AP French AP French Vocabulary & Idiomatic Expressions

Question 1

What does the French idiomatic expression 'avoir le cafard' mean?

Accepted Answer

To feel depressed or down in the dumps

Answer

Avoir le cafard literally means 'to have the cockroach' but idiomatically means to feel sad, melancholy, or depressed.

Question 2

Which French word correctly means 'to miss' someone emotionally, as in 'I miss you'?

Accepted Answer

Manquer

Answer

Manquer is used for emotional missing, but with reversed subject-object: 'Tu me manques' literally means 'You are missing to me' = 'I miss you.'

Question 3

What is the meaning of the French expression 'se débrouiller' ?

Accepted Answer

To manage or figure things out on one's own

Answer

Se débrouiller means to manage, cope, or figure something out independently, often implying resourcefulness.

Question 4

Which French term refers to the register of informal, everyday spoken French that differs significantly from written French?

Accepted Answer

Le français familier

Answer

Le français familier (colloquial/informal French) describes the relaxed, everyday spoken register that includes slang, elisions, and non-standard structures.

Question 5

What does the French term 'francophonie' refer to in a cultural/linguistic context?

Accepted Answer

The global community of French-speaking peoples and regions

Answer

La francophonie refers to the worldwide community of French speakers, including countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond, not just France.

AP Practice Test

AP Practice Test

AP French AP French Vocabulary & Idiomatic Expressions