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Oxygen Mask

English: Oxygen mask

French: Masque d’oxygène


Here’s an expression that flight attendants will use, but perhaps not as often as you’d think.


Most airplanes are outfitted with oxygen masks above passenger seats. Airplanes that are not equipped with oxygen masks are not allowed to fly above a certain altitude. At very high altitudes, the oxygen in the air is very thin and if the plane were to lose cabin pressure, people in the plane would lose consciousness quite quickly due to the lack of oxygen in the air. There are also oxygen masks above flight attendants jump seats, in the flight deck, and in the lavatories, in case of sudden depressurization. If depressurization were to happen at a high altitude, the pilots will immediately descend to a lower altitude where the outside oxygen is sufficient, and oxygen masks in the plane serve to provide people with enough oxygen during that descent.


Contrary to popular belief, smoke in the cabin will not trigger oxygen masks to drop. Smoke usually means fire and introducing more oxygen in the cabin will only fuel the fire.


In French, “oxygen mask” is “masque d’oxygène.”

Masque (m)=Mask

Oxygène (m)=Oxygen

D’oxygène=Of oxygen


Oxygen masks are an integral part of most airplanes, and their usage is usually explained in the safety demonstration before take off. Depending on the airline and airplane, the safety demonstration is usually prerecorded and played to the passengers before every take off (in both official languages for Canadian airlines), so unless the flight attendants actually have to read the safety demonstration aloud, you probably won’t need to say “masque d’oxygène” that often. However, when briefing a passenger with a lap-held infant, you may need to instruct them on oxygen mask use with the baby, and if you’re briefing the passenger in French, this is where you will use “masque d’oxygène”.


Module 5 of Canadian French for Flight Attendants teaches a full generic French briefing for passengers with lap-held infants.

 

Now available! Module 4 of Canadian French for Flight Attendants. Learn the French for:

-Less common food/drinks/special meals.

-Bag issues (bag won't fit/no more space).

-Announcements for mechanical problems, cancellations, airplane changes, diverting, etc.

-Delays because of fuel, catering, connection passengers, weather, etc.

-Tight/missed connections.

-And much, much more!


 

Flight Attendant Souvenirs. Souvenirs d’un agent de bord. United Arab Emirates, February 2020. Émirats Arabes Unis, février 2020. More sights from Abu Dhabi, including the ultra-ultra luxurious UAE Presidential Palace, the ultra luxurious Emirates Palace hotel, the ultra luxurious Fairmont Marina hotel, the Founder’s Memorial, the Marina Eye Ferris Wheel, and the Abu Dhabi Theatre.


Bassinet

English: Bassinet

French: Berceau


Here is another baby-related term that flight attendants need when helping out passengers travelling with young fliers. On smaller planes and shorter flights, babies that are young enough will often just sit in the passenger’s lap for the flight. On larger planes, and longer flights, having a baby on your lap for that long can get quite tiring. These planes are often equipped with bassinets, which are cradles for babies and passengers can reserve them. Usually, the passenger is seated in front of a bulkhead wall and after take off, the bassinet is attached to bulkhead and the baby is placed inside so the guardian doesn’t have to hold the baby for eight, ten, twelve plus hours.


The word for bassinet in French is “berceau” (m).


You might tell a francophone passenger with a baby:


Je vais chercher le berceau après le décollage. I’m going to retrieve the bassinet after take off.


Je vais=I’m going

Chercher=To retrieve, to search for

Le berceau=The bassinet

Après=After

Le décollage=The take off


Notice we literally say in French "after [the] take off", "après [le] décollage".

 

Now available! Module 4 of Canadian French for Flight Attendants. Learn the French for:

-Less common food/drinks/special meals.

-Bag issues (bag won't fit/no more space).

-Announcements for mechanical problems, cancellations, airplane changes, diverting, etc.

-Delays because of fuel, catering, connection passengers, weather, etc.

-Tight/missed connections.

-And much, much more!


 

Flight Attendant Souvenirs. Souvenirs d’un agent de bord. United Arab Emirates, February 2020. Émirats Arabes Unis, février 2020. Abu Dhabi waterfront. After Dubai, I took the bus to Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the Emirates. This city is smaller than Dubai and it was a bit easier to explore. The city also has a bike-share system, which is one of my favourite ways to see a city. All you need is a credit card. There are also mini electric scooters for rent as well, but that requires you to download and use their app. Here are a few pictures of the beautiful Abu Dhabi waterfront.


(Baby) change table

English: Change table

French: Table à langer


Here’s another baby-related expression in French you’ll use often. Most airplanes are equipped with baby change tables, but not necessarily in every single lavatory of the plane. A passenger may ask you which lavatory the change table is in, or you could tell them during your baby safety briefing.


Table (f)=Table

Langer=To change (a diaper)

Une table à langer=A change table


‘’Langer’’ is a pretty specific word in French and only means “change” in the sense of “changing a baby’s diaper”, and its use beyond this context is very rare. It is, however, a fairly common word that flight attendants will come across when speaking to passengers travelling with babies. The general verb for “change” in French in most other contexts is “changer”.

 

Now available! Module 4 of Canadian French for Flight Attendants. Learn the French for:

-Less common food/drinks/special meals.

-Bag issues (bag won't fit/no more space).

-Announcements for mechanical problems, cancellations, airplane changes, diverting, etc.

-Delays because of fuel, catering, connection passengers, weather, etc.

-Tight/missed connections.

-And much, much more!


 

Flight Attendant Souvenirs. Souvenirs d’un agent de bord. United Arab Emirates, February 2020. Émirats Arabes Unis, février 2020. Dubai Creek boat tour. Historically, the creek served as a port and as a centre for the fishing industry and parts of the bank have been preserved.


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