🇫🇷 La Cage aux Folles-Inspired Beginner’s French Phrasebook 🇫🇷✨

A Fun and Engaging Language Guide Inspired by the April Film Club Feature!

Welcome to our special phrasebook for the delightful 1978 French comedy, ‘La Cage aux Folles‘! This iconic film, directed by Édouard Molinaro, explores themes of identity, acceptance, LGBTQ+ life, and the hilarious complexities of family with warmth and wit. Join us as we dive into the beautiful French language, inspired by the charm and humour of Saint-Tropez and its unforgettable characters. Get ready to embrace a little bit of French flair!

🇫🇷 Basic Greetings and Politeness

French	English Translation	Example in Use
Bonjour	Hello/Good day	Bonjour, comment allez-vous ? (Hello, how are you?)
Au revoir	Goodbye	Au revoir, à bientôt ! (Goodbye, see you soon!)
S’il vous plaît	Please (formal)	S’il vous plaît, donnez-moi le menu. (Please, give me the menu.)
Merci	Thank you	Merci beaucoup pour votre aide. (Thank you very much for your help.)
Excusez-moi	Excuse me/Pardon me	Excusez-moi, où sont les toilettes ? (Excuse me, where are the toilets?)
Enchanté(e)	Nice to meet you	Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance. (Nice to meet you.)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family & Acceptance

French	English Translation	Example in Use
La famille, c’est sacré.	Family is sacred.	Pour nous, la famille, c’est sacré, peu importe sa forme. (For us, family is sacred, no matter its form.)
Accepter les autres.	To accept others.	Il est important d’accepter les autres tels qu’ils sont. (It is important to accept others as they are.)
L’amour n’a pas de genre.	Love has no gender.	Dans notre monde, l’amour n’a pas de genre. (In our world, love has no gender.)
Être soi-même.	To be oneself.	Le plus important est d’être soi-même. (The most important thing is to be oneself.)
Mon fils / Ma fille	My son / My daughter	Mon fils va se marier ! (My son is getting married!)
Nous sommes une famille.	We are a family.	Même si nous sommes différents, nous sommes une famille. (Even if we are different, we are a family.)

🎭 Identity & Performance

French	English Translation	Example in Use
Changer d’identité.	To change identity.	Pour la soirée, il a dû changer d’identité. (For the evening, he had to change his identity.)
Faire semblant.	To pretend.	Nous devons faire semblant d’être quelqu’un d’autre. (We must pretend to be someone else.)
Le spectacle doit continuer.	The show must go on.	Malgré les difficultés, le spectacle doit continuer. (Despite the difficulties, the show must go on.)
Se cacher.	To hide oneself.	Il n’est pas toujours facile de se cacher. (It’s not always easy to hide oneself.)
La vérité éclate toujours.	The truth always comes out.	On ne peut pas mentir éternellement, la vérité éclate toujours. (You can’t lie forever, the truth always comes out.)
Jouer un rôle.	To play a role.	Dans la vie, nous jouons tous un rôle. (In life, we all play a role.)

🗺️ Everyday Conversations & Travel

French	English Translation	Example in Use
Où est la plage ?	Where is the beach?	Excusez-moi, où est la plage s’il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, where is the beach please?)
Je voudrais un café.	I would like a coffee.	Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s’il vous plaît. (I would like a coffee and a croissant, please.)
L’addition, s’il vous plaît.	The bill, please.	Monsieur, l’addition, s’il vous plaît. (Sir, the bill, please.)
Parlez-vous anglais ?	Do you speak English?	Pardon, parlez-vous anglais ? (Excuse me, do you speak English?)
Je ne comprends pas.	I don’t understand.	Je suis désolé, je ne comprends pas. (I am sorry, I don’t understand.)
C’est combien ?	How much is it?	C’est combien, cette belle robe ? (How much is this beautiful dress?)

📝 Famous La Cage aux Folles Quotes & Everyday Uses!

French	English Translation	Example in Use
Try to walk like John Wayne.	Try to walk like John Wayne.	Used humorously when someone needs to appear more masculine or confident.
Albin, you are the greatest performer on the Riviera.	Albin, you are the greatest performer on the Riviera.	To praise someone’s talent or performance, especially in a theatrical context.
Je suis ce que je suis.	I am what I am.	A declaration of self-acceptance and identity, often used to assert one’s true nature.
On ne peut pas mentir éternellement, la vérité éclate toujours.	You can’t lie forever, the truth always comes out.	A reminder that secrets eventually come to light, applicable in many situations.
La famille, c’est sacré.	Family is sacred.	To emphasise the importance of family bonds and loyalty.

🔢 Numbers 1–10 in French

Number	English	French	Pronunciation
1	One	Un	uhn
2	Two	Deux	duh
3	Three	Trois	trwah
4	Four	Quatre	katr
5	Five	Cinq	sank
6	Six	Six	sees
7	Seven	Sept	set
8	Eight	Huit	weet
9	Nine	Neuf	nuhf
10	Ten	Dix	dees

🏆 Final Thoughts

We hope this phrasebook adds another layer of enjoyment to your viewing of ‘La Cage aux Folles’ and inspires you to explore the French language further. Remember, language is a journey, and every phrase learned is a step towards understanding new cultures and perspectives.

👇Share your favourite phrases and film moments with us using the hashtags below!

📌 #LaCageAuxFolles #FrenchCinema #FilmClub #LanguageLearning #FrenchPhrasebook