Fri, 19 March 2010
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Even fluent French speakers sometimes have to ask: Comment dit-on…? Our practical French teacher gives you some vocabulary for getting life's ordinary tasks done. Today's lesson fills in the blanks on getting your hair done.This feature is intended for both beginning and accomplished French speakers to provide practical vocabulary for common life scenarios.
Describing how you want your hair done can be a challenge, even in your native tongue. In French, it can be a real casse-tête! The best back-up is always a picture of how you'd like to look, but here are some common questions and vocabulary to help you communicate. The small talk is up to you...
BASIC SERVICES: PRESTATIONS DE BASE PROPOSEES
Haircut: une coupe
Shampoo: le shampooing
Coloring and highlights: les couleurs et mèches
Set or styling: la mise en pli
Perm: la permanente
Haircare and treatments: les soins et traitements
A blow-dry or straightening: le brushing
top salon: un coiffeur haut de gamme
local salon: coiffeur de quartier
BASIC CUTS AND HAIR TERMS
your hair: vos cheveux (always masculine, plural)
fine: fins
thick: épais
oily: gras
dry: secs
mixed: mixtes
normal: normaux
curly: bouclés
frizzy: frisés
smooth: lisses
damaged: abîmés
dyed: colorés
permed: permanentés
dandruff: pellicules
cowlick: un épi
short or long: la coupe courte ou longue
layered: en dégradé
crew cut: coupe en brosse
blunt cut: au carré
clean cut/well-defined: bien dégagée
asymmetrical: asymétrique
square tapered: style carré effilé
layered on top: dégradé sur le dessus
short, layered look: une coupe courte tout en dégradé
short 'windblown' layered look: dégradé déstructuré
'just out of bed' look: indiscipliné
highlights or streaks: les mèches
hair weaving or foiling: balayage
A reader named Caroline recently asked: “How do you ask for a trim in the hairdressers? I just want them to trim my split ends but I'm unfamiliar with the vocabulary. I wish this had come up in school! Merci.”
Marie-Alice Laulo-Smith responded:
"Pouvez-vous me tailler les pointes fourchues?" - This is when there are split ends.
"Pouvez- m'égaliser les pointes?" - for layered hair.
Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in France.
Here's a short introduction to our Where to Live section for France.
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