Thursday, March 19, 2020

Saying Yes in French With Oui, Ouais, Mouais, and Si

Saying Yes in French With Oui, Ouais, Mouais, and Si Any student of French,  whether class-taught or self-taught, knows how to say yes: oui (pronounced like we in English). But there are some secrets to be revealed about this simple French word if you want to speak like a French native. Yes, I do. Yes, I am. Yes, I can...Just oui in French Saying yes looks pretty straightforward. - Tu aimes le chocolat? Do you like chocolate?- Oui. Yes, I do. However, things are not as easy as they seem. In English, you would not answer this question simply by saying yes. Youd say: yes I do. Its a mistake I hear all the time, especially with my beginner French students. They answer oui, je fais, or oui, jaime. But oui is self-sufficient in French. You may repeat the whole sentence: - oui, jaime le chocolat. Or just say oui. Its good enough in French.   Ouais: the informal French yes When hearing French people speak, youll hear this one a lot.   - Tu habites en France? Do you live in France?- Ouais, jhabite Paris. Yep, I live in Paris. Its pronounced like way in English. Ouais is the equivalent of yep. We use it all the time. Ive heard French teachers say it was vulgar. Well, maybe fifty years ago. But not anymore. I mean, its definitely casual French, just like you wouldnt say yep in English in every situation... Mouais: showing little enthusiasm A variation of ouais is mouais to show that you are not too crazy about something. - Tu aimes le chocolat?- Mouais, en fait, pas trop. Yeah, in fact, not that much. Mouais: showing doubt Another version is mmmmouais with a doubtful expression. This is more like: yeah, youre right, said ironically. It means you doubt the person is saying the truth.   - Tu aimes le chocolat?- Non, je naime pas beaucoup à §a. No, I dont like it a lot.- Mouais... tout le monde aime le chocolat. Je ne te crois pas. Right... everybody likes chocolate. I dont believe you. Si: but yes I do (although you said I didnt) Si is another French word to say yes, but we only use it in a very specific situation. To contradict someone who made a statement in the negative form. - Tu naimes pas le chocolat, nest-ce pas? You dont like chocolate, right?- Mais, bien sà »r que si! Jadore à §a! But, of course I do! I love that! The key here is the  statement in the negative. We dont use si for yes otherwise. Now, si is yes in other languages, such as Spanish and Italian. How confusing! Mais oui This is the typical French sentence: mais oui... sacrebleu...blah blah blah...I really dont know why. I promise you French people dont say mais oui all the time... Mais oui is actually quite strong. It means: but yes, of course, its obvious, isnt it? Its often used when youre annoyed. - Tu aimes le chocolat?  - Mais oui! Je te lai dà ©j dit mille fois! YES! I already told you a thousand times! Now, lets see how to say no in French.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Disappearing Colorsâ€Easy Bleach Project for Kids

Disappearing Colors- Easy Bleach Project for Kids Let kids see for themselves how bleach works with this easy disappearing colors experiment. Disappearing Colors Project Materials food coloringwaterhousehold bleachdropperglass or jar Procedure Fill a glass or jar about halfway full with water.Add a few drops of food coloring. Stir the liquid to make it colored.Add drops of bleach until the color starts to disappear. You can stir the contents of the glass if you like. Continue until the color is gone.Add a few drops of another color. What happens? The color doesnt spread out the same way as it did when coloring was added to pure water. It forms swirls, which may disappear if there is enough bleach in the water. Why It Works Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which is an oxidizer. It oxidizes or reacts with the chromophore or color molecules in food coloring. Although the pigment molecule remains, its shape changes so that it cant absorb/reflect light the same way, so it loses its color as a result of the chemical reaction. Safety Information Be careful to avoid spilling bleach on skin or clothes. Rinse any spills immediately with lots of water.Make sure young experimenters dont drink bleach or the contents of the glass. Diluted bleach is not particularly dangerous, but not good for you either!When you are done with the project, its safe to dump the contents of the glass down the drain and to re-use the washed glass for food.