8.6 Cultural and Family Values (Part 1)

8.6 Cultural and Family Values (Part 1)
Language & Culture Lessons
How do you talk about « ma famille » ? Well in this Language lesson we'll take a look at what it's like to be part of French
family life, including some of the typical values and social norms in a French household and how to address them in
French.
Language Lesson
Cultural and Family Values
Many aspects of French family life are particular to France, although some are shared with neighboring European
countries. The Window on Family Customs in this Lesson will give you an insight into some of the typical values and
norms.
In French, the word « les parents » can refer to “relatives” as well as “parents” in the English sense of the word. It can
also be used as a verb to describe being related to someone as in « nous sommes parents », “we’re related”. Another
typical family expression is « entre frère et soeur », meaning, “as siblings”. « Les liens de famille » refers to “family
ties”.
Rocket French gives you the unique opportunity to look at all the family members in gender groups. Because the
French language is gender dependent, you can learn about the family in its right context: the women of the family,
and the men of the family.
Une Réunion de Famille !
In today’s families, where there is often more than one set of parents, the scope of vocabulary has extended itself to
include new contemporary terms. Look at the list below:
Les Hommes de la Famille !
Les Hommes de la famille
Men of the family
Le père
The father
Le beau-père
The father in law or the step father
Le grand-père
The grandfather
Papa
Dad
Papi
Grand dad
Le mari
The husband
Le fils
The son
Le beau-fils
The stepson
Le gendre
The stepson or the son in law
Le petit-fils
The grandson
L'oncle
The uncle
Le neveu
The nephew
Le frère
The brother
Le beau-frère
The step-brother
Le demi-frère
The half-brother
Le frère et le beau-frère
The brother and the
brother-in-law
La famille
The family
Les Femmes de la Famille !
Les femmes de la famille
Women of the family
La mère
The mother
La belle-mère
The mother in law or the step mother
La grand-mère
The grandmother
Maman
Mum
Mamie
Nanny
La femme
The wife
La fille
The daughter
La belle-fille
The daughter in law
La petite-fille
The granddaughter
La tante
The aunt
La nièce
The niece
La soeur
The sister
La belle-soeur
The sister-in-law
La demi-soeur
The half sister
La mère et ses enfants
The mother and her children
La petite-fille
The granddaughter
Culture
Famille
Above all, French people value family. This value shines in every aspect of French society: politics, work, education...
government policy is generally written with the underlying aim of keeping families happy, healthy, and together.
If you are fortunate enough to stay in the home of a French family, you'll notice that every night the whole family
shares a meal around the table. The television is turned off, there are no distractions, it's family time. Families use
this time to catch up with each other, to re-connect and share their day's events.
The divorce rate in France is lower than many other developed Western countries. Perhaps this comes down to
traditional catholic values, or maybe it's because most children grow up in a close family community. Whatever the
reason, it seems that the French have got their priorities right!
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