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How to Say ‘Are you made of copper and tellurium?’ in French

Es-tu fait(e) de cuivre et de tellure?

eh ty fay duh KUEEVR e duh te-LUR

[eh ty fay duh KUEEVR e duh te-LUR]

🇫🇷 In France: This joke depends on the chemical symbols Cu and Te sounding like English [cute]. In French it often feels borrowed and nerdy rather than natural.

Phrase Breakdown

Es-tu fait(e) de cuivre

eh ty fay duh KUEEVR

Words in this phrase

Es

[eh]

Are

Used to ask about someone's identity or status.

Example

Es-tu prêt?

Are you ready?

tu

[ty]

you

Referring to the person being addressed.

Example

Tu es là.

You are here.

fait

[fay]

made

Constructed from or composed of.

Example

C'est fait en France.

It is made in France.

de

[duh]

of

Used to show possession or relationship.

Example

Un morceau de pain.

A piece of bread.

cuivre

[KUEEVR]

copper

The reddish-brown metal used mostly for electrical wiring.

Example

Des bijoux en cuivre.

Copper jewelry.

Et de tellure?

e duh te-LUR

Words in this phrase

et

[e]

and

Used to connect items in a list or sequence.

Example

Elle et son ami.

She and her friend.

de

[duh]

of

Used to show possession or relationship.

Example

Un morceau de pain.

A piece of bread.

tellure

[te-LUR]

tellurium

A chemical element with distinct properties, used in alloys.

Example

L'équipement contient du tellure.

The equipment contains tellurium.

Guides for French learners

The Best App to Learn French: An Honest ComparisonDuolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur, Busuu, italki and PrettyFluent compared for learning French: what each is best at, how you pay, and which fits your goal.French Conversation for Beginners: 5 Everyday Dialogues You'll Actually UseFive short French conversations for beginners, from greeting a neighbour to booking a restaurant, with translations, native audio and the phrases that keep them going.

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