Talking About Your Period in French

Talking About Your Period in French This happens to every woman. Yet, books are quite shy when it comes to this vocabulary, a skill that we thought could be useful for women traveling to France. First, let’s explore some French expressions to say to have your period. Avoir Ses Rà ¨gles The most common way to say to menstruate is â€Å"avoir ses rà ¨gles†. Les rà ¨gles is a feminine plural word.   Avoir des rà ¨gles douloureuses: to have painful periodAvoir des crampes menstruelles: to have menstrual crampsLes dernià ¨res rà ¨gles: last menstrual periodLe dà ©but / la fin des rà ¨gles: beginning/end of the periodUn cycle d’ovulation: menstrual cycle Note that the word les rà ¨gles is always feminine plural when used for menstruation. Une rà ¨gle is a rule or a ruler (a plastic piece used to draw lines). The context will make it clear which one you are talking about. Tu as tes rà ¨gles: Do you have your period?Tu as une rà ¨gle: Do you have a ruler? Être Indisposà ©e This means to be indisposed, unwell. But it the chosen expression to say in a subtle way to you have your period. Cette jeune fille ne peut pas aller la piscine, elle est indisposà ©e.This young girl cannot go to the swimming pool, she is indisposed. Avoir Ses Ragnagnas I have no idea where this one comes from, but â€Å"ragnagnas† sounds like someone complaining, protesting†¦ which women often do when they menstruate. So that would be my personal interpretation of the expression! Les Anglais ont Dà ©barquà © Definitely one of the strangest French idiom out there. It translates as â€Å"The English have landed† (from a boat). So, what is the relation between English and menstruating? Well, this expression dates back to Napoleon and the British army, then called the redcoats. Go figure! Although this expression is somewhat old-fashioned, it is still used, often kind of as a joke. Dà ©solà ©e, je nai vraiment pas envie daller faire cette randonnà ©e. Je ne me sens pas trà ¨s bien... enfin, pour tout te dire, les anglais ont dà ©barquà ©. Bref, jai mes ragnagnas, jai des crampes et je nai quune envie : rester au lit!Sorry, I really dont feel like going on this hike. I dont feel very well... Well, to tell you everything, Aunt Flo called. In other words, Code Red, I have cramps and I just want one thing: stay in bed! French Vocabulary for Period Products Les protections hygià ©niques: sanitary protectionsUn tampon: a tamponAvec/sans applicateur: with/without applicatorUne serviette hygià ©nique: a sanitary pad / a pantylinerAvec ailettes: with wingsUne coupe menstruelle: a menstrual cupSaigner: to bleedUn saignement: a bleedingUne tà ¢che: a spot Cultural Note About Menstrual Pain As in many countries, speaking about ones period is not considered a proper conversation. French women seldom disclose to girlfriends that they are on their period or discuss their menstrual pains. We would just say that we are tired. Of course, everybody is different.

How to Use Fewer or Less Correctly in Business Writing

How to Use Fewer or Less Correctly in Business Writing You might write that you want fewer mistakes and less inefficiency in your business writing or office. But, it would be incorrect to write that you want less mistakes and fewer inefficiency. Why is that? The answer lies in the type of noun each word modifies. Mistakes and inefficiency are different types of nouns. Mistakesis acountablenoun and the inefficiency is uncountable. Countable nouns are things like reports, products, ideas, employees, and managers. They are countable because you can have 1 employee or 1,000 employees. The word employee can be made plural, and therefore, you can count the word employee.Uncountable nouns are things like efficiency, money, and electricity. You might be able to count these things (we all count money every day) but you cannot count the word money. You simply cannot have 1 money or 1,000 monies. It is correct to use fewer with countable nouns, and less with uncountable nouns. After taking a vacation, you have less time off remaining, but you could also say that you have fewer days off remaining.Time is uncountable so it is used with less, while day is countable so it is used with fewer. Similarly, items are countable, so the common sign "10 Items or Less" seen so often in markets is grammatically incorrect. It should state "10 Items or Fewer." Fewer and less are not the only words that are unique to one type of noun. Here are other examples: Countable Uncountable Fewer Less Many Much A few/Few A little/Little Several - A couple - There are some words that can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. These are: some, plenty of, a lot of, and any.You can have some employees and plenty of electricity, as well as plenty of employees and some electricity. Note: When using any of these modifiers with countable nouns, the noun must be plural. For example, fewer hours, many reports, a few days, several ideas, and a couple of managers. It would be awkward (and grammatically incorrect!) to say fewer hour or several idea.Be careful! There are quite a few words that used as countable nouns even though they are technically uncountable. A good example of this would be coffee. We all say, â€Å"I'll have two coffees, please.† But, this is technically incorrect (it should be two cups of coffee). It is worth remembering that certain nouns (coffee, water, beer, etc.) are uncountable even when used as countable nouns. If you remember that, you will be more likely to choose the correct quantifier. This is important because even though it's not a problem to say, â€Å"I drink two coffees per day,† it is a problem to say, â€Å"I need to drink fewer coffees.† If you are ever in doubt, consult a good dictionary, which will differentiate between countable and uncountable nouns.The nuances of countable and uncountable noun usage may seem small, but they are invaluable to the clarity and ease of your business writing. Remember, business grammar errors are always very individual. To correct your errors, it isn't helpful to review all business grammar rules. Instead, choose an overallbusiness writing courseor business grammar course that provides individual review and feedback on your writing so you can focus on your specific errors.