This is a French TV commercial from the 90s with the Simpsons receiving a free sample of Vizir Liquide laundry stain remover. The commercial is very funny and loaded with lots of fun French slang such as j’en ai marre (I’ve had it!), espèce de (you darned) and much more.
text and translation
- Letter: Chère Madame Simpson, vous avez été choisie pour tester Vizir Liquide et sa Visir bille sur les taches incrustées. Ci-joint bidon gratuit.
Dear Mrs. Simpson, You were chosen to test Vizir Liquide and its rollerball for encrusted stains. Belly (supposed to be sample) attached. - Homer: Oui, c’est gratos!
Yes! It’s free! - Marge: J’ai toujours eu un grand problème avec ces taches.
I’ve always had a problem with these stains. - Bart: Enorme problème!
Big problem! (pointin to Homer’s stomach). - Homer: Espèce de…!
You darned! - Marge: Arretêz-ça!
Stop that! - Marge: J’en ai marre de ces taches incrustées!
I’m stick of these encrusted stains! - Narrator: Vizir Liquide, grâce à la bille de la Vizirette pénètre en profondeur dans la tache. Et up, dans la machine!
Vizir Liquide, thanks to its rolleball, penetrates deeply into the stain. And up, into the machine! - Marge: Et voilà!
And there! - Homer: Oh là là, j’ai le gras qui n’est plus là.
Wow, the fat (stain) isn’t there anymore! - Maggie: Oh, Papa, tu es resplendissant!
Dad, you are radiant! - Homer: Mmm! Je me sens tout désirable!
Mmm! I feel so sexy! - Bart: Oh, tu pues du bec!
Oh! You have bad breath! - Narrator: Vizir Liquide, pour les problèmes quotidiens, même les pires!
Vizir Liquide, for day-to-day problems, even the worst!
vocabulary and grammar of interest
- vous avez été choisie – This is a passive voice. You were chosen.
- une tache – this means stain. With a circumflex accent la tâche translates to chore or task.
- incrusté (adj.) – means encrusted. As a pronominal verb, s’incruster means to be clingy or overstay your welcome.
- c’est gratos – slang for c’est gratuit, which means it’s free.
- Espèce de – French slang for you darned, usually followed by a noun. Espèce d’imbécile! You darned idiot!
- J’en ai marre – French slang meaning I’m sick, tired of or had it with, often followed by a noun. J’en ai marre de ce travail. I’ve had it with this work!
- grâce à – means thanks to, as opposed to à cause de, which means because of.
- resplendissant (adj.) – means radiant, aglow, glittering, dazzling. Big vocab word as Maggie’s character is known for her intelligence.
- Je me sens – from se sentir, to feel.
- Tu pues du bec – French slang for you have bad breath. Literally, you stink from the mouth. Le bec (masculine) is a slang word for mouth. Puer mean to stink.
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David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.
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About David Issokson
Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
