Literal translation
“I speak French like a Spanish cow.”
English equivalence
“I speak French really badly.”
Listen to the pronunciation
Listen to the pronunciation
Explanation / Comment
Imagine for a moment a cow, of Spanish nationality and mother tongue, trying to speak Frenchโฆ The image is quite amusing and perhaps that’s why this expression has become popular!
You may have already understood what “speaking French like a Spanish cow” means: speaking French badly, speaking French in an incomprehensible way. Indeed, I have never yet met a Spanish cow who spoke French well enough to be understood ๐
Example
๐ซ๐ท “Je parle parfaitement espagnol et anglais mais je parle franรงais comme une vache espagnole.“
๐ฌ๐ง “I speak perfect Spanish and English, but I speak French like a Spanish cow.“
Example
๐ซ๐ท “Je parle parfaitement espagnol et anglais mais je parle franรงais comme une vache espagnole.“
๐ฌ๐ง “I speak perfect Spanish and English, but I speak French like a Spanish cow.“
About the author: Anthony Lucas
Hi there! I’ve been a French teacher since 2007. I have taught French as a foreign language to hundreds of students from all over the world in Mexico, Australia, Hong Kong and France.
โ I now teach French online and develop the website OnlineFrenchTeacher.com.