Reading In Different Languages

a big list of french adjectives 💐

🌻 Describing People:

1. Physical appearance

aguichant- enticing, alluring avachi- limp, sloppy, baggy baraqué- well-built bizarre- strange boursouflé- bloated bronzé- tanned chétif,-ive- weak, sickly débraillé- untidy, sloppy dépenaillé- unkempt douteux, -euse- doubtful, dubious, questionable élancé- slim frêle- frail, fragile grand- tall grassouillet, ette- plump gros, grosse- fat hâlé- tanned insolite- unusual, quirky maigre- skinny mignon- nice, sweet mince- slender musclé - brawny, muscular nerveux- nervous, upset pâle- pale potelé- plump (like a baby) rabougri- wizened, shrivelled séduisant - attractive, charming, seductive

2. Character

abruti- idiotic acariâtre- sour, bad-tempered antipathique- unfriendly anodin- harmless astucieux, euse- clever, astute, shrewd atone- lifeless, expressionless avisé- sensible, wise borné- narrow-minded (“bornez-vous!” limit yourself) braillard- describes someone who complains a lot brave- good, honest, brave candide- naive, ingenuous, innocent, trusting casanier,-iere- homebody, home lover compassé- starchy, stiff compliqué- complicated; fussy (e.g. about food) compréhensif,-ive-  understanding dépravé- perverted dévoyé- perverted difficile- difficult distrait- absent-minded, distracted drôle- funny ennuyeux,-euse- boring évolué- broad-minded, independent, progressive exigeant- demanding extraverti- extrovert faiblard- weak, feeble fainéant- lazy, idle falot- dreary, bland farfelu- eccentric, bizarre franc- candid futé- cunning, smart guindé- stiff, awkward imprévisible- unforeseeable juste- fair lunatique- temperamental maladroit- clumsy mal commode- bad-tempered malicieux,-euse- mischievous, naughty malin- cunning malveillant- malicious, malevolent, spiteful maniaque- finicky, fussy marrant- funny; odd maussade- gloomy, sullen méchant- malicious, nasty méfiant- distrustful, suspicious méprisant- contemptuous, disdainful névrosé- neurotic perspicace- perceptive, insightful primesautier-iere- impulsive rébarbatif -ive- hostile, off-putting renfrogné- sullen replié sur soi-meme- introverted, withdrawn rusé- cunning sage - well-behaved, good saugrenu - absurd sensé- sensible sensible- sensitive sérieux,-euse- serious, responsible susceptible- touchy, sensitive, delicate sympathique- nice, friendly terre-á-terre- down-to-earth tordu- warped, twisted travailleur-euse- hard-working

3. Mood

accablé- distressed admiratif, -ive- admiring affolé- in a panic amer, -ere -bitter assoupi- drowsy béat- blissfully happy; smug, complacent cafardeux,-euse- in the dumps débordé (de travail)- snowed under (with work) décontracté- relaxed détendu- relaxed découragé- disheartened, discouraged dépité- vexed désemparé- distraught, at a loss effaré (de)- alarmed (at) énergique- energetic enthousiaste- enthusiastic gai- cheerful bien ententionné- well-intentioned lointain- distant mélancolique- gloomy navré- sorry, apologetic, upset paumé- lost, at sea ravi -delighted surpris- surprised tendu- tense vanné- exhausted vexé- annoyed

🌿 Describing ideas or events

1. Positive alléchant - tempting, mouth-watering attendrissant- touching bénéfique- beneficial commode- convenient cocasse- funny, comical conforme (á)- conforming (with) convenable- fitting, acceptable, respectable déroutant - disconcerting détaillé - comprehensive, detailed distinct - separate, distinct équitable - fair excellent - excellent, first-rate formidable - fantastic fulgurant - dazzling, thundery grave - serious honnête - decent hors pair - exceptional impeccable - great, without flaws important - important marrant - funny merveilleux - marvellous parfait - perfect passionnant - exciting percutant - powerful, striking, forceful primordial - of prime importance propice - favorable, suitable raisonnable - reasonable rarissime - extremely rare recherché - much sought-after, studied réconfortant - comforting réjouissant - delightful rentable - profitable, financially viable réussi - successful, well-done sagace - sagacious sage - wise sensationnel - sensational spontané - spontaneous subtil - subtle surprenant - surprising véridique - truthful

2. Negative aberrant - absurd, nonsensical abominable - abominable affreux - dreadful, ghastly agaçant - irritating aléatoire - uncertain, random ardu - arduous chimérique - fanciful, imaginary, idealistic, utopic complexe - complex courant - common, current déchirant - heart-breaking, gut wrenching dégoûtant - disgusting déprimant - depressing déraisonnable - unreasonable discutable - questionable, arguable écoeurant - sickening, nauseating ennuyeux,-euse - boring épouvantable - horrendous, ghastly, atrocious éprouvant - strenuous, punishing étrange - strange fastidieux,-euse - tedious, dull, tiresome frustrant - frustrating, irritating gênant - annoying immonde - filthy, vile impensable - unthinkable, unimaginable impossible - difficult; impossible improbable - unlikely inadmissible - intolerable inattendu - unexpected loufoque - crazy, over the top lourd - heavy/annoying malaisé - difficult malencontreux-euse - unfortunate médiocre - mediocre minable - seedy, hopeless, pathetic pénible - difficult, tiresome; painful pitoyable - pathetic prosaïque - prosaic quelconque - ordinary, mediocre rebutant - off-putting, unappealing répugnant - disgusting ridicule - ridiculous

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A Stash of Tiny Study Tips

STAYING MOTIVATED

Create realistic goals: get ___ grade on next ____

Manageable let down; get back on track

Keep track of grades: focused, know where stand, no surprises

Start small

Low risk confidence builders

Take time to relax/give self rewards

Days off, breaks, rewards

All work & no play =/= living

Little organization goes a long way

Reward achievements!

Keep balance with exercise, clubs, friends

2h/d: friends and exercise

Remember that hard work pays off

Isn’t a breeze to try to get a 4.0 GPA; but it’s possible

You’re smart enough and can achieve it

90% there with these tips, 10% is just pure hard work

Only chill on weekends

Monday-Friday: school mode

Have time for some fun

If work as hard as should during week, will need weekends to blow off steam

Be self-motivated

Grades can matter, not everything, but follow through on what needs to be done

Not most important part of college but underperform? You will regret it

GPA cutoffs exist and matter to employers

College is full of distractions and opportunities

Nobody will hold hand and the work will suck but all the prouder of yourself to be

Suck it up, buckle down, get it done

If think need break, probably don’t

Turn off the little voice

Realize not alone in questioning ability

Avoid people who tend to burst bubbles no matter what 

Physical triggers to stop

Incentive to get something done when know have something else during the day

Don’t have a gaping abyss of study time

Work has to get done, in the end

Books, examiners, and especially your future self isn’t going to care about your excuses for not doing the work

Take the first step

It will almost be fictional how hard you thought the task was going to be

Just keep going because you simply can’t afford NOT to do anything today, nonzero days

Leeway, don’t give your perfectionism control over your life

MUNDANE HABITS

Sleep! Think and function, mind & body

CAN sleep if keep up with coursework instead of procrastinating

Will miss out on some fun stuff

Need to stay awake in class

Figure out what need for full speed

Stay relaxed

Stay physically healthy

Diet and exercise

1 hour exercise during week

Weekends off

Traditional breakfast not necessary if value extra sleep

Systematic habits: neat, prepared

Master material

Look for real world applications

Learning is a process: be patient, don’t expect to master off the bat

Designate study area and study times

Do trial runs

Practice tests

Ask a TA to listen to your oral performance

Study groups

Don’t copy other people’s psets and solutions

BEFORE SEMESTER

Spiral bound notebook, can color code with folders/etc if need be

Lecture notes: front to back

Reading notes: back to front (if fall behind on)

Seminar notes: mixed in with lecture notes, different pen color/labeled

Outline format

Bullet points for everything

Same NB for one set of class notes, separate notebooks for all classes

5-subject notebook

Midterm and exam material in it

Mesh sources, study guide

All study material from week/month in one place

Pick the right major

Indulge in favorite hobby feeling

Pick professors & classes wisely

Take a small class

Pick classes that interest you so studying doesn’t feel torturous

Want to learn

GRADES SPECIFIC

Prioritize class by how can affect GPA

More credits: more weight

Work enough to get an A in your easy classes: take something good at

Don’t settle, don’t slack off, don’t put in minimal effort to get that B/C. Just put in a tiny bit more effort to ensure A

Will have harder classes and need to counteract

Take electives can ace

Anything but an A in an elective is kinda mean and an unnecessary hit for your GPA

FIRST DAY/WEEK/HALF OF CLASSES

Get to know teaching style: focus most on, lecture/notes

Pick and follow a specific note taking format

Outline

Date each entry

Capture everything on board

Decide productivity system

Google Cal

Todoist

Agenda: remind meetings, class schedule, important dates/midterms/quizzes/tests, no homework 

Always wanted to be prepared

Rarely last minute

Have plan, stay focused

Homework notebook

Good redundancy

Study syllabus

Know it thoroughly

Plot all due dates after class

Penalize if fail to abide by

Study the hardest for the first exam

Seems counterintuitive

Hardest/most important test

Pay attention to content and formatLess pressure: just need ___ on final to keep my A 

Easy to start high and keep high

Go into crunch mode at the beginning

End softly

Get plenty of sleep, exercise, and good food in the finals days before the exam

DURING SEMESTER: PEOPLE

Get to know professors: go to office hours, care about grades/course/them

Easier ask for help, rec letter

Get to know interests and what they think is important

Figure out their research interests, 60% of their job is research

Learning is dynamic

Discussion helps

Get feedback early when not sure what doing

Take comments constructively

Consistent class participation: ask questions, give answers, comment when appropriate

Understand material

Find a study buddy in each class: don’t have to study with

Somebody can compare notes with, safety net

Pick somebody who attends, participates, and take notes regularly

Make some friends

Participate as fully as can in group activities

Be involved

Learn – not be taught

Be punctual

Good impression, on human professors

DON’T BE LATE

Skipping class =/= option: It’s “cool” to get attendance award

Make all the classes: it’s hard to feel confident when missing key pieces

Get full scope of class, everything will make a lot more sense and save a lot of time in long run

Mandatory class: higher graduating cumulative GPA

Go to class when no one else does/want to show up, reward

Get to know professor, what’s on test, notice, r/s build, material not in reading

Unless optional and super confusing professor

Sit in one of the first rows

Don’t fall asleep

Fake interest if you have to

Tutors

DURING SEMESTER: THINGS TO DO

Take notes! Provided is bare minimum, accessed by students who aren’t attending lecture

Based on lecture and what read –> test; it’ll be worth it

Write it down

By hand

Bored? Doodle instead of going online

Read all assigned–even if need to skim

Seems cumbersome and maybe impossible

Figure out what’s important

Look at the logical progression of the argument/what’s important/what trying to prove

Understand everything that you do read–even if don’t read everything

PIck 2 examples from text per topic

Complete course material on time

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL DAY BEFORE IT IS DUE

Begin as soon as possible

Sometimes it’s just straight up impossible

Have it look attractive

Library doesn’t just mean = study

Social media in the library is still social media

Confusion is terrible

Read other textbooks, review course material @ another uni/by another professor, google the shit out of it

Review

Do not wait, do throughout semester

Exam prep

Ask for model papers, look at style & structure, thesis, how cite

Get old tests

Look at type of questions (detail level and structure)

Can solve old exams cold

If give out paper exams in class: probs won’t repeat questions, focus more on concepts but still learn the questions

Have class notes and psets down cold

Do all the practice problems

Read through notes a few times; rewrite into a revision notebook

Highlight major topics and subtopics

Different highlighter for vocab terms

Overall picture, go from concept to detail

Look at overall context and how specific idea fit into whole course

Ideas, don’t memorize all your notes

Better understand = more able to use and manipulate info and remember it. Understand = manipulation.

Charts, diagrams, graphs

Lists

Practice drawing labeled structures

Flash cards for memorization

Every school requires some degree of grunt memorization

Say it aloud, write it down

Get friends to quiz you

Self-test: severely challenge self, have a running collection of exam questions

Explain difficult concepts to your friends; force yourself to articulate the concept

Never pull an all-nighter

Do not spend every hour studying up to the exam

Eat, shower, sleep

Don’t wait until night before exam to study

Prep takes time even if reviewed throughout semester

Ask about format–don’t ask the professor to change it for you

Law of College: it will be on the exam if you don’t understand it

Ask professor, internet, textbooks

Night before exam

Jot what want to remember/have fresh

Read through in morning/before exam

Physical prep

Sleep, have test materials

Day of exam

Don’t cram every single spare minute

Go to bathroom before exam

Never miss an exam/lie to get more time

You won’t be any more ready 2-3 days after when supposed to have taken it

Slay exam. Get A. 

WEEKLY 

Friday morning: go through each syllabus, write down in HW notebook

All hw during weekend; study/reading assignments during week

Save everything

Divide big tasks into small pieces to help propel self

Standard study schedule: block off lectures, labs, regular commitments

Note the weeks that have assignments and tests that will require extra studying

Don’t oscillate too heavily every day with study times (i.e. don’t study 2-3 hours for weeks and then 10-12 hour days right before an exam)

Eat and sleep to make more extended work periods liveable and enjoyable

DAILY

Set an amount of time would like to study every day

Try to study most days

Avoid vague/zoned out studying –> waste of time

Do a little bit daily but don’t let studying be your whole day

Review notes: 30mins/day, each class from that day

Look at important ideas/vocab

Prioritize new vocab because language is most fundamental and important tool in any subject

Circle abbreviations and make yourself a key somewhere so you don’t forget what the hell that abbreviations meant

Check spelling

Rewrite/reorganize notes if necessary

Format of ideas is just as important as the concepts themselves, esp. when it comes time for exam review

This helps you retain the material so you’ll be ahead next time you walk into class

Chance to ID any knowledge gaps that you can ask about for next class

Keep up with reading

Skim text before lecture or at least main topic sentences

Jot down anything don’t understand; if lecture doesn’t clarify, ask the professor

After lecture: skim again, outline chapter, make vocab flashcards

Highlight similar class and lecture notes

will definitely be tested on

Review and make study questions

Study

Disconnect from anything irrelevant to study material: help focus and your GPA

Don’t limit studying to the night

Study whenever, wherever between classes

Variety helps focus and motivation

Especially if tired at night and can’t transition between subjects

Try to study for a specific subject right before/after the class

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me too always open!

Reblog if...

… your chat is open to talk about cultures, languages, social topics, or anything you want to talk about with new international friends!

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my language goals for now

i dont want to give myself definitive language goals bc once i put pressure on myself i cave and i don't do anything. these are my goals for now until i reach the goal so i havent given myself time limits either.

French - to become C1, be as fluent as possible in reading, writing, listening and speaking, easily switch between French and English, to be able to speak professionally when appropriate, understand complex situations about technical things i.e. finance, environment, philosophy, literature etc.

Spanish - to get back to / maintain a B2 level, to greatly improve my reading and writing in Spanish, to be able to speak easily to Spaniards, also same as French to be able to speak professionally when appropraite, understand complex situations about technical things i.e. finance, environment, philosophy, literature etc.

Irish - to get to a B2 level, to be able to read and write very well and speak and listen fairly well

Korean - to be able to hold a casual conversation, to speak well to Korean people.

Chinese - to be able to read and write 300 characters, to be able to speak and listen at a B1 level.

these goals are very basic for now but im sure that once i begin studying again i will adjust the goals to what is the most realistic choice for me. i also have other languages (german, latin, russian, thai, vietnamese) that i am interested in learning but for the time being i would rather focus on these 5 languages

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CEFR test

Hey guys, if you wanna check your language level of English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian (bokmål), Arabic, Arabic (Syria), Turkish or Danish, here’s the CEFR test! It does take a lot of time (for me it took more than half an hour), but you can test your grammar and vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension so it’s definitely worth it!  read more about the test here

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Hi Essi! Could you make a list of some vocabulary list topics?

Greetings and basic phrases

Colours

Shapes

Numbers and counting

Measurements 

Telling time

Question words

Basic adjectives/verbs

Personal pronouns

Family members and relatives

Daily routine

Weather

Seasons: winter, spring, summer, autumn

Events of the year: new year, easter, birthday, halloween, christmas, etc.

Life events and stages of life

Food and beverages

Herbs and spices 

Cooking and baking

Dietary requirements and allergies

Flavours

Asking for and giving directions

Physical appearance

Clothes and accessories

Makeup

Beauty and fashion

Fabrics and patterns

Materials

Body parts

Personality traits

Feelings and emotions

Places and buildings

Types of houses

Furniture and objects around the house

Containers 

City

Countryside

Animals and insects

Hobbies

Arts and crafts

Tools 

Music

TV and tv-shows

Movies

Books and literature

Popular movies/series/etc: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Twilight, Star Wars, Disney, Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, Moomin…

Sports

Games

Transportation

Cars and driving 

Traveling

School, studying, and stationery

Work and occupations

Diary/bullet journal

Post and email

Culture

Science

Nature

Natural disasters

Environment

Elements 

Countries and continents

Bodies of water 

Space

Compass points

Languages and linguistics

Profanities and insults

Relationships 

Friendship

Flirting 

Love

Sex

Sexual orientation and gender identity

Religion

Fairytales and mythology

Zodiac signs

Computers and other electronic devices

Social media & different platforms (tumblr, facebook, twitter…)

Cleaning and hygiene

Health and illnesses

Money

Shopping

Camping 

Names

Politics and elections

Royalty

Circus

Partying 

Alcohol and drugs

Bullying

News 

Terrorism

Refugees

Military, army & war

Synonyms and antonyms

Pairs and opposites 

Idioms and proverbs

Tongue twisters 

Loanwords 

Abbreviations 

Slang 

Irregular verbs 

False friends 

Advanced vocabulary 

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push yourself to get up before the rest of the world - start with 7am, then 6am, then 5:30am. go to the nearest hill with a big coat and a scarf and watch the sun rise.

push yourself to fall asleep earlier - start with 11pm, then 10pm, then 9pm. wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable.

get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. fry tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic, fry an egg, slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it. sit and eat it and do nothing else.

stretch. start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes. roll your head. stretch your fingers. stretch everything.

buy a 1L water bottle. start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day, then try drinking it twice.

buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day. no detail is too small.

strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear draw into the washing machine. put a massive scoop of scented fabric softener in there and wash. make your bed in full.

organise your room. fold all your clothes (and bag what you don’t want), clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor. light a beautiful candle.

have a luxurious shower with your favourite music playing. wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. lather your whole body in moisturiser, get familiar with the part between your toes, your inner thighs, the back of your neck.

push yourself to go for a walk. take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. bring your dog and observe the dog’s behaviour. realise you can learn from your dog.

message old friends with personal jokes. reminisce. suggest a catch up soon, even if you don’t follow through. push yourself to follow through.

think long and hard about what interests you. crime? sex? boarding school? long-forgotten romance etiquette? find a book about it and read it. there is a book about literally everything.

become the person you would ideally fall in love with. let cars merge into your lane when driving. pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine. stick your tongue out at babies. compliment people on their cute clothes. challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day. then two. then a week. walk with a straight posture. look people in the eye. ask people about their story. talk to acquaintances so they become friends.

lie in the sunshine. daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn’t a thing. open your eyes. take small steps to make it happen for you.

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☆ spanish words/phrases i learned in class today ☆

¡hola todo el mundo! soy may y hoy me gustaría publicar estas palabras y frases que apprendí en mi clase de español. si quieres un enlace para la fuente, pregúnteme,  ¡por favor! 

hi everyone, it’s May! i want to start a series where i post a random collection of words and phrases i learn either in class or that i have complied throughout my own studying. please correct me if i have the incorrect spanish or the context is wrong

estar emocionado/ilusianado-to be excited

nunca han estada- they have never been

la idea- idea

probar- to taste, to try (a food)

antés- before

sitios túristicos/lugares túristicos- tourist sites

en los que- where, but when used in the middle of a sentence

sobre todo- mostly

el cuadro- painting

la obra- play/work of art

una exposicíon- exhibition

la entrada- ticket (for an event like a football match or concert)

gastar- spend (money)

el regado- present, gift

me cuesta- i find it difficult

(ser) caro- to be expensive

no obstante- nevertheless

novía- girlfriend, fiancée, bride

novío- boyfriend, fiancé, groom

enamorarse- to fall in love

aún- still

quedar- stay, remain

me sorprendío- i was surprised, it surprised me

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Polyglot Punishment

Did you hear about the french chef who committed suicide? He simply lost the huile d’olive.

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