The soft c and the hard c in French

1. 1
   place/plas/

   squarenoun

   An open space surrounded by buildings, in the middle of a town or village.
2. 2
   cadeau/kado/

   giftnoun

   Something you give someone to make them happy.
3. 3
   cave/kav/

   cellarnoun

   A room under a house, where wine and old belongings are kept.
4. 4
   curiosité/kyʁjozite/

   curiositynoun

   An object or fact that's strange, noticed because it stands out from the ordinary.
5. 5
   cerise/səʁiz/

   cherry redadjective

   A vivid red, the color of the fruit of that name.
6. 6
   ceinture/sɛ̃tyʁ/

   beltnoun

   A strip of leather or fabric worn around the waist.
7. 7
   costume/kɔstym/

   suitnoun

   A matching jacket and trousers, worn by a man.
8. 8
   cirage/siʁaʒ/

   shoe polishnoun

   A paste or cream applied to leather shoes to make them shine.
9. 9
   façon/fasɔ̃/

   waynoun

   The manner in which something is done.
10. 10
    reçu/ʁəsy/

    receiptnoun

    A small piece of paper proving that you paid.

The sentences

1. La brocante prend toute la place du village ce matin.

   The flea market takes up the whole village square this morning.

2. Je cherche un cadeau ici sur la place, pas trop cher.

   I'm looking for a gift here in the square, not too expensive.

3. Est-ce que vous avez trouvé tout ça dans une cave ?

   Did you find all this in a cellar?

4. Cette boîte en bois est une vraie curiosité, vous ne trouvez pas ?

   This wooden box is a real curiosity, don't you think?

5. Je préfère la veste rouge cerise, elle est plus jolie.

   I prefer the cherry red jacket, it's prettier.

6. Est-ce que cette ceinture en cuir est à vendre ?

   Is this leather belt for sale?

7. Ce costume gris est un peu trop grand pour moi.

   This gray suit is a bit too big for me.

8. Vous vendez aussi du cirage noir pour ces vieilles chaussures ?

   Do you also sell black shoe polish for these old shoes?

9. De toute façon, je ne peux pas dépenser plus de vingt euros.

   Either way, I can't spend more than twenty euros.

10. Est-ce que vous pouvez me donner un reçu pour ça ?

    Can you give me a receipt for that?

Pronunciation

• curiosité/kyʁjozite/

  The c is said /k/ and the u is pronounced /y/, like in "lune", never like "ou".

• cerise/səʁiz/

  An s between two vowels is pronounced like a z.

• ceinture/sɛ̃tyʁ/

  "ein" is pronounced as a single nasal vowel /ɛ̃/, and the u is said /y/, like in "tu".

• costume/kɔstym/

  The u is said /y/, like in "rue"; the final e is silent.

• façon/fasɔ̃/

  The ç gives the sound /s/, and "on" is nasal: there's no n at the end.

• reçu/ʁəsy/

  The ç is said /s/ and the u is said with rounded lips, never like "ou".

Good to know

brocante

A brocante is an outdoor flea market where people sell secondhand items, antiques and curiosities, usually held on weekends in a town square.

marchandage

Light haggling is common at flea markets, though sellers don't always expect it, and prices are often already reduced.

espèces

Many stallholders only take cash, so it helps to carry small bills and coins.

Questions

How do you say "gift" in French?

"Gift" is cadeau, as in "Je cherche un cadeau ici sur la place, pas trop cher."

What does façon mean?

Façon means "way" or "manner", the manner in which something is done, as in "De toute façon, je ne peux pas dépenser plus de vingt euros."

How do you ask for a receipt?

You can say "Est-ce que vous pouvez me donner un reçu pour ça ?"