Okay, so I’ve been trying to get better at understanding French menus. You know, not just pointing and hoping for the best. I thought, “What’s a fun way to learn some of these words?” And then it hit me: a crossword!
So, I started by just Googling around for some common French food terms. I figured I’d focus on the basics first – you know, like “poulet” (chicken) and “poisson” (fish). I jotted these down on a piece of paper, just a messy list to start.
Then, I tried to think about how I could make them fit together like a crossword. This was the tricky part! I doodled a few grids on paper, trying different arrangements. I realized pretty quickly that some words were easier to work with than others. Short words like “vin” (wine) were great for connecting longer words.
I spent a good hour just messing around with the words, moving them around, erasing, and starting over. It was like a puzzle in itself! I used a pencil so I could easily change things.
My Makeshift Process
- Gather words: I just listed out any French food words I could think of or find online.
- Sketch a grid: Nothing fancy, just some lines on paper.
- Fit the words: This was the real brain-teaser. Lots of trial and error!
- Fill in the blanks: Once I had the main words down, I tried to fill in any empty spaces with shorter, related words.
Eventually, I managed to create a small crossword with about ten words. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start! I even made up some simple clues, like “A type of red meat” for “boeuf”.
It might sound a little silly, but this actually helped me remember some of the words better. Plus, it was way more engaging than just staring at a vocabulary list. Next time I’m at a French restaurant, I’ll be a little less lost, which I consider a major win!
