 Although Quebec is in Canada, the main language is French, not English.

Usage Guide

Context: language, education, culture

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 你会说法语吗？(Do you speak French?)
• 我正在学法语，已经学了半年了。(I'm learning French; I've been studying for half a year.)

Don't Say

• 把法语和法文混淆 (法语 and 法文 both mean French, but 法语 emphasizes spoken language while 法文 emphasizes written language — in most contexts they're interchangeable)

Origin & History

Compound of 法 (France, abbreviation of 法兰西) + 语 (language). 法兰西 is a phonetic transcription of 'France.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal