essay on health in french

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French Vocabulary: Exercise and Healthy Lifestyles

Posted by Barbara Kruger on Thursday, October 1, 2015 · Leave a Comment  

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French Vocabulary: Exercise and Healthy Lifestyles le vocabulaire français: l’exercice et la bonne hygiène de vie

• Terms associated with healthy living and staying in shape .
• Engage with people in activities and physical fitness .

Good health is important for everyone, and getting exercise and having a healthy lifestyle  (l’exercice et la bonne hygiène de vie)  are key! Learn how to discuss healthy lifestyles in French!

une activité physique : physical activity

J’essaie de faire au moins une activité physique par jour. I try to do at least one physical activity per day.

le bien-être : well-being

Ils font attention au bien-être de leurs enfants. They  (masc.) pay attention to the well-being of their children.

la santé : health

À votre santé ! Cheers! (Literally: To your health!)

arrêter de fumer : to quit smoking

Mon père vient d’ arrêter de fumer . My father just quit smoking.

boire de l’eau : to drink water

Il faut boire au moins soixante-quatre onces de l’eau par jour. You should drink at least sixty-four ounces of water per day.

dormir suffisament : to get enough sleep

Quand il ne dort pas suffisament , il devient grincheux. When he doesn’t get enough sleep, he gets crabby.

éliminer le stress : to eliminate stress

J’aime faire de l’exercice pour éliminer le stress . I like to exercise to eliminate stress

être en bonne forme : to be in good shape

Les athlètes sont en bonne forme . The athletes are in good shape.

être au régime / suivre un régime :to be on a diet / to follow a diet

Ma soeur est toujours au régime ! My sister is always on a diet!

éviter les sucreries : to avoid sweets

J’essaie d’ éviter les sucreries . I try to avoid sweets.

faire attention à ce qu’on mange : to pay attention to what you eat

Quand il ne fait pas attention à ce qu’il mange , il prend des poids. When he doesn’t pay attention to what he eats, he gains weight.

faire de l’exercice : to exercise

Mes amis font de l’exercice au centre de remise en forme. My friends exercise in the fitness center.

faire le jogging : to jog / to go jogging

Le couple aime faire le jogging ensemble. The couple likes to go jogging together.

faire la marche à pied : to walk / to go walking

Je fais la marche à pied avec ma voisine. I go walking with my neighbor.

faire de la musculation : to work out / to lift weights

L’équipe fait de la musculation au gymnase. The team is working out in the gym.

faire des pompes (masculine) : to do push-ups

Les soldats doivent faire des pompes . The soldiers have to do push-ups.

faire la randonnée : to go hiking

La famille aime faire la randonnée aux montagnes. The family likes to go hiking in the mountains.

faire des redressements : to do sit-ups

Je n’aime pas faire des redressements . I don’t like to do sit-ups.

faire des tractions : to do pull-ups / to do push-ups

Il peut être difficile de faire des tractions . It can be difficult to do pull-ups.

garder la forme / garder la ligne : to stay in shape

Nous essayons de garder la forme . We try to stay in shape.

grossir / prendre des poids : to gain weight

Elle ne veut pas grossir . She does not want to gain weight.

maigrir / mincir / perdre des poids : to lose weight

Je suis au régime et j’ai perdu des poids ! I’m on a diet and I lost weight!

manger équilibré : to eat a balanced diet

Ma mère s’assure que nous mangeons équilibré . My mother makes sure that we eat a balanced diet.

manger sain : to eat a healthy diet

Il mange sain , avec plein de fruits et de légumes. He eats a healthy diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Qui aime faire des redressements? Who likes to do sit-ups?

Que faites-vous pour garder la forme? What do you (formal) do to stay in shape?

Quand font-ils de l’exercice? When do they (masculine) exercise?

Où est-ce qu’elles font du jogging? Where do they (feminine) go jogging?

Pourquoi est-il important dormir suffisant? Why is it important to get enough sleep?

Comment puis-je perdre des poids? How can I lose weight?

Combien de tractions peux-tu faire? How many push-ups can you (informal) do?

Quelles activités physiques préférez-vous? Which physical activities do you  (formal) prefer?

• Quizlet: French Vocabulary – Exercise and Healthy Lifestyles via Kruger
• YouTube/modernforeignlanguages@hampton: healthy lifestyle
• YouTube/monsieurpattinson: French – Santé
• YouTube/monsieurpattinson: Gangnam Style Parody – Je suis en bonne forme
• YouTube/Mike Elliott: Santé (Quand j’étais jeune)

Category: French Vocabulary Lessons · Tags: bonne , Exercise , francais , french , healthy , hygiène , Leçon , lesson , Lifestyles , vie , vocabulaire , vocabulary

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How to Write an Essay in French

Have something to say?

When it comes to expressing your thoughts in French , there’s nothing better than the essay.

It is, after all, the favorite form of such famed French thinkers as Montaigne, Chateaubriand, Houellebecq and Simone de Beauvoir.

In this post, I’ve outlined the four most common types of essays in French, ranked from easiest to most difficult, to help you get to know this concept better. 

Why Are French Essays Different?

Must-have french phrases for writing essays, 4 types of french essays and how to write them, 1. text summary (synthèse de texte).

• 2. Text Commentary (Commentaire de texte)

3. Dialectic Dissertation (Thèse, Antithèse, Synthèse)

• 4. Progressive Dissertation (Plan progressif)

And one more thing...

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Writing an essay in French is not the same as those typical 5-paragraph essays you’ve probably written in English.

In fact, there’s a whole other logic that has to be used to ensure that your essay meets French format standards and structure. It’s not merely writing your ideas in another language .

And that’s because the French use Cartesian logic (also known as Cartesian doubt) , developed by René Descartes , which requires a writer to begin with what is known and then lead the reader through to the logical conclusion: a paragraph that contains the thesis. Through the essay, the writer will reject all that is not certain or all that is subjective in his or her quest to find the objective truth.

Sound intriguing? Read on for more!

Before we get to the four main types of essays, here are a few French phrases that will be especially helpful as you delve into essay-writing in French:

Introductory phrases , which help you present new ideas.

Connecting phrases , which help you connect ideas and sections.

Contrasting phrases , which help you juxtapose two ideas.

Concluding phrases , which help you to introduce your conclusion.

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The text summary or synthèse de texte  is one of the easiest French writing exercises to get a handle on. It essentially involves reading a text and then summarizing it in an established number of words, while repeating no phrases that are in the original text. No analysis is called for.

A  synthèse de texte  should follow the same format as the text that is being synthesized. The arguments should be presented in the same way, and no major element of the original text should be left out of the  synthèse.

Here is an informative post about writing a synthèse de texte , written for French speakers. 

The text summary is a great exercise for exploring the following French language elements:

• Synonyms , as you will need to find other words to describe what is said in the original text.
• Nominalization , which involves turning verbs into nouns and generally cuts down on word count.
• Vocabulary , as the knowledge of more exact terms will allow you to avoid periphrases and cut down on word count.

While beginners may wish to work with only one text, advanced learners can synthesize as many as three texts in one text summary. 

Since a text summary is simple in its essence, it’s a great writing exercise that can accompany you through your entire learning process.

2. Text Commentary  (Commentaire de texte)

A text commentary or commentaire de texte   is the first writing exercise where the student is asked to present an analysis of the materials at hand, not just a summary.

That said, a  commentaire  de texte  is not a reaction piece. It involves a very delicate balance of summary and opinion, the latter of which must be presented as impersonally as possible. This can be done either by using the third person (on) or the general first person plural (nous) . The singular first person (je) should never be used in a  commentaire de texte.

A commentaire de texte  should be written in three parts:

• An introduction , where the text is presented.
• An argument , where the text is analyzed.
• A conclusion , where the analysis is summarized and elevated.

Here is a handy in-depth guide to writing a successful commentaire de texte,  written for French speakers.

Unlike with the synthesis, you will not be able to address all elements of a text in a commentary. You should not summarize the text in a commentary, at least not for the sake of summarizing. Every element of the text that you speak about in your commentary must be analyzed.

To successfully analyze a text, you will need to brush up on your figurative language. Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Here’s an introduction to figurative language in French.
• This guide to figurative language  presents the different elements in useful categories.
• This guide , intended for high school students preparing for the BAC—the exam all French high school students take, which they’re required to pass to go to university—is great for seeing examples of how to integrate figurative language into your commentaries.
• Speaking of which, here’s an example of a corrected commentary from the BAC, which will help you not only include figurative language but get a head start on writing your own commentaries.

The French answer to the 5-paragraph essay is known as the  dissertation .  Like the American 5-paragraph essay, it has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The stream of logic, however, is distinct.

There are actually two kinds of  dissertation,  each of which has its own rules.

The first form of  dissertation  is the dialectic dissertation , better known as  thèse, antithèse, synthèse . In this form, there are actually only two body paragraphs. After the introduction, a thesis is posited. Following the thesis, its opposite, the antithesis, is explored (and hopefully, debunked). The final paragraph, what we know as the conclusion, is the  synthesis , which addresses the strengths of the thesis, the strengths and weaknesses of the antithesis, and concludes with the reasons why the original thesis is correct.

For example, imagine that the question was, “Are computers useful to the development of the human brain?” You could begin with a section showing the ways in which computers are useful for the progression of our common intelligence—doing long calculations, creating in-depth models, etc.

Then you would delve into the problems that computers pose to human intelligence, citing examples of the ways in which spelling proficiency has decreased since the invention of spell check, for example. Finally, you would synthesize this information and conclude that the “pro” outweighs the “con.”

The key to success with this format is developing an outline before writing. The thesis must be established, with examples, and the antithesis must be supported as well. When all of the information has been organized in the outline, the writing can begin, supported by the tools you have learned from your mastery of the synthesis and commentary.

Here are a few tools to help you get writing:

• Here’s a great guide to writing a dialectic dissertation .
• Here’s an example of a plan for a dialectic dissertation , showing you the three parts of the essay as well as things to consider when writing a dialectic dissertation.

4. Progressive Dissertation ( Plan progressif)

The progressive dissertation is slightly less common, but no less useful, than the first form.

The progressive form basically consists of examining an idea via multiple points of view—a sort of deepening of the understanding of the notion, starting with a superficial perspective and ending with a deep and profound analysis.

If the dialectic dissertation is like a scale, weighing pros and cons of an idea, the progressive dissertation is like peeling an onion, uncovering more and more layers as you get to the deeper crux of the idea.

Concretely, this means that you will generally follow this layout:

• A first, elementary exploration of the idea.
• A second, more philosophical exploration of the idea.
• A third, more transcendent exploration of the idea.

This format for the dissertation is more commonly used for essays that are written in response to a philosophical question, for example, “What is a person?” or “What is justice?”

Let’s say the question was, “What is war?” In the first part, you would explore dictionary definitions—a basic idea of war, i.e. an armed conflict between two parties, usually nations. You could give examples that back up this definition, and you could narrow down the definition of the subject as much as needed. For example, you might want to make mention that not all conflicts are wars, or you might want to explore whether the “War on Terror” is a war.

In the second part, you would explore a more philosophical look at the topic, using a definition that you provide. You first explain how you plan to analyze the subject, and then you do so. In French, this is known as  poser une problématique  (establishing a thesis question), and it usually is done by first writing out a question and then exploring it using examples: “Is war a reflection of the base predilection of humans for violence?”

In the third part, you will take a step back and explore this question from a distance, taking the time to construct a natural conclusion and answer for the question.

This form may not be as useful in as many cases as the first type of essay, but it’s a good form to learn, particularly for those interested in philosophy. Here’s an in-depth guide  to writing a progressive dissertation.

As you progress in French and become more and more comfortable with writing, try your hand at each of these types of writing exercises, and even with other forms of the dissertation . You’ll soon be a pro at everything from a synthèse de texte to a dissertation!

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Comment rester en bonne santé

Lucie interviews Marine for her podcast about healthy habits in this B1 bilingual article. After listening to the audio, click any word for the English translation and links to related grammar lessons.

• Kwiziq interactive readers are great way to practice your reading skills without getting lost. Click on any phrase for the English translation and related French grammar lessons , that you can study now or add to your Notebook." data-tooltip-theme="tooltipster-generic" data-tooltip-interactive="true">What's this?
• More French reading practice

Click any word in the text to see its translation and related grammar lessons.

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Healthy Living – French VLOG – Useful GCSE & A2 Listening Practice

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La Santé French Listening Practice on Healthy Living for GCSE & CEFR A2

Use this exclusive French VLOG on healthy living, lifestyle and health as French listening practice for GCSE, iGCSE & A2 level French.

I am always trying to create useful French teaching materials for my French students. Not only my students, but other MFL teachers. In this commission, Ryan, a native French speaker talks about his healthy and unhealthy habits, as well as those in France in general. He mentions topics such as: food, drink, sport, TV, as well as smoking and alcohol. The VLOG comes with a worksheet to test your listening comprehension skills. It will allow you to enhance and improve your French listening skills in a fun way.

There is also a transcript that you can download to check understanding. You could also pinch useful words and phrases which you can incorporate into your French speaking on the topic. Have you watched my other French VLOGs for GCSE French and CEFR A2 Level for further advanced beginner French listening practice?

La Santé VLOG With Native French Speaker for Listening Practice

You can watch the full ‘HEALTHY LIVING VLOG’ – les bonnes et les mauvaises habitudes on YouTube here:

WORKSHEET to be used alongside: ‘La santé – les bonnes et les mauvaises habitudes’ with listening comprehension activities and vocabulary based tasks.

Download here:

TRANSCRIPT for this exclusive ‘La santé – les bonnes et les mauvaises habitudes’ VLOG for GCSE French, iGCSE French, CEFR A2 and advanced beginner French learners.

French listening practice can be undertaken in many ways, especially when learning a language. For example, French learners can listen to podcasts, the radio and audio books. They are all  fantastic ways to tune the ear to listen in French. However, all of these contain general vocabulary and phrases. If you would like to learn French, improve your French listening skills at advanced beginner level. For example at French GCSE, iGCSE or CEFR A2 level on the topic of la sante / healthy living, listen to this healthy living VLOG! Try and undertake some of my listening activities alongside it!

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Write an essay in French

Beyond the fact that writing an essay in French can be a good practice to improve your writing, you may also be asked to write one during your schooling. So, it is important to study the topic of French essay writing and get some useful tips..

» Tips and tricks for your French essay » The structure of a French essay » Sample French Essay

Tips and tricks for your French essay

When writing a French essay for school, you should always use a structured approach and good French skills to present your arguments in a focused way. Beyond French skills, there are also important formal requirements for a successful French essay. We will come back to this in detail later. First, you will find some useful tips and tricks that will help you write more compelling and better French essays in the future.

• Have a clear thesis and structure
• Do sufficient research and use reliable sources
• Use examples and arguments to support your thesis
• Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
• Always check structure, grammar and spelling

When you write your essay at school or university, you need to make sure that the general structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments and, above all, your French language skills play a role in the mark you will get. This is why you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for French essays.

The structure of a French essay

In an essay, you deal at length and in detail with a usually given topic. When you write an essay in French, you must follow a certain structure. Below we show you what this structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your essay.

The Introduction

The introduction prepares the main body of your essay. You think of a meaningful title for your essay, you describe your thesis or your question, you give general information on the subject and you prepare your argument by giving an overview of your most important arguments.

Below are examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction to your essay in French.

The title should be meaningful, concise and reflect the content of the essay.

Introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay:

Proposal or question

The central proposition or question of your French essay should be a clear and concise definition of the purpose of the essay. Use these examples to get a clearer idea of ​​how to write theses in French:

Overview of Arguments and Structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay (your outline) and outline your argument. Here are some French expressions that will certainly help you write your essay:

The body of your essay

The main part of your French essay deals with the given topic in detail. The subject is studied from all angles. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argument and discusses in detail the main arguments of your thesis previously made in the introduction.

In the body of the text, you should discuss the subject of your essay in clear and concise language. To achieve this, we give you some wording aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use to write your essay in French.

Formulation tools:

French vocabulary for essays.

In the conclusion of your French essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion in the main body, and draw a conclusion. On the basis of the arguments and the resulting conclusions, you formulate in the conclusion of your dissertation final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your text.

Here are some wording guides to help you write your essay in French:

Sample French Essay

Les avantages des voyages linguistiques

Malgré les difficultés potentielles, les voyages linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour leur développement personnel et académique.

Les séjours linguistiques sont des voyages organisés dans le but d'améliorer les compétences linguistiques des participants. Ces voyages peuvent se dérouler dans le pays ou à l'étranger et durer d'un week-end à plusieurs semaines. L'un des principaux avantages des séjours linguistiques est l'immersion. Entourés de locuteurs natifs, les apprenants sont contraints de pratiquer et d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques dans des situations réelles.Il s'agit d'une méthode d'apprentissage beaucoup plus efficace que le simple fait d'étudier une langue dans une salle de classe.

Un autre avantage des séjours linguistiques est l'expérience culturelle. Voyager dans un nouveau pays permet aux apprenants de découvrir de nouvelles coutumes, traditions et modes de vie, et de se familiariser avec l'histoire et la culture du pays. Cela enrichit non seulement l'expérience d'apprentissage de la langue, mais contribue également à élargir les horizons et à accroître la sensibilisation culturelle.

Cependant, les séjours linguistiques peuvent également présenter des inconvénients. Par exemple, le coût du voyage et de l'hébergement peut être élevé, en particulier pour les séjours de longue durée. En outre, les apprenants peuvent être confrontés à la barrière de la langue ou à un choc culturel, ce qui peut être difficile à surmonter. Le coût et les difficultés potentielles des séjours linguistiques peuvent sembler décourageants, mais ils offrent des avantages précieux en termes d'épanouissement personnel et scolaire.

Les compétences linguistiques et les connaissances culturelles acquises peuvent déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités d'emploi et améliorer la communication dans un cadre professionnel. Les bourses et les aides financières rendent les séjours linguistiques plus accessibles. Le fait d'être confronté à une barrière linguistique ou à un choc culturel peut également être l'occasion d'un développement personnel. Ces avantages l'emportent largement sur les inconvénients et font des séjours linguistiques un investissement qui en vaut la peine.

En conclusion, malgré les difficultés potentielles, les séjours linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour le développement personnel et académique. Qu'il s'agisse d'un débutant ou d'un apprenant avancé, un voyage linguistique est une expérience à ne pas manquer.

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Health in French

You never know when you’ll need to talk about your health in French , so it’s best to be prepared. After today’s French language lesson with audio you’ll be able to say if you’re not feeling well, and recognize the French words for a health shop, natural medicine and more.

But it’s not always about medical French … Ever heard French people saying santé when they raise their glasses for a toast and wondered what it meant? It’s the expression for cheers in French!

Resources for further reading: The top ten French hacks The best French software: what you need to know

Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Rocket Record lets you perfect your French pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!

Talking about Health in French

En bonne santé

In good health

En mauvaise santé

In poor health

Je me sens bien aujourd'hui !

I feel good today!

Je me sens mal !

I am not feeling well!

La médecine naturelle

Natural medicine

Les aliments naturels

Health foods

Le centre diététique

Health food shop

Le centre médical

Health center

And the word for health in the following well-known phrase is translated as “ le meilleur ” which means literally “the best”!

And I have added in a few more general French terms to do with health in to increase your vocab!

Pour le meilleur et pour le pire !

In sickness and in health!

La pharmacie

The pharmacy

Un médicament

Le docteur or le médecin

Une ambulance

An ambulance

Appelez une ambulance !

Call an ambulance!

L'hôpital

The hospital

I hope you are enjoying these French lessons !

À bientôt! Marie-Claire Rivière and the Rocket French Team

Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement

Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!

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This dossier will provide direct links to various websites on the theme thus providing French teachers with authentic material for developing the Language Awareness, Cultural Awareness and Basic Communicative Proficiency of their pupils.

Short article and video in French about children refusing to eat and the condition known as 'anorexia'.

How it maps to the curriculum

Strand: Reading

Strand unit: Health

Suggestions for use: Suitable for higher level students. Read through in class and play video. Some help will be required with vocab. Speakers speak quickly in the video too.

Dix conseils pour la santé mentale

Ten short points to help build a positive mental attitude. Includes such pieces of advice like accept a compliment, help others, determine your strengths.

Suggestions for use: Attractive style that students will relate to in this age of Twitter and short sentances. Display on class computer and discuss the points raised.

Writing Practise on Health

Worksheet to practise health vocabulary.

Strand: Vocabulary

Dialogue : J'ai besoin d'un docteur

Sound file and written text around a visit to the doctor. The text contains a number of gramatical and spelling errors which you must identify. Answers given. Score recorded.

Strand: Topics

Suggestions for use: Perfect for class computer and IWB.

Strand: 2. Language Awareness

Strand unit: 1. The Workings of the Target Language

Dialogue : En sortant de chez le dentiste

Sound clip and written text around a visit to the dentist. There are some gramatical and spelling errors which the user must discover. Answers provided and score recorded.

Suggestions for use: Do the exercises in class. Perfect activity for class computer.

La santé et la médecine

Activities associated with a printed book Bon Voyage. Includes a concentration game, webquest, online quiz - all associated with healthy habits.

Suggestions for use: The activity sheet associated with teh webquest is very good and could be printed. The online quiz is quite long and some help may be needed with vocab.

Est-ce que tu manges bien?

Healthy food exercise in which the user listens to a video and fills in the gaps. If the video is unavailable the 'read the script' button gives a transcript of the contents of the video. Hints available for each word in the gap exercise.

Suggestions for use: Excellent activity, but the video will probably not play so it will be necessary to read the transcript. This can be printed out for class use.

Est-ce que tu bois de l'alcool?

Gapped exercise on toxic substances. Part of a health dossier. Listen to text in the video (may not play) or view the script and then fill in the gaps. Hints available for each word.

Suggestions for use: The video does not play so you will need to view the script.

Hi, I hope you are well. I'm Manon, your French teacher for Ohlala French Course.

How are you doing these days? No, I'm asking because between the coming winter with all its illnesses and the imminent approach of a possible fifth wave of Covid-19, it's important to check in.

Perfect transition: wouldn't it be useful to know how to talk about your health and illnesses in French? A little bit, right?

Well, that's good because that's what I'm going to talk about today.

We're going to see how to talk about your health, how to answer the doctor's questions, how to describe your symptoms, how to get news about someone who is sick and how to wish someone a good recovery.

Doctor's Questions in french:

Well, normally, the first thing to do when you are sick is to go to the doctor. Unless you are self-medicating like 8 out of 10 French people. Self-medication is taking medication without medical advice.

So what questions might a French doctor ask you?

The doctor may ask you:

Qu’est-ce qui vous amène ?

That is, why do you come to the doctor?

We'll see how to answer this question right after.

Quels sont vos symptômes ?

That is, how do you feel? Where does it hurt?

Avez-vous des problèmes de santé en particulier ?

That is, other than the symptoms you have, do you have any other health problems?

Avez-vous des antécédents médicaux ? 

That is, if you have had serious or significant medical problems in the past.

Describe your symptoms in French:

Let's see how we can describe our symptoms. We can describe our symptoms to the doctors, but also to someone close to us who asks about us.  

To talk about our state of health, we will use the verb “ être ” or “ se sentir ” :

• Je suis malade
• Je me sens mal / Je me sens pas bien / Je me sens faible

More colloquially, we can say:

• je suis patraque / je me sens patraque 

That is, I feel sick.  

Afterwards, we will detail and talk about our symptoms:

To express the pain, we will use “ avoir + mal ”.

• J’ai mal à la gorge / J’ai mal à la tête / J’ai mal au ventre / etc.  

We also have the specific symptoms of the diseases. 

The symptoms of the cold are:

le nez qui coule : j’ai le nez qui coule

ou le nez bouché : j’ai le nez bouché

un mal de tête : j’ai mal à la tête

un mal de gorge : j’ai mal à la gorge

une toux : je tousse

We can have  une toux sèche , i.e. without secretions or une toux grasse , i.e. with secretions.

des éternuements : j’éternue beaucoup  

The symptoms of the flu are:

de la fièvre : j’ai de la fièvre / j’ai 39 de fièvre

une toux sèche : j’ai une toux sèche

de la fatigue : je suis très fatigué(e) / je me sens fatigué(e)

des courbatures : j’ai des courbatures

des frissons : j’ai des frissons  

And we have the symptoms of the Covid-19 :

There are flu-like symptoms and other symptoms such as :

une perte de goût et d’odorat : je n’ai plus de goût ni d’odorat

des difficultés respiratoires : j’ai du mal à respirer

une douleur au niveau de la poitrine : j’ai mal au niveau de la poitrine  

And to talk about diseases, we can use several verbs:

the verb “avoir” : j’ai un rhume

the verb “attraper” : j’ai attrapé la grippe

more colloquially, the verb “choper” : j’ai chopé le / la Covid-19

You can also often hear a French person say : j’ai chopé la crève. La crève , It is a cold or a flu.

Checking up on someone :

In winter and during a pandemic, it's important to check in on our loved ones.

Here are a few questions to ask when checking in on your loved ones :

Comment tu te sens ?

Ça va ? 

Ça va mieux ?

Tu te sens bien ?

Tu te sens mieux aujourd’hui ?  

We also have questions that we can ask when the person has recovered, when he or she is no longer sick:

Est-ce que tu as récupéré ?

Tu as retrouvé la forme ?

Tu as repris du poil de la bête ?

It's an idiomatic expression “ reprendre du poil de la bête ” which means that we regain energy after an illness.

Wish a speedy recovery in french :

Of course, if someone close to us is sick, we will wish them a speedy recovery.

Here are several sentences that can be said :

Bon rétablissement !

Soigne-toi bien !

Prends soin de toi !

Rétablis-toi bien !

Prompt rétablissement !

Repose-toi bien !

Remets-toi vite !

I'll see you soon for new adventures, in French of course! 🇫🇷

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Tout litige en relation avec l’utilisation du site www.ohlalafrenchcourse.com est soumis au droit français. Il est fait attribution exclusive de juridiction aux tribunaux compétents de France.

11. Lexique.

Utilisateur : Internaute se connectant, utilisant le site susnommé.

Informations personnelles : « les informations qui permettent, sous quelque forme que ce soit, directement ou non, l'identification des personnes physiques auxquelles elles s'appliquent » (article 4 de la loi n° 78-17 du 6 janvier 1978).

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French › Level three lessons › Health · La santé

• Adolescence
• Historical France
• Revolutionary France
• Modern France
• Current events

Lessons · Vocabulary · Grammar · Appendices · Texts

• 1 V: Illness
• 2 G: Simple Future of Irregular Verbs
• 3.1 Formation
• 3.2 Affirmative
• 3.3 Negative
• 4.1 Formation
• 4.2 Placement
• 5 V: Visiting the Doctor
• 6 V: Visiting the Dentist
• 7 V: Healthcare
• 8 V: Emergencies
• 9 V: Medicine
• 10 V: Body parts
• 11 V: Body position
• 12 V: Common sentences
• 13 E: 3.03 1 - Body Parts - Visual Memorization

G: Simple Future of Irregular Verbs

The simple future of irregular verbs, like the passé composé of many irregular verbs, must be memorized. What makes this somewhat easy is that verbs with similar endings normally have similar future stems.

For example, the future stem of the verb venir is viendr-. Verbs like venir (devenir, revenir) have a very similar stem (deviendr-, reviendr-).

G: Issuing Commands in French - l'impératif

• The nous form commands are used to say "Let's...".
• The subject is not used when giving a command.

Take away the ending and add on the following shown in the table.

Affirmative

The negative imperative is formed by placing the imperative between "ne" and "pas/jamais/rien/etcetera."

Ne parle pas! (Don't speak!)

Ne regarde jamais le soleil! (Never look at the sun!)

French adverbs, like their English counterparts, are used to modify adjectives , other adverbs, and verbs or clauses. They do not display any inflection; that is, their form does not change to reflect their precise role, nor any characteristics of what they modify.

In French, as in English, most adverbs are derived from adjectives. In most cases, this is done by adding the suffix -ment ("-ly") to the adjective's feminine singular form. For example, the feminine singular form of lent ("slow") is lente , so the corresponding adverb is lentement ("slowly"); similarly, heureux → heureusement ("happy" → "happily").

As in English, however, the adjective stem is sometimes modified to accommodate the suffix: Audio : Native French Speaker

• vrai → vraiment ("real" → "really")
• poli → poliment ("polite" → "politely")
• constant → constamment ("constant" → "constantly")
• récent → récemment ("recent" → "recently")
• précis → précisément ("precise" → "precisely")
• gentil → gentiment ("nice" → "nicely")

Some adverbs are derived from adjectives in completely irregular fashions, not even using the suffix -ment :

• bon → bien ("good" → "well")
• mauvais → mal ("bad" → "badly")
• meilleur → mieux ("better"-adjective → "better"-adverb)
• pire → pis ("worse"-adjective → "worse"-adverb)

And, as in English, many common adverbs are not derived from adjectives at all:

• ainsi ("thus" or "thusly")

The placement of French adverbs is almost the same as the placement of English adverbs. Audio : Native French Speaker An adverb that modifies an adjective or adverb comes before that adjective or adverb:

• complètement vrai (" completely true")
• pas possible (" not possible")
• tellement discrètement (" so discreetly")

An adverb that modifies an Infinitive (verbal noun) generally comes after the infinitive:

• marcher lentement ("to walk slowly ")

But negative adverbs, such as pas ("not"), plus ("not any more"), and jamais come before the infinitive:

• ne pas marcher (" not to walk")

An adverb that modifies a main verb or clause comes either after the verb, or before the clause:

• Lentement il commença à marcher or Il commença lentement à marcher ("Slowly, he began to walk" or "He began slowly to walk").

Note that, unlike in English, this is true even of negative adverbs:

• Jamais je n'ai fait cela or Je n'ai jamais fait cela (" Never have I done that" or "I've never done that")

V: Visiting the Doctor

Audio : Native French Speaker Le patient :

• Je suis malade. (I am ill).
• J'ai mal à la tête. (I have a headache).
• J'ai de la fièvre. (I am fevrish)
• J'ai mal au ventre.
• Je vomis. (I vomit)
• Je tousse. (I cough)
• Comment allez-vous ?
• Prenez de l'aspirine.
• Je vais vous prescrire un médicament.
• Prenez une cuillère de sirop matin, midi et soir
• Il faut passer un "scanner"
• Il faut passer des radios.
• Il faut vous opérer.

V: Visiting the Dentist

Audio : Native French Speaker

• J'ai mal aux dents.
• Vous avez une carie.
• Je dois procéder à une extraction. (Il va enlever la dent)
• J'ai un appareil dentaire.
• Je vais utiliser la roulette.
• Ahhhhhhhhhh !

V: Healthcare

V: emergencies.

• Je vais à l'hôpital.
• C'est grave !
• Je vais aux urgences.
• J'ai eu un accident de voiture.
• SAMU=Service Ambulancier Médical d'Urgence
• En cas d'accident grave, il faut téléphoner au SAMU (15) ou aux pompiers (18) ou au 112.

V: Medicine

V: Body parts

Here is the vocabulary to speak about body parts : Audio : Native French Speaker Audio : Native French Speaker

V: Body position

And here is the vocabulary for body positions :

V: Common sentences

When you 'catch a cold' you 'attrapes un rhume'. When you're sick, tu es malade . When you wish to say that parts of your body are sore, you say "J'ai mal au/à la/à l'/aux [body part] ...". Example: J'ai mal à la tete. (I have a headache); J'ai mal aux dents (My teeth hurt).

E: 3.03 1 - Body Parts - Visual Memorization

• Point to different parts of the body and recite its name in French par cœur .

Level three lessons

Vacations · Work · Health · Money · Youth · Adolescence · Historical France · Revolutionary France · Modern France · Current events

Lessons  :

Introductory · Level one · Level two · Level three · Level four

French  : Lessons · Vocabulary · Grammar · Appendices · Texts

• Book:French
• Book:French/Lessons/Level three

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• v.85(5); 2007 May

La recherche bibliographique en médecine et santé publique : guide d’accès

Tomas allen.

a Librarian, Library and Information Networks for Knowledge, World Health Organization, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.

Author : Évelyne Mouillet Publisher :  Elsevier SAS France :  Paris ;  2006 ISBN  2-84299-684-4; softcover158 pages; price  € 25

I recently read a novel set in an American college in which the author made numerous references to the main characters “googling” for information or having “googled” for all the research on their latest assignment. With the web so readily available, one might raise the question of why a book aimed at medical and public health researchers on recherche bibliographique (bibliographic searching) is needed, and one in French at that? Now that students and researchers have Google, or better yet the recently released beta version of Google Scholar, to find all the public health information on the web, why would anyone need something as old-fashioned as a book on bibliographic searching? Just enter a few keywords into any search engine and you have an unlimited amount of information at your fingertips ( même en français ).

I would argue the need is probably greater now than ever before for a book on organized systematic searching. While huge depositories of information are readily available through a basic computer search, it is not always the best or most complete information. The temptation is to take what is available with just a few clicks on your mouse versus a visit to a library for a book or a journal article, or doing an in-depth and informed search. Researchers in the area of medicine and public health, however, need to be able to locate the most up-to-date, relevant and evidence-based information possible. To obtain this information requires a systematic methodology for attacking the huge amount of health literature and assuring that all the major and important sources are queried in order to obtain the best information

Évelyn Mouillet has written a simple and well-laid-out guide for searching medical and health literature in a straightforward manner. The book begins with a discussion of how to search the basic sources. While basic searching need not be complex, it does require the kind of systematic approach which Mouillet presents in this book. She progresses through the major French-language health resources and then covers international sources (almost exclusively English). Important medical databases such as PubMed are covered with a clear explication of the differences between MEDLINE and PubMed. Also covered are bibliographic management software with emphasis on EndNote. The guide is made even more user-friendly by its inclusion of many illustrations and visual guides that mimic the computer screen during a search.

Is there truly a need for guide such as this in French? Having covered the A to Z language spectrum, where I conducted library training sessions for an Albanian-speaking-only audience via a French interpreter, and having used Vietnamese versions of WHO publications during a library presentation, I welcome any documentation to assist in teaching researchers how to conduct in-depth searching. While the majority of the resources may be in English or use an English interface, it is beneficial for non-Anglophones to have access tools in their maternal language. Basic concepts of Boolean searching are better learnt in one’s most conversant language, and my personal observations over ten years of teaching reinforce this belief.

A couple of changes would improve further editions. A stronger chapter devoted to defining the research question would make the book more useful to medical and public health researchers. As a librarian, my most important contacts with researchers are spent defining and probing their research questions, a step which involves breaking the question down into its various components. This vital step helps to determine which resources will be used and the breadth of resources to be searched. An overly broad question can lead to the frustrating situation of bringing up literally tens of thousands of hits. Refining the question allows for a more manageable number of articles, perhaps including the article that has already summarized and evaluated the best information from all those other articles.

I also noticed a definite preference for resources located within France. This ignores the rich resources of Francophone research outside of France, including Belgium, Canada, Switzerland and Francophone Africa, all of which offer relevant, high-quality research. Africa Index Medicus (AIM), for example, is a bibliographic database that indexes many Francophone African journals and reports, often with links to the articles’ full text. Sole reliance on the French databases, even with supplementation from PubMed and Embase, almost ensures that researchers will miss relevant research, because research from developing countries may not be indexed by the major databases or there can be significant delays from when the research is published until it appears in the major databases.

Évelyne Mouillets’s book is, however, one of the better books to guide readers in searching for medical and health information that I have read. Hopefully the publisher will come out with a translation, as not only is it an excellent guide to searching, but it would also be useful to have an English version to encourage researchers to explore valuable French-language resources. ■

Eating healthy and French food vocabulary

Updated: March 13, 2021 by Mylene in French Vocabulary Array  ▪ English Français  

Today, more than ever, it is important to stay in shape. The most important thing is eating healthy. Preparing and sharing food is one of, perhaps the essential, pleasures of French culture. In this article, you’ll discover the French food vocabulary for eating healthy.

Let’s talk about healthy food in French

To start, I’m going to give you four tips that will help you to eat healthily. You’ll discover the French culture and habits around food.

Here is the list of French vocabulary that I’ll cover in this article:

• Fruits of the spring season
• Vegetables of the spring season
• Starchy Food
• The benefits of local food
• Protein and dairy products
• The French meals

Eating healthy Tips (Video)

Check out this video in French that explains everything in this post. Click to watch French food vocabulary and tips .

To follow more updates, subscribe to the YouTube channel and follow me on Instagram .

1. Consume fruits and vegetables

The first tip is to have a preference for the fruits and vegetables in your dishes and if possible, the fruits and vegetables that are in season.

In spring , among the fruits in season that are available:

• la pomme: apple
• la poire: pear
• le pamplemousse: grapefruit
• la fraise: strawberry
• la cerise: cherry
• la rhubarbe: rhubarb
• la tomate: tomato

In spring, the vegetables in season are:

• le concombre: cucumber
• la carotte: carrot
• l’asperge: asparagus
• l’endive: endive
• les épinards: spinaches
• la betterave: beetroot
• la blette: chard
• la laitue: lettuce
• le petit pois: pea
• le navet: turnip
• le chou-fleur: cauliflower
• le radis: radish
• le poireau: leek

2. Eat in moderation

The second tip is to eat in moderation and in particular: starchy foods. Do not mainly eat pasta. You have to eat various starchy food.

I propose that you consume for example:

• le quinoa: quinoa
• la semoule: semolina
• l’avoine: oat

One benefit of starchy foods is that you can store them for a long time.

Leguminous vegetables are also a good choice. Here are a few ideas:

• des haricots rouges: kidney beans
• des haricots blancs: navy beans
• des lentilles corail: coral lentils
• des lentilles vertes: green lentils
• des fèves: beans
• des pois chiches: chickpeas

3. Cook more

The third tip is to cook as much as you can instead of consuming ready-made dishes such as canned food or frozen foods.

Avoid consuming a frozen pizza instead, if possible, cook a pizza yourself. Usually French take time to choose and buy les ingrédients (ingredients), and then they prepare les repas (meals). In other words, there’s space for food in the daily routine. You can learn more tips on the French Program  “ Nutrition Santé “.  By the way, you could read a recipe in French. It’s a very good exercise to improve your French.

Local can be more important than organic

French tend to aim for quality over quantity. Almost every village and town in the country boasts a bustling market featuring local sausages, patties of farm-made chèvre (goat), strawberries, and tomatoes in the appropriate season.

Each little village has a weekly outdoor market, sometimes it’s only a few vendors, usually on Wednesday or during the weekend. Typical French markets are a mix between the farmers’ market and a traders’ market, with stalls offering local produce straight from the farm standing alongside fruit, vegetable, cheese, chicken, cereals, fish, meat, or bread.

Eating local foods has many advantages:

• Taste: local products are simply as tasty as possible. The explanation is simple: local products are often harvested at maturity and shipped the same day. When they arrive in our basket and later on our plate they could not be tastier.
• Health: When you buy products from local agriculture and organically grown, you can be sure that there will be no trace of pesticides, antibiotic residues, or OGM (GMOs).
• Quality: The local products were cultivated on rich and dense soils, they were harvested at maturity, and a very short period of time elapses between harvest and sale. When we buy local fruits and vegetables, they are not only fresh but also full of vitamins and essential nutrients: they are more nutritious and bring to our body all their benefits.

4. Diversify what you eat

We already talked about fruits and vegetables and starchy foods. You can also consume protein foods such as in:

• la viande rouge: red meat
• le poulet: chicken
• les oeufs: eggs
• le poisson: fish

You can also eat dairy products such as:

• le fromage frais: fresh cheese
• les yaourts nature: plain yogurts
• le lait: milk

You have to consume all these products in moderation. Healthy food in France comes from moderation. There are no forbidden foods, the only excess is looked down upon. The only thing that you can consume without moderation is water.

Did you know that the French don’t snack?

In her delightful tale, Mireille Guiliano unlocks the simple secrets of this French paradox : how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy .

French tend to aim for quality over quantity and they don’t snack.

The meals in France

While the most important meal is le déjeuner (lunch), French people enjoy three main meals during the day.

Le petit déjeuner (7h-9h) – Breakfast

The French breakfast is usually a simple fare. It consists of sliced bread with jam and some coffee, tea or hot chocolate served in bowls. The first thing that you can find in a French breakfast is the bread. Most often, bread takes the form of the baguette. French people do not buy their baguette at the supermarket but at the bakery.

There are different kinds of bread:

• la baguette: normal baguette
• la tradition: tradition baguette
• le pain complet: wholemeal bread
• le pain de seigle: rye bread
• le pain céréale: cereal bread
• le pain de campagne: farmhouse bread
• la brioche: sweet bread

French breakfast is sweet:

• les biscottes: crispbreads
• un toast: toasted bread
• you can toast your bread with a grille-pain (toaster)
• you can make a tartine with confiture and/or beurre (butter) or miel (honey)
• un produit laitier (dairy product) like milk or yogurt
• you can also have a fruit

French usually drink:

• café: coffee
• jus d’orange: orange juice

Kids usually eat:

• chocolat au lait: hot chocolate
• céréales: cereals
• une brioche: sweet bread

French don’t eat croissant and pain au chocolat in the morning. They eat what they have in the kitchen. They usually buy croissant and pain au chocolat if they have guests at home or they want to bring something sweet to eat for their colleagues at work. Eating fresh croissant and pain au chocolat means going to the bakery in the morning and coming back to the house to eat them. Because there is no place in the bakery to eat your breakfast and French don’t eat while walking.

Déjeuner (12h-14h) – Lunch

French typically spend at least one or two hours over lunch. The French secret is to sit down with friends or family for a meal and to eat three times a day at regular intervals. French don’t eat in front of the television, and they eat slowly, enjoying both the food and the company. Adults don’t eat between meals.

Food has a defined time and place, three meals a day:

• l’entrée: starter
• le plat principal: main course
• le fromage (optional): cheese
• le dessert: dessert

Le goûter (16h-17h) – School snack

Kids get an afternoon goûter each day after school, and the adults might join them sometimes. The goûter is light and sweet: un fruit, une barre de céréale (cereal bar), une compote (compote) ou une part de cake (piece of cake).

Le dîner (19h-21h) – Diner

The French Diner is late but it’s light. They usually have a salade during the summer and soup during the winter. After that, French people usually have a dairy product such as cheese or yogurt.

Keep learning

If you’d like to learn how to overcome pronunciation difficulties or listening challenges in French you can join these online French courses . 

Accessing a program that is made to help you learn French will give you the right push to take a further step to boost your French learning better and faster. 

Beyond these tips to learn French, you can watch our  YouTube videos in French.

Happy Birthday! Learn birthday vocabulary in French

2 thoughts on “Eating healthy and French food vocabulary”

Very detailed article. I’ll keep this for further use. Thanks.

Hello Diana! Thank you for the comment. A très bientôt!

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French Essay: Topics, Tips, and Examples [2024 Updated]

Nowadays, knowing several foreign languages is no longer surprising. For example, learning French is common for English-speaking countries. So, getting an assignment on this subject won’t be a surprise for a student.

Writing a French essay, you can dwell into:

• the history of the French language;
• various dialects;
• its grammatical features;
• similarities between French and English (or another language);
• the distribution of the language around the globe.

One studying the language may penetrate the rich French culture and comprehend the nation itself. Besides, writing a French essay can develop the author’s writing skills and broaden their outlook. And even if you make mistakes doing so, it’s not the end of the world. The fact that you’re able to recognize them is already good enough, and you can fix complex errors using a free essay rewriter .

Our writers prepared French essay topics and tips for you to nail your task. See the examples below for better understanding.

📯 French Essay Topics

Are you one of those who are assigned to write French essays? Then we suggest you pick out some of the following problems to investigate:

• History of the French language;
• Dialects of the French language;
• French phonology ;
• French orthography;
• French grammar ;
• French alphabet.

The suggested topics are too vague and need narrowing. You may single out some aspects and analyze it in your paper. An excellent French essay topic should be:

• Broad for you to have enough room to develop your arguments;
• Narrow enough for you to be able to concentrate on one or several points;
• It should also be creative and original. You want people to enjoy reading it, right?
• Most importantly, the topic should be interesting for you.

If the essay topics seem too formal to you, study, for example, your progress in analyzing the French language. Alternatively, you can state what attracts you in the language and explain why. You may also do a comparative analysis of French and some other languages. Comparing French with English may turn out to be a fascinating task to cope with. Both languages will benefit from your French essay writing.

Here are some topics and French essay examples you can consider writing about:

• Your progress in learning the French language . Here you can write about your personal experience learning the French language. What techniques do you apply, and what motivates you personally? You can explain why you have to learn how to speak French.
• How are the French language and culture in Southern France different from Parisian? In this essay, you can compare the Southern French dialect and culture with the one in Paris. What are some of the critical phonetic, grammar, and linguistic characteristics of Southern French?
• Parisian dialect as a standard of French. When people think about the French language, the Parisian variant immediately comes to mind. In this essay, you can analyze why Parisian French became the standard version.
• Why do you enjoy learning French? This essay focuses on your personal preferences and likes in the process of learning.
• What makes it fun and enjoyable? Is it French movies, French literature, or understanding French written work documents?
• French influence on English . Although English is a Germanic language, it looks and sounds a lot like French. The influence which French had on English is significant. Look at some historical reasons (the Norman invasion in particular) and why English benefited from it.
• French language in 19th century Russia. Not everyone knows that French was the official language of the Russian elite in the 19th century. Discuss the reasons why and what influence French culture had on Russian literature, music, and language.
• The effect of the French language on the development of English writing . More than 10,000 French words came into the English language. Not only did the vocabulary of English get more prosperous, but the French way of spelling and letter convention influenced English orthography.
• What caused French to become an aristocratic language in Europe? The reasons why the French language became so dominant throughout Europe are broad. In this essay, you can focus on economic grounds, cultural or political reasons.
• An analysis of Canadian French. This essay can be a comparative analysis of Canadian and European French. What are the main differences? What are some similarities between the two variants?
• Is there any similarity between French and German ? All of the languages in the Indo-European language family have some similarities. Therefore, French and German are not exceptions. You can focus on sentence structure, word order, pronunciation, or phonetics.
• The popular strategies in English-French translation .
• Describe the challenges of French language acquisition.
• Analyze the peculiarities of French vowel pronunciation.
• Cultural events and their traditions in French-speaking countries .
• Discuss the advantages of learning French.
• Examine the semantic peculiarities of the French language.
• Explore the role of watching movies in the French language learning process.
• Comparison of language education theories.
• Analyze the impact of French language learning on your personality.  
• Describe the methods you’ve used to improve your French language fluency and which turned out to be the most effective.
• Similarities and differences between realism and naturalism in Spanish and French literature .
• What is the role of the French language in the modern world?
• Advantages and disadvantages of knowledge of multiple languages .
• Discuss the role of the French language in the United States.
• The specifics of learning French in early childhood.
• Compare the grammar peculiarities of English and French languages.
• How is the concept of friendship interpreted in American and French cultures?
• Analyze the correlation between the history of France and French language development.
• Explore the origin of the French language.
• Verbal and non-verbal communication in French culture.
• Examine the crucial role of French literature in learning French.
• Describe the relationship between French culture and language.
• Is it a good idea to integrate bilingual programs in early childhood education?
• Discuss the best ways to prepare for the speaking exam in French.
• The role of audiovisual materials in learning French.
• What difficulties did you face when learning to write in French?
• The essential role of sociocultural context when translating from French.
• Compare the customs of French, Chinese, and Hispanic cultures.
• The best methods of learning the second language .
• Describe the best ways of promoting language development for French language learners.
• Analyze the methods of French word formation .
• Would you like to become a French language teacher?
• Analysis of the food words in English and other European languages.
• Examine the specifics of the French language in former French colonies.

Do not treat your French essay as an ordinary task to undertake. Make it as creative as possible!

🖋️ How to Write a French Essay

Note that writing on some language problems requires more than your knowledge of the subject matter. It also tests your abilities to present them in terms of academic writing.

Special care should be taken concerning the following:

• The structural organization of your French essay.

Mostly, it is similar to any other academic essay :

• It should start with a hook . In simple terms, it is the opening sentence or two of your writing. It can be a quote, a short story, or a catchy statement that grabs the reader’s attention.

Here’s an example of from the sample essay:

Every language is a mirror of society, a living organism that exists and changes under the influence of historical, political, and social conditions.

• The next part of your essay is a thesis statement . Typically, it should be placed at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis statement’s purpose is to state the central idea in one or two phrases.

Here is a thesis statement from our French essay example:

Today, it is common to study English as a foreign language, as an international means of communication. However, this does not diminish the importance of learning other foreign language like French.

• After that, the body of the essay should start. This part of the composition usually has three separate paragraphs. These paragraphs can include research, supporting evidence, and arguments that prove the point of view.
• The conclusion brings together all the points of the essay. It goes back to the thesis statement and explains the broader importance of the topic. It is the last chance to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Here is an example form our French essay sample:

To conclude, the above discussion provides evidence and arguments that maintain the position according to which learning French is a necessity nowadays. The crucial points are as follows; first, French has a long tradition of international language; second, French is spoken around the globe; third, it is a language of international relationships. The opposing position that English is sufficient for appropriate global communication was claimed unreasonable – an emphasis in this regard was on the essence of cultural and language diversity.

• The logical organization of your French essay .

There are some ways in which you can coherently write your essay. The following three aspects can guide you when organizing your French essay:

• Topic sentence : you should mind linking elements within the paragraphs and between them. First of all, each section should include a topic sentence. It aims to identify the central idea and express an overall direction in which the writer will develop the paragraph.

The demand for knowledge of a language has changed in recent years.

• Concluding sentence: each paragraph should also include a concluding sentence. It asserts the main idea of the section and sums up all the information said in it.

It may be claimed that in a period of rather an aggressive introduction of the Anglo-American language in the world, the French need to persistently and resolutely defend their language, their national interests, and calls on other nations to preserve linguistic diversity.

• Linking words: it is crucial to use linking words in your essay. Linking words show relationships between ideas. It can be used to build sentences together to develop a cohesive paragraph.

To see the full essay sample, check the link below:

• Grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.

The last step in writing an A+ French essay is proofreading and editing. Before submitting your academic paper, make sure to pay attention to grammar, spelling, and vocabulary mistakes . Without proofreading, your writing can contain typos and errors that will not leave a good impression.

Good luck with your French essay writing! We hope the article was helpful. If so, share it with your peers and leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

This might be interesting for you:

• How to Write an Expository Essay in Simple Steps
• Nursing Reflective Essay Example and Guidelines for Students
• Essay on Dengue Fever: How to Write + Free Examples
• Objective Essay Writing: How to Write, Topics and Examples
• Organizing an Essay: Jerry Plotnick, College Writing Centre, University of Toronto
• Organizing an Essay: Study Guide Zone
• Paragraphs & Topic Sentences: Writing Guides, Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University Bloomington
• Thesis Generator: Ashford Writing Center
• Proofreading: The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Basic Essay and Paragraph Format: Utah Valley University
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It is not helpful to me.

Thanks for the help with out this i wouldn’t even know what to do on my essay

Hi, do you also do French powerpoint presentation?

Good advice. Thanks.

This was a very great help. I’m writing a French essay, and I know, thanks to your post and the provided tips on French essay writing, I will pass!

Hi! I just want to thank you for your ideas and tips for writing French essays! Write a French paper in English or write an essay for the French by an American) Funny.

Thanks a lot for the help.

No problem, Sash:) Good luck!

What Kamala Harris has said so far on key issues in her campaign

As she ramps up her nascent presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris is revealing how she will address the key issues facing the nation.

In speeches and rallies, she has voiced support for continuing many of President Joe Biden’s measures, such as lowering drug costs , forgiving student loan debt and eliminating so-called junk fees. But Harris has made it clear that she has her own views on some key matters, particularly Israel’s treatment of Gazans in its war with Hamas.

In a departure from her presidential run in 2020, the Harris campaign has confirmed that she’s moved away from many of her more progressive stances, such as her interest in a single-payer health insurance system and a ban on fracking.

Harris is also expected to put her own stamp and style on matters ranging from abortion to the economy to immigration, as she aims to walk a fine line of taking credit for the administration’s accomplishments while not being jointly blamed by voters for its shortcomings.

Her early presidential campaign speeches have offered insights into her priorities, though she’s mainly voiced general talking points and has yet to release more nuanced plans. Like Biden, she intends to contrast her vision for America with that of former President Donald Trump. ( See Trump’s campaign promises here .)

“In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation: one focused on the future, the other focused on the past,” she told members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta at an event in Indianapolis in late July. “And with your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.”

Here’s what we know about Harris’ views:

Harris took on the lead role of championing abortion rights for the administration after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022. This past January, she started a “ reproductive freedoms tour ” to multiple states, including a stop in Minnesota thought to be the first by a sitting US president or vice president at an abortion clinic .

On abortion access, Harris embraced more progressive policies than Biden in the 2020 campaign, as a candidate criticizing his previous support for the Hyde Amendment , a measure that blocks federal funds from being used for most abortions.

Policy experts suggested that although Harris’ current policies on abortion and reproductive rights may not differ significantly from Biden’s, as a result of her national tour and her own focus on maternal health , she may be a stronger messenger.

High prices are a top concern for many Americans who are struggling to afford the cost of living after a spell of steep inflation. Many voters give Biden poor marks for his handling of the economy, and Harris may also face their wrath.

In her early campaign speeches, Harris has echoed many of the same themes as Biden, saying she wants to give Americans more opportunities to get ahead. She’s particularly concerned about making care – health care, child care, elder care and family leave – more affordable and available.

Harris promised at a late July rally to continue the Biden administration’s drive to eliminate so-called “junk fees” and to fully disclose all charges, such as for events, lodging and car rentals. In early August, the administration proposed a rule that would ban airlines from charging parents extra fees to have their kids sit next to them.

On day one, I will take on price gouging and bring down costs. We will ban more of those hidden fees and surprise late charges that banks and other companies use to pad their profits.”

Since becoming vice president, Harris has taken more moderate positions, but a look at her 2020 campaign promises reveals a more progressive bent than Biden.

As a senator and 2020 presidential candidate, Harris proposed providing middle-class and working families with a refundable tax credit of up to $6,000 a year (per couple) to help keep up with living expenses. Titled the LIFT the Middle Class Act, or Livable Incomes for Families Today, the measure would have cost at the time an estimated $3 trillion over 10 years.

Unlike a typical tax credit, the bill would allow taxpayers to receive the benefit – up to $500 – on a monthly basis so families don’t have to turn to payday loans with very high interest rates.

As a presidential candidate, Harris also advocated for raising the corporate income tax rate to 35%, where it was before the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Trump and congressional Republicans pushed through Congress reduced the rate to 21%. That’s higher than the 28% Biden has proposed.

Affordable housing was also on Harris’ radar. As a senator, she introduced the Rent Relief Act, which would establish a refundable tax credit for renters who annually spend more than 30% of their gross income on rent and utilities. The amount of the credit would range from 25% to 100% of the excess rent, depending on the renter’s income.

Harris called housing a human right and said in a 2019 news release on the bill that every American deserves to have basic security and dignity in their own home.

Consumer debt

Hefty debt loads, which weigh on people’s finances and hurt their ability to buy homes, get car loans or start small businesses, are also an area of interest to Harris.

As vice president, she has promoted the Biden administration’s initiatives on student debt, which have so far forgiven more than $168 billion for nearly 4.8 million borrowers . In mid-July, Harris said in a post on X that “nearly 950,000 public servants have benefitted” from student debt forgiveness, compared with only 7,000 when Biden was inaugurated.

A potential Harris administration could keep that momentum going – though some of Biden’s efforts have gotten tangled up in litigation, such as a program aimed at cutting monthly student loan payments for roughly 3 million borrowers enrolled in a repayment plan the administration implemented last year.

The vice president has also been a leader in the White House efforts to ban medical debt from credit reports, noting that those with medical debt are no less likely to repay a loan than those who don’t have unpaid medical bills.

In a late July statement praising North Carolina’s move to relieve the medical debt of about 2 million residents, Harris said that she is “committed to continuing to relieve the burden of medical debt and creating a future where every person has the opportunity to build wealth and thrive.”

Health care

Harris, who has had shifting stances on health care in the past, confirmed in late July through her campaign that she no longer supports a single-payer health care system .

During her 2020 campaign, Harris advocated for shifting the US to a government-backed health insurance system but stopped short of wanting to completely eliminate private insurance.

The measure called for transitioning to a Medicare-for-All-type system over 10 years but continuing to allow private insurance companies to offer Medicare plans.

The proposal would not have raised taxes on the middle class to pay for the coverage expansion. Instead, it would raise the needed funds by taxing Wall Street trades and transactions and changing the taxation of offshore corporate income.

When it comes to reducing drug costs, Harris previously proposed allowing the federal government to set “a fair price” for any drug sold at a cheaper price in any economically comparable country, including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan or Australia. If manufacturers were found to be price gouging, the government could import their drugs from abroad or, in egregious cases, use its existing but never-used “march-in” authority to license a drug company’s patent to a rival that would produce the medication at a lower cost.

Harris has been a champion on climate and environmental justice for decades. As California’s attorney general, Harris sued big oil companies like BP and ConocoPhillips, and investigated Exxon Mobil for its role in climate change disinformation. While in the Senate, she sponsored the Green New Deal resolution.

During her 2020 campaign, she enthusiastically supported a ban on fracking — but a Harris campaign official said in late July that she no longer supports such a ban.

Fracking is the process of using liquid to free natural gas from rock formations – and the primary mode for extracting gas for energy in battleground Pennsylvania. During a September 2019 climate crisis town hall hosted by CNN, she said she would start “with what we can do on Day 1 around public lands.” She walked that back later when she became Biden’s running mate.

Biden has been the most pro-climate president in history, and climate advocates find Harris to be an exciting candidate in her own right. Democrats and climate activists are planning to campaign on the stark contrasts between Harris and Trump , who vowed to push America decisively back to fossil fuels, promising to unwind Biden’s climate and clean energy legacy and pull America out of its global climate commitments.

If elected, one of the biggest climate goals Harris would have to craft early in her administration is how much the US would reduce its climate pollution by 2035 – a requirement of the Paris climate agreement .

Immigration

Harris has quickly started trying to counter Trump’s attacks on her immigration record.

Her campaign released a video in late July citing Harris’ support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and Trump’s successful push to scuttle a bipartisan immigration deal that included some of the toughest border security measures in recent memory.

The vice president has changed her position on border control since her 2020 campaign, when she suggested that Democrats needed to “critically examine” the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, after being asked whether she sided with those in the party arguing to abolish the department.

In June of this year, the White House announced a crackdown on asylum claims meant to continue reducing crossings at the US-Mexico border – a policy that Harris’ campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, indicated in late July to CBS News would continue under a Harris administration.

Trump’s attacks stem from Biden having tasked Harris with overseeing diplomatic efforts in Central America in March 2021. While Harris focused on long-term fixes, the Department of Homeland Security remained responsible for overseeing border security.

She has only occasionally talked about her efforts as the situation along the US-Mexico border became a political vulnerability for Biden. But she put her own stamp on the administration’s efforts, engaging the private sector.

Harris pulled together the Partnership for Central America, which has acted as a liaison between companies and the US government. Her team and the partnership are closely coordinating on initiatives that have led to job creation in the region. Harris has also engaged directly with foreign leaders in the region.

Experts credit Harris’ ability to secure private-sector investments as her most visible action in the region to date but have cautioned about the long-term durability of those investments.

Israel-Hamas

The Israel-Hamas war is the most fraught foreign policy issue facing the country and has spurred a multitude of protests around the US since it began in October.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late July, Harris gave a forceful and notable speech about the situation in Gaza.

We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent.”

Harris echoed Biden’s repeated comments about the “ironclad support” and “unwavering commitment” to Israel. The country has a right to defend itself, she said, while noting, “how it does so, matters.”

However, the empathy she expressed regarding the Palestinian plight and suffering was far more forceful than what Biden has said on the matter in recent months. Harris mentioned twice the “serious concern” she expressed to Netanyahu about the civilian deaths in Gaza, the humanitarian situation and destruction she called “catastrophic” and “devastating.”

She went on to describe “the images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time.”

Harris emphasized the need to get the Israeli hostages back from Hamas captivity, naming the eight Israeli-American hostages – three of whom have been killed.

But when describing the ceasefire deal in the works, she didn’t highlight the hostage for prisoner exchange or aid to be let into Gaza. Instead, she singled out the fact that the deal stipulates the withdrawal by the Israeli military from populated areas in the first phase before withdrawing “entirely” from Gaza before “a permanent end to the hostilities.”

Harris didn’t preside over Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in late July, instead choosing to stick with a prescheduled trip to a sorority event in Indiana.

Harris is committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, having met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at least six times and announcing last month $1.5 billion for energy assistance, humanitarian needs and other aid for the war-torn country.

At the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, Harris said: “I will make clear President Joe Biden and I stand with Ukraine. In partnership with supportive, bipartisan majorities in both houses of the United States Congress, we will work to secure critical weapons and resources that Ukraine so badly needs. And let me be clear: The failure to do so would be a gift to Vladimir Putin.”

More broadly, NATO is central to our approach to global security. For President Biden and me, our sacred commitment to NATO remains ironclad. And I do believe, as I have said before, NATO is the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.”

Police funding

The Harris campaign has also walked back the “defund the police” sentiment that Harris voiced in 2020. What she meant is she supports being “tough and smart on crime,” Mitch Landrieu, national co-chair for the Harris campaign and former mayor of New Orleans, told CNN’s Pamela Brown in late July.

In the midst of nationwide 2020 protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer, Harris voiced support for the “defund the police” movement, which argues for redirecting funds from law enforcement to social services. Throughout that summer, Harris supported the movement and called for demilitarizing police departments.

Democrats largely backed away from calls to defund the police after Republicans attempted to tie the movement to increases in crime during the 2022 midterm elections.

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Serena Williams, a Paris restaurant and the danger of online reviews in 2024

Stars, they're just like us: They post negative reviews of restaurants online too. Even during the Paris Olympics .

Just look at Serena Williams' tweet from earlier this week: "Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids," the tennis champion posted on X. "Always a first."

The restaurant, for its part, offered statements to media outlets apologizing to Williams while claiming it was fully booked . It replied to her tweet: "Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight.  Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved."

It's unclear exactly what happened, though as is usually the case in incidents of this nature, people on both sides have weighed in. "French racism is truly unique," one X user wrote , while others felt the restaurant was in the right: "If they’re booked, they’re booked and it’s entitled as heck to be upset that they didn’t figure it out because 'I’m special.'"

USA TODAY has reached out to Williams for comment; the restaurant contacted her directly.

This incident is in line with a greater trend we've seen in recent years: Venting on the internet has become the new way to complain. Instead of leaving a one-star Yelp review, or sharing a bad experience with family and friends, disgruntled customers can go on  TikTok , go viral and go nuclear on a place − or person − they feel has wronged them.

Be it a  bakery ,  tattoo parlor ,  airline  or  bar , anyone can find themselves at the mercy of thousands of angry bandwagoners ready to carry out justice on an organization or person they don't know. It's that much more of a pile-on when the person making the assertion is famous themselves.

Experts say this phenomenon is about more than an individual incident. It's about the urge to pick a side and a need to feel validated by others − even if they have no real connection to either party.

"Social media, especially TikTok, has democratized consumer reach," Chapman University adjunct communications professor Matthew Prince previously told USA TODAY. "Whether you have 200 followers, or 2 million, consumers' content is going further than it ever has before. That reach comes with power."

We have the tea. Sign up for USA TODAY's Everyone's Talking newsletter for all the internet buzz.

'A sense of powerlessness': Why people get the urge to seek revenge online

The internet, and especially TikTok in recent years, has taken venting to the next level. When we feel we've been given the short end of the stick, we seek out those who will tell us we're right, experts explain, and in viral posts, people are able to find thousands of people who will agree with them. Those following recent incidents − such as  #CakeGate  or  #TattooGate  − are enthralled by the drama, in part, because humans are hardwired to be social and take sides depending on who they most identify with. The same goes for Serena Williams and the Paris restaurant.

"When you feel like you are getting scammed, there's usually a sense of powerlessness," Andrea Bonior, a clinical psychologist and host of the " Baggage Check: Mental Health Talk and Advice " podcast, previously told USA TODAY. "Posting about it often tries to reverse that: giving you validation when people agree that you were wronged." Yes, even celebrities can feel powerless, too. Human. Particularly if someone's identity feels attacked in some way.

People on the internet often appreciate being able to connect with others in a shared frustration over an argument in which they've taken the same side.  

You get it, right? Simone Biles' stunning Olympics gymnastics routines can be hard to watch. Here's why.

But does the punishment fit the crime?

Of course, the punishment (hate from thousands of people) doesn't always fit the crime (denying someone a seat at a restaurant). 

"It gives people a temporary escape from their own lives, allowing them to indulge in the thrill of someone else's conflict without actually being directly involved," crisis management and public relations expert Molly McPherson previously told USA TODAY. "It taps into our innate desire for justice and our fascination with human conflict. It's like watching real-life reality television play out in front of our eyes, and people can't help but follow along in their feeds to see how it all unfolds." 

Remember this? People online are fighting over a rainbow sprinkle cake. It's gotten out of hand.

So why do we care about the drama?

"People have always been engaged by gossip and conflict ," Gayle Stever, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at Empire State University of New York, previously said. "In my mother's day, it was about the neighbors, and it would have been the cake shop down the road. Today, because the boundaries of our social worlds have expanded, we learn about these things from a distance, but the human proclivity to weigh in on something that is essentially none of our business is irresistible for many – not all – people."

And those urges to band together are even stronger when there's drama – and a celebrity – at the center of it.

"When it comes to human connection, there’s certainly a negativity bias and social media is no exception," Prince said. "In many cases you relate, rationalize and rally more from negative experiences than positive ones."

Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff

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David Sedaris

Inside french healthcare.

In part three of a weekly series of essays about his life in France, Commentator David Sedaris examines the French healthcare system from the inside.

The 10 Best French Pharmacy Products to Try

There’s a reason French skin care is so sought-after.

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Our picks for the best French pharmacy products of 2024

Biafine Emulsion

Best for Anti-Aging

A313 corrector cream.

Best Daytime Moisturizer

Embryolisse lait creme concentre.

Whenever Dr. David Kim, a dermatologist in New York City, is in France, he always makes sure to stock up on his favorite French beauty essentials, including some cult-favorite products like Biafine and Homeoplasmine. French pharmacies also have some of the best anti-aging moisturizers and micellar waters . If you're planning a trip to the City of Love or want to discover top-quality formulas, keep reading for the best French pharmacy products. Each product was vetted by editors, experts, and beauty obsessives, and best of all, you can get shipped straight to your door in the States.

Talk to any French skincare lover, and there’s a good chance that one of the first products they mention will be Biafine. Biafine is a cream used for superficial skin wounds, like sunburns or small cuts. It works by adding tons of moisture to the skin—some people even use it for slugging.

Key ingredients: Trolamine, avocado oil

French Beauty Co. rating: 5/5 An ELLE editor says: “The first time I went to Paris, Biafine was the product I knew I needed to get. I’d heard so many good things about it, so my friend and I both got a tube while we were there, and now we’re hooked. Every time I’m abroad, I pick one up. I’ve used it for everything, from sunburns to slugging to even body lotion when my skin is particularly irritated. Let me tell you—it’s a cult favorite for a reason.” — Katie Berohn , beauty editor

Prescription-strength retinol that you can get over the counter? Sign us up. A313 is made with retinoids that help smooth skin, prevent breakouts, and even fade hyperpigmentation. In the world of French beauty, it’s a must.

Key ingredient: Vitamin A

French Pharmacy rating: 4.9/5 A French Pharmacy reviewer says: “The cream is on the thicker side, and yes, it is heavy, but if you put it on mixed with a moisturizer, and put an occlusive (to seal in the product) over, it stays on all night, does not rub off. Even after one night, I was very surprised with the results! The fine lines on my forehead appeared less deep, my texture is smoother all over. I’m very impressed! A little goes a long way. My skin was not irritated nor red.”

Embryolisse is every makeup artist’s favorite moisturizer. It’s lightweight but incredibly hydrating, works well under makeup, and gives skin an ethereal glow, thanks to shea butter and soy proteins that hydrate and firm. Key ingredients: Shea butter, soy protein Dermstore rating: 4.4/5 An ELLE editor says: “I’ve gone through three tubes of this, and I normally never even finish one moisturizer. I love how well this moisturizer works under sunscreen and makeup. It’s also so easy to travel with.”— Katie Berohn

Homeoplasmine Ointment

Homeoplasmine is technically a nipple cream, but French women know it can be used for so much more. Thanks to nourishing and soothing ingredients like calendula and Bryonia flower, it works especially well as a lip mask or as a save for extremely dry skin.

Key ingredients: Calendula, bryonia flower

Amazon rating: 4.5/5

Our expert says: “Homeoplasmine is a product I buy whenever I run out. It’s a thick emollient like Vaseline but also has calming ingredients. ”— Dr. Kim

Bioderma Sensibio - H2O Micellar Water

Micellar water is nothing new, but in Paris, Bioderma’s iteration reigns supreme. It removes makeup, cleanses skin, and even soothes irritation since it’s also infused with calming cucumber extract.

Key ingredients: Cucumber extract, micelles

Dermstore rating: 4.6/5

A Dermstore reviewer says: “This is by far the best micellar water I have ever used, it’s slightly more expensive than some of the other leading brands but it’s very much worth the money. It removes all makeup and is even ok to use under the eyes. I have recently seen that Bioderma has one specifically for the eyes so I will be trying that one too. Your face will feel clean and refreshed after use.”

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil

If you were to ask French women what their staple product is, they’d tell you that it’s this golden oil. It’s multi-use, so you can put it on your hair, face, or body, and it’s formulated with a blend of seven botanical oils, including argan, camellia, and hazelnut.

Key ingredients : argan oil, vitamin E, hazelnut oil

Amazon rating: 4.4/5

An Amazon reviewer says: “It is a dry oil and it absorbs quickly without leaving you feeling greasy or oily. The scent lingers for a while, but it is not overpowering. Very soft and subtle. I use this in the winter to moisturize my body, as a face oil and as an after shower treatment that gives a light pleasant scent to go to bed. In the summer I like it because it adds a very subtle sheen to the skin. I’ve also used it as a hair oil. Very pleased.”

La Roche Posay Anthelios UVmune 400 SPF 50+

It’s no secret that other countries just have better sunscreens than the U.S. This La Roche-Posay SPF is a lightweight, liquid formula infused with thermal spring water that soaks in instantly and doesn’t feel greasy at all. Key ingredients: Glycerin, thermal spring water French Pharmacy rating: 4.9/5 An ELLE editor says: “I was in the South of France and forgot sunscreen. I decided to buy this one from the pharmacy, and it quickly became my all-time favorite sunscreen. It blends so seamlessly, wears well under makeup, and makes skin dewy but not greasy.”— Katie Berohn

Avène Thermal Spring Water

Thermal spring water is the key to cooling down on hot days and refreshing your makeup after it’s been on your face for a few hours. This Avène spring water is rich in postbiotic microflora to soothe and calm the skin.

Key ingredient: Thermal spring water Amazon rating: 4.7/5 An ELLE editor says: “My favorite way to use this is by spraying my face right before I put on hyaluronic acid serum. The hyaluronic acid pulls water into the skin, and when I use this thermal water, it gives me the glowiest skin imaginable.” — Katie Berohn

Caudalíe Beauty Elixir Face Mist

Caudalié products are a French staple. This mist makes skin glow, tightens pores, and sets makeup. Plus, it’s made with hydrating green grapes, radiance-boosting rose essential oil, and cooling peppermint essential oil.

Key ingredient: Grapes, rose essential oil, peppermint essential oil

An Amazon reviewer says: “I’ve been using this product for quite some time now, and I must say, it’s become an indispensable part of my makeup routine. I typically apply it after completing my makeup, and let me tell you, the results are fantastic. This magical potion creates a dewy finish to my skin that not only enhances my makeup but also adds a subtle glow that lasts all day. It’s like a finishing touch that takes my look to the next level.”

Klorane Dry Shampoo Powder With Oat Milk

If you’ve ever been to France, you know that French women have mastered the art of done-but-undone hair. This dry shampoo is their secret weapon. The formula is comprised of oat milk, which is gentle and soothing—it's basically skin care for the scalp.

Key ingredient: Oat milk

Amazon rating: 4.2/5

An ELLE editor says: “When I went to Paris for the first time, this was one of the products I stocked up on at the pharmacy. I picked up the aerosol version at the time; I loved it for its pleasant scent and ability to get the job done without feeling heavy or gunky on my strands or scalp. However, I didn’t love that one wrong move would lead to my face getting a hit or two of the dry shampoo. I’m relieved that they have this loose powder version, which feels so much easier to control.”— Carol Lee , associate beauty e-commerce editor

Meet the expert

Dr. David Kim is a board-certified dermatologist at IDRISS Dermatology in New York City .

Why trust ELLE Beauty?

As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items. For this piece, ELLE beauty editor Katie Berohn interviewed a dermatologist and tested products to find the best French pharmacy products.

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Guest Essay

14 Questions About Our Leaders’ Health

By Robert Klitzman

Dr. Klitzman is a physician and a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University.

There’s been enormous debate about the health of America’s president and that of the candidates for that job. Many questions remain unanswered.

Donald Trump recently survived an assassination attempt, and there’s been little information offered about his condition in its aftermath. President Biden’s age and cognitive health have been the subject of much discussion, and he just had Covid-19. And little is known about the overall health of the new presumptive Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris.

Like all of us, these individuals have rights to medical privacy. But, given that the president is the most powerful person in the world and can alter our lives, voters want to know whether their leaders can perform the job, and do so effectively. Ideally, officials and candidates voluntarily provide this information. But some past presidents’ physicians have released only incomplete reports, or have obfuscated the truth .

Below is a partial list of questions that I and many other medical professionals (and Americans) have about Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris right now.

For Donald Trump:

1) Has Mr. Trump taken any cognitive tests in the last six years. If so, which ones? And what were the results?

Mr. Trump has been making cognitive errors, mixing up the names of Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi , as well as of Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping . He said he “aced” a cognitive test four years ago. Doctors have said that the test Mr. Trump is likely referring to was not definitive, nor diagnostic.

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