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 French… 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 😂
Example
🇫🇷 “Je parle parfaitement espagnol et anglais mais je parle français comme une vache espagnole.“
🇬🇧 “I speak perfect Spanish and English, but I speak French like a Spanish cow.“
Example
🇫🇷 “Je parle parfaitement espagnol et anglais mais je parle français comme une vache espagnole.“
🇬🇧 “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.
➜ I now teach French online and develop the website OnlineFrenchTeacher.com.