The United States may have Selling Sunset, but France has The Parisian Agency. The Netflix show competes with its American competitor in luxurious homes and jaw-dropping architecture. If you've already dived into the series, you're bound to be a fan of the family, where parents and children team up to find the most exceptional apartments for their clients. Here are some of the most common idioms used in the series, which you can learn to use in your conversations!
Un gamin
An affectionate word used to refer to a child, « gamin » is also used more broadly to refer to someone immature and likes to joke around. But it’s not a derogatory word, it’s most often used in a playful way. In the show, parents like to tease their children by calling them gamins. If you are familiar with French movies, you may have heard the expression "gamin de Paris". This word is used to refer to a Parisian-born people and who have the city under their skin!
À fond
To live à fond is to live fast, without ever being half-hearted. It is also a sign of approval to show absolute enthusiasm: - tu veux aller au restaurant ce soir ? - À fond! Finally, the expression is sometimes used to evoke speed: a car à fond is a car that is going very, very fast.
Une astuce
Une astuce is a trick. Finding the right tricks and tips is a necessity when you are a real estate agent. There is something endearing about this word: there is often a playful, even childish aspect to the word. It emphasizes the intelligence and the brightness of the solution.
Pas de bol
A negative idiom, pas de bol comes from the expression avoir du bol, synonymous with avoir de chance : being lucky. Pas de bol is the heartfelt interjection you use when you’re met with really bad luck: you have just missed the metro, you have forgotten our keys... Pas de bol is more broadly used to say that the chance is against us.
C’est mon créneau
C’est mon créneau is an expression you'll hear a lot in the show. You may have heard a similar expression before, C’est mon rayon. They both mean: it's my specialty. At work or in your personal life, C’est mon créneau means that it is your niche, that's your expertise, you know what you're talking about.
Ça bouge
Ça bouge is a sign that things are on the move. We say it most often when we talk about a place, such as a city or a neighborhood: it's moving, it's alive, there's life. If it's moving, it's a sign that people want to celebrate. It is an idiom that is also used to indicate a departure, after having finished a dinner in a restaurant for example to launch the next step!
As you watch the show, you’ll probably notice many more idioms. It can be helpful to watch with French subs on instead of English subs, to get a better sense of the nuances of what you’ll hear. Write down the new words you identify and see how you can use them in your own conversation to get closer to fluency!