D'où vient le nom des Schtroumpfs ?

If you were a kid (or parent) in the 80s, you undoubtedly knew the little blue creatures known as Smurfs. As odd as that name might be, the original French is even odder: les Schtroumpfs. Learn where this strange word came from in this bilingual article.
After listening to the audio, click any word for the English translation and links to related grammar lessons.

Note: Some of the tenses in this French text and its English translation don't match! In French, we use the present tense to describe historical events like this to evoke a sense of immediacy, whereas in English, we commonly use the past tense - learn more about historical French tenses.

 

 

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