This spider is indispensable

My son started at a French immersion school last year. On his first day of school, my French was limited to “Where is the bathroom?” and “Do you want to go to bed with me?” (thanks Moulin Rouge). So I thought I should probably get learning.

I’ve taken a few classes at the local Alliance de Francaise and have reserved the Pimsleur CDs from the library, but it’s hard to find the time (and money) for the classes and I’m not able to carve out time for the CDs every day. So for my daily French fix I use Duolingo. It’s a free app that can help you learn a foreign language. You can do a lesson in less than 5 minutes and it’s always right there on your phone. I’m a big fan.

Duolingo has the added bonus of teaching you some truly fabulous sentences. Sentences that you never knew you needed until you learn them. For instance.

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I have a pretty good imagination. But I am hard-pressed to come up with a situation in which a spider would not only be needed, but would actually be indispensable. A web-spinning party? A tarantula exhibit? Is this how Hermes makes their scarves?

Apparently the French own a lot of rabbits. And ask after them frequently. I hope if we ever move to France, we get a calm one too!

Another useful one here –

They care for their animals, those French.

The app can also be a bit too spot-on sometimes. For instance:

Yeah, I know. And it’s not any better to read it in French than to hear it in my own mind. Especially when they keep giving me this reminder.

I know, I know. Okay, I’ll lay off the coffee.
At least this one’s not directed at me.

And then sometimes, the app is just a bit creepy.

I suppose this is a useful thing to know how to say just in case, but it seems like it should be pretty far down the list. Like, maybe I should learn how to say “have you come to give me a baguette?” first.

My friend is using the app for German, and the stuff she gets is even stranger.

Fairly common in Germany I guess?

Is this the German equivalent of mi casa es su casa? And if so, WTF?Now this is one that I would really like the French translation for.