Bonjour tout le monde 👋
A Question from the Teen Stage 🌟
I hope you’ve been enjoying your French journey this week!
Our member @Grzesiek is working through the Teen Stage (congrats, @Grzesiek! 🎉), and has been answering the question “Qu’est-ce qui me stresse en ce moment?” (What’s stressing me out right now?) from Video 7.
If you’re not familiar with the Teen Stage yet, it’s designed for upper beginners and intermediate learners who are ready to start outputting in French – meaning you’re ready to write and speak, not just listen and read. It’s such an exciting milestone! ✨
Click here to start the Teen Stage!
The Teen Stage is the perfect opportunity to experiment with free writing – which simply means writing in French (or mixing French and English if you need to!) without worrying about grammar, spelling, or being “correct.”
Just let your thoughts flow onto the page for 5-10 minutes without stopping to edit yourself.
The beauty of free writing is that it takes all the pressure off. You’re not writing for a grade or for anyone’s approval – you’re writing for YOU.
It helps you discover what French you already know (spoiler: it’s more than you think!), it makes the language your own, and it builds confidence because there’s no “wrong” way to do it.
So @Grzesiek was doing this beautiful work of expressing himself in French when he asked a great question:
“How would you say in French: ‘it’s both exciting and stressful’?” 🤔
Finding the Right Words for “Exciting and Stressful” 🎯
I love this question because it shows @Grzesiek is thinking deeply about nuance – and that’s what real fluency looks like!
Here’s what I told him, and I think all of you might find it helpful too. 😊
There are actually several ways to express “it’s both exciting and stressful” in French, each with a slightly different feel:
C’est à la fois excitant et stressant is the most direct translation. However, just be aware that excitant can sometimes have a suggestive meaning when talking about people (though it’s usually fine when describing activities or experiences). If you want to play it safe, there are other great options!
C’est à la fois passionnant et stressant is my personal favorite. Passionnant means “fascinating” or “gripping” and doesn’t have any ambiguous undertones. It’s perfect when you mean something is intellectually or emotionally engaging. 💫
C’est à la fois palpitant et stressant uses palpitant, which means “thrilling” – like when your heart is racing with adrenaline or suspense. It’s a bit more dramatic! 🎢
C’est à la fois enthousiasmant et stressant is another safe, beautiful choice. Enthousiasmant means “energizing” or “inspiring” and works well in any context. ✨
So depending on exactly what feeling you want to express, you can choose the one that fits best! For most situations, passionnant or palpitant are excellent choices.
Isn’t French wonderful? So many ways to paint the exact picture you want! 🎨🇫🇷
Join Us for Live Community Calls! 📞
Speaking of community, I want to remind you that we have Members Community Live meetings every Monday and Thursday! 🗓️
You can find all the details here: https://www.aliceayel.com/members-community-live/
These calls are driven by YOU.
It’s an opportunity to share your journey acquiring French, ask questions, practice speaking, and connect with fellow learners who totally get what you’re going through. 🤗
Sometimes someone shares an article or a question that sparks a fascinating discussion.
Yesterday, for example, @Margot shared an article about the Jules Verne restaurant on the Eiffel Tower that included the phrase “il faut montrer patte blanche” (you must show your credentials – literally “show a white paw”).
@BarryR, @Margot, and the group discovered something delightful! This expression comes from a tale that’s right here on our site: Le loup et les sept petites chèvres (The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats)! 🐺🐐
Click here to read & listen to this tale!
These are the kinds of magical moments that happen when you learn together.
So please, join the community! Even if you just want to listen at first, you’re so welcome.
Keep Going – You’re Doing Great! 🌟
Remember: the journey IS the reward.
Every story you listen to, every question you ask, every time you show up – that’s progress. That’s acquisition happening.
You’re not just learning French; you’re proving to yourself that growth never stops, that curiosity is ageless, that you’re capable of beautiful, challenging things. 🦋
And you’re not alone on this journey. We’re all here together – stumbling, laughing, discovering, growing.
So please, share your experiences, your questions, your “aha!” moments in the Community Chat: https://www.aliceayel.com/community-chat/
Your voice matters. Your journey matters. And we’d love to hear from you. 💬
Keep listening, keep enjoying, and keep acquiring that gorgeous French of yours! 🇫🇷✨
À bientôt, mes amis!
Alice 💕
P.S. If you’re in the Teen Stage like Grzesiek, give that free writing exercise a try this week! You might surprise yourself with how much French is already living inside you, just waiting to come out. 📝✨