Marianne (Les Symboles de la République française)

The French Republic has several symbols which you can spot all over France. Marianne, with her characteristic Phrygian cap, figures prominently in the French Republic, whether on official documents, in town halls and of course on French stamps and money. Learn more about the origins of this national figure with our bilingual article below.

After listening to the audio, click any word for the English translation and links to related grammar lessons.

Note: The tenses in this French article 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.

Part 1

Part 2

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Click any word in the text to see its translation and related grammar lessons.

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