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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Word of the Day: aïe

More of a sound than a word but still very common... although hopefully you won't need it too often.

Published: 25 April 2019 17:03 CEST

French Word of the Day: aïe

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Why do I need to know aïe?

Aïe is a sound you will hear a lot around France and it may be one that moves you to ask the person who utters it if they're ok.

One thing you can be sure of is that you definitely don't want to be in a position where you're saying it a lot.

So, what does it mean?

The action that goes with this word is a deep frown or perhaps even a wince of pain, because it is the French equivalent of 'ouch!' or 'ow!' in English.

So for example you might say: Aïe! Je me suis piqué le doigt. – Ow! I pricked my finger.

Or Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Je viens de me couper. – Ouch! I just cut my finger.

It can also mean 'oh', 'oh dear', 'oh no' or 'oh my'.

In this case, you might say: Aïe! Que se passe-t-il? – Oh my! What's happening?

How is it pronounced?

This one's a little hard to put into words, but luckily here's an example of how to pronounce it online.

For more French Expressions and French Words of the Day you can CLICK HERE to see our full list

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French Phrase of the Day: Faire sa toilette

Why do I need to know faire sa toilette?

Because this expression might come up when discussing your pet’s daily habits.

What does it mean?

Faire sa toilette – roughly pronounced fair sah twa-let – translates as ‘to do one’s toilet’.

In reality, it does not have to do with urinating, but rather it means to ‘wash with water and soap’ or clean/groom/preen yourself.

This meaning may ring a bell for those familiar with old-fashioned English phrase ‘to be at one’s toilette’ – which can found in novels by authors ranging from Jane Austen to Agatha Christie.

Although the English phrase has largely fallen out of use, the French expression – sometimes shortened to faire toilette – is still used, though it is a bit traditional, and thus more likely to be used by older people.

Instead, you might hear people use se laver (to wash) or prendre une douche (to take a shower).

As for the origins of the expression, we can look to the original meaning of the word toilette (which eventually led to the English word ‘toilet’).

In the mid-16th century, a toilette was a ‘cloth or wrapper’, initially used as a “cloth cover for a dressing table”. Later, it went on to refer to washing oneself, and by the 19th century it referred to a dressing room or washing area.

These days you are most likely to hear faire sa toilette when referring to animals (particularly cats) grooming or cleaning themselves.

Similarly, the expression toilettage means ‘grooming’ for cats and dogs, so if you want to have your animals’ fur professionally brushed or trimmed, then you would pay for a toilettage.

This comes from the verb toiletter, which nowadays is used when discussing the cleaning or brushing of domestic animals. It has a second, colloquial meaning too. You might see toiletter used when discussing a slight modification to a law or legislative text.

Use it like this

Maman doit faire sa toilette avant l’arrivée des invités. – Mum needs to freshen up before the guests arrive.

Le chat fait sa toilette tous les matins. – The cat grooms himself every morning.

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