Expressions for Asking About French Culture｜French Conversation Examples

One of the most common motivations for learning French is an interest in French culture.

French cinema, wine and cheese, fashion, philosophy, museums, and café culture—all of these diverse and rich aspects of French culture have long fascinated people around the world. Because of this, conversations often include questions such as “What do you like?” or “Which is your favorite?” in relation to cultural topics.

In this lesson, I will introduce expressions that you can use in conversations about French culture, along with phrases well-suited for cultural discussions.

Dialogue

A

Tu t’intéresses à la culture française ?
(Do you have an interest in French culture?)

B

Oui, beaucoup ! J’aime bien le cinéma français et la gastronomie.
(Yes, very much! I quite like French cinema and gastronomy.)

A

Tu as un film français préféré ?
(Do you have a favorite French film?)

B

Oui, Intouchables. C’est un film très touchant.
(Yes, Intouchables. It’s a very moving film.)

A

Et la gastronomie, qu’est-ce que tu préfères ?
(And in gastronomy, what do you prefer?)

B

Le fromage ! Il y en a tellement en France.
(Cheese! There are so many varieties in France.)

Grammar and Expression Points

1. The Reflexive Verb: s’intéresser à

The reflexive verb s’intéresser à (“to be interested in”) must agree with the subject and the reflexive pronoun.

In conversation, raising the intonation at the end — “Tu t’intéresses à … ?” — is a soft, natural way to show interest in the other person.

2. Expressing Preferences: aimer bien / préféré

“aimer bien” conveys “to quite like” or “to have a liking for.” It is softer and more casual than aimer (to love).

préféré(e) means “favorite” and usually follows the noun.

3. The Adjective touchant

The adjective touchant(e) means “moving” or “touching.” It derives from the verb toucher (to touch), carrying the nuance of “touching the heart” → “moving, emotionally affecting.”

4. The Structure: Il y en a tellement

The phrase “Il y a …” means “there is/are …”

en is a neutral pronoun that refers to a noun already mentioned (e.g., fromage). It often refers to a partitive or indefinite quantity.

tellement is an adverb meaning “so much,” “so many,” or “to such an extent,” emphasizing quantity or degree.

Summary

泉（Izumi）

Author

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