📖LearnModule 13 · Lesson 23 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C2, first halfUnit 5 · Les figures de style
L'euphémisme
Module 13 of the free French course (CEFR C2, first half), lesson 23 of 30: Euphemism in French is institutional as much as polite. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 23.
The words
French
English
Say it
le plan social
the redundancy plan
luh plah(n) soh-SYAHL
les personnes en difficulté
people in hardship
lay pehr-sohn ah(n) dee-fee-kewl-TAY
il nous a quittés
he passed away
eel noo zah kee-TAY
l'euphémismemasculine — the article elides to l'
the euphemism
luh-fay-MEESM
la restructuration
the restructuring
lah rehs-trewk-tew-rah-SYOH(n)
quitter
to leave (someone)
kee-TAY
la perte d'emploi
the job loss
lah pehrt dah(n)-PLWAH
institutionnel
institutional
a(n)-stee-tew-syoh-NEHL
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
Euphemism in French is institutional as much as polite. Un plan social means redundancies. Les personnes en difficulté means the poor. Il nous a quittés means he died.
Et aussi · And also
Reading these accurately matters, because the euphemism is often the only word used. A news report that says restructuration is telling you about job losses and expecting you to know.
Attention · Watch out
un plan social means redundancies; il nous a quittés means he died; restructuration usually means job losses. The euphemism is often the only word used, so translate it.
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with le plan social.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write two sentences of your own that get the watch-out line right, then the two practice pages of workbook lesson 23 in Module 13 are the written half of this page.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.