French Lessons: Faire le pont
Tis the season for holidays in France. The month of May typically sports four: May Day (Labor Day), Victory in Europe Day, Ascension, and Pentecost. When they fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, you’ll often hear the question Est-ce que tu vas faire le pont? “Are you going to take the bridge?” Le pont is “bridge,” and faire is the verb “to make,” hence you’d be making/taking the bridge over the weekend, for a lovely 4-day reprieve from work. (Funny, as a freelancer, I know longer have the full appreciation I once did). Joyeuses Fêtes! (Happy Holidays!)
Don’t miss more illustrated French Lessons.
Melissa
May 3, 2012 at 4:50 am //
I remember learning about this in my French Culture class when I studied abroad in Dijon. I also remember being really jealous and added it to my list of reasons I should live in France. :) Bonnes vacances!
Susan
May 3, 2012 at 1:17 pm //
I always enjoy “taking the bridge”!
Danielle E. Alvarez
May 3, 2012 at 2:31 pm //
Interesting… I love it! I’m such a sucker for a creative phrase like that. Hope you get a holiday of your own soon :)
SeaSon
May 3, 2012 at 2:57 pm //
I like post….nice ^^
Robín
May 3, 2012 at 6:40 pm //
When this happens, in Spain, that is relatively often, compared to the US standards; a 4 or 5 day “bridge” holyday, we call it ” disfutar del acueducto” = ” enjoy the aqueduct”; aqueduct being considered here as a long-long bridge.
http://fotos.euroresidentes.com/fotos/segovia/acueducto-de-segovia/imagepages/image10.html
Known singer Brassens had -also- a song where ,this time, you had to cross the bridge for adventure to Instantly begin (like Lennon Instant Karma) :
“Il suffit de passer le pont; c´est tout de suite l´aventure..”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZHt3AiCDrc
Last one, for us, was the working feast of first May. And in Madrid community/province, 2nd May was also a “fiesta” rememoring the rising of the spanish people in Madrid against Napoleon Bonaparte army..all very European, certainly.
Marine
May 4, 2012 at 6:32 pm //
Je viens de découvrir ce blog et il est vraiment chouette ! Bonne continuation je repasserais :)
Grinsekatze
May 4, 2012 at 7:30 pm //
Interesting! It´s exactly the same expression in German: “Die Brücke machen”.
dbennett2.wordpress.com
June 29, 2013 at 7:09 am //
I usually do not comment, but I looked at a few of the comments here French
Lessons: Faire le pont | Prêt à Voyager. I actually do
have some questions for you if you do not mind. Could it be simply me or does it
appear like some of these remarks appear like they are written by brain dead visitors?
:-P And, if you are writing at other online social sites,
I would like to follow anything new you have
to post. Could you make a list of all of your public
pages like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?
Anne
July 1, 2013 at 8:28 am //
All my social media is listed on the right hand side of my blog.