Transcript

In French, there are brand names that have almost replaced the real names of objects.

I'm sure this is also the case in your language if you think about it. There are brand names that have almost become common names because you have associated the brand name with the object, even if you use the same object, but from another brand, you call it by the name of that brand.

Welcome to this new video. Today, we will see together ten brands that have become common names in French. When you are a foreigner, it can be complicated to understand what you are talking about. For you, it can be complicated to understand words in a conversation because obviously, you have learned the right words.

The real common name that designates this object, but in everyday language, in colloquial language, the French will use these brand names to qualify these objects.

Some of these words have become so popular that they have even entered the dictionary, even though they are registered trademarks.

This is for example the case of a Bic. By the way, a bic is the first word we will see together.

A Bic. A Bic is a ballpoint pen. Very often in French, we say un Bic instead of using the real word which is un stylo bille.

And his little Bic of retired civil servant, I fart him!

He broke my Bic! And yeah, I broke his pen...

In reality, Bic is a brand, but we will use this word even if we use a ballpoint pen of another brand, of any brand, the word Bic has almost replaced the real word.

Certainly also because Bic is very fast to say, while ballpoint pen and quite long.

Tipp-Ex. Tipp-Ex is a white liquid that is used to correct. It is a liquid eraser.

You say goodbye to the one you'll call your ex from now on, in her diary, on your name she'll pass a Tipp-Ex.

It's a liquid writing corrector. When you're taking an exam, for example, and you've made a mistake with your Bic and you want to erase, you can use Tipp-Ex, you put some white and you write over it.

Again, the word Tipp-Ex is almost always used instead of liquid eraser or liquid corrector, when Tipp-Ex is actually a brand. But if you don't know that, it can be hard to understand in a conversation.

If someone, for example, during one of your French classes, asks you if they can borrow your Tipp-Ex.

Earplugs. Oops... Earplugs is the word we use almost systematically to talk about earplugs. This brand is so well known that we systematically say earplugs instead of ear plugs.

It's what you put in your ear, for example at night, so that you don't hear the noises. If someone asks you if you want earplugs, they are asking you if you want earplugs.

A Labello. A Labello is the word we use very often to talk about a lip balm. A moisturizer for the lips. So, you see, here, it's not, it's not the Labello brand at all, but it's the word that we use very often to describe this type... oula! That we use very often to talk about a lip balm.

Labello, Labello, on your lips.

Again, because the brand is so well known, it will take precedence over the actual common name. For example, I can say I've used Labello three times in one day, but my lips are still dry.

Sopalin. Sopalin is a brand of paper towel, very well known in France. It is so well known, it has been used so much in the homes that now, even if we take the brand of the store very often, we will still call the towel Sopalin.

Can you hand me a paper towel? I spilled my glass of water. Of course, obviously, I didn't specify, but you can always use the right words and it's even better.

This video is mainly for you to understand if you are talking to a French person and to understand if someone asks you for a Sopalin, a Bic or a Labello, for example.

Always in the objects really very used in everyday life. So, a tissue very often in France, we'll call it a Kleenex. Here, I have it in this form, but you also have the rectangular packages where you have a dozen tissues that you can put in your bag, for example.

Well, a lot of times we'll say do you have a Kleenex? I need to blow my nose instead of saying a tissue so again, this brand is known. Here you see this, it's just the store brand. It's not the Kleenex brand at all, but it's still often the word that will be used.

Scotch tape. Again, in France, we almost always use the word scotch to refer to adhesive tape.

You see it fits...

Scotch is also a brand, but it's so well known that we ended up saying Scotch instead of using the right word.

Nutella. Nutella, it's really a very famous brand in many countries. Maybe you also use it at home instead of spread.

I don't have any at home, I try to avoid eating Nutella and spreads because it's really sweet. Again, it doesn't matter what brand we buy, even if sometimes we buy more qualitative brands than Nutella, we will still say can you pass me the jar of Nutella?

Mercurochrome. When we talk about mercurochrome, we generally use it to talk about an antiseptic solution that we put on when we are injured. Mercurochrome has a specificity, it is red in color.

When you use red disinfectant, you will often say I used mercurochrome, when in fact it is the name of a brand.

The last item we're going to see today is a k-way. A k-way is a rain jacket. K-wai is of course a brand name, but as for all the other words, it is now used almost as a common name to talk about a windbreaker, to talk about a rain jacket.

That's it for today. I hope you liked this video. Tell me in comments if you want other videos like this, I have lots of other ideas in mind of brands that have entered the common vocabulary in France. So don't hesitate to tell me and above all, put a like to this video and subscribe. See you soon.