Le Arte Graphic Cami from Forever 21
Phrase: “Le Arte”
Rough English translation: “The art”
If you’ve ever come across T-shirts or other clothes with French phrases while out shopping, you might have wondered what they mean.
Wonder no more, for BuzzFeed has enlisted Marie and Amaury, two native French-speaking staff, to help decipher these puzzling messages.
The clothes they analyzed hail from brands like Forever 21, H&M and Urban Outfitters. Hilariously, it’s revealed that many of the so-called French phrases don’t make any sense, and that many are simply lost in translation.
Phrases like “Le Arte” and “Parlez vous brunçh?” are just silly and nonsensical, with Marie stating that “putting ‘le’ in front of a random foreign-sounding word doesn’t make it French.”
Read the full article at BuzzFeed. Does it make you think twice about buying clothes with French phrases on them?
Reason Oversize Boyfriend T-Shirt With Parlez Vous Brunch Print from ASOS
Phrase: “Parlez vous brunçh?”
Rough English translation: “Do you speak brunch?”
Slub Knit La Musique Top from Forever 21
Phrase: “L’amour, la musique et un fashion”
Rough English translation: “The love, the music, and ‘a fashion’” (which is not the French word for fashion)
Love More Graphic Pocket Tee from Forever 21
Phrase: “Aimer plus, Haïr Moins. Merci.”
English translation: “To love more, to hate less. Thank you.”
Sundry Sweatshirt — Ma Maison C’est La Plage from Bloomingdales
Phrase: “Ma maison c’est la plage”
English translation: “My house is the beach”
[via BuzzFeed, images by Forever 21, ASOS and Bloomingdales via BuzzFeed]