Râler

Meaning: To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.

Literally: To grumble

Origin: French; practised daily, affectionately.

More French untranslatable words

Flemme A total absence of motivation to do anything — a profound, almost existential reluctance…
Spleen A deep, existential ennui — a heavy, formless sadness and disgust with the world and ones…
Épanouissement The full flourishing of a person — blooming into your most complete, radiant self. More t…
Ressourcement The act of returning to one's roots or origins to find renewal — going back to a place, t…
Dépaysement The disorienting yet often pleasant feeling of being far from home, immersed in the unfam…
Flâner To wander a city slowly and aimlessly, savouring it with no destination in mind — the art…

Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.

Un beau ver vert dans un verre vert verra un ver vert. Ver (worm), vert (green), and verre (glass) are near-homophones — distinguishing them at…
Didon dîna, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon dont le dodu dos dodine. A 'd' / 'din' / 'dod' avalanche that seems designed to jam the tongue in third gear.
Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.

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