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Joshua Balata 3/10/25 Joshua Balata 3/10/25

Ep 4

Plot of Bref.04 J'ai passé un entretien d'embauche.

The main character has been looking for a job for a while. One night, feeling desperate, he sends out 250 identical job applications to companies near his home. Only one company calls him back—but he doesn’t even remember applying there. To sound professional, he replies, “It would be a true honor to join your team.” Then he quickly googles the company to figure out what they actually do.

Before the interview, he prepares: he prints out his CV (with kayaking listed as a hobby, even though he’s never done it), puts on his “formal occasions” suit, and heads to the company. Sitting next to another candidate, he gets suspicious because the guy looks too well-groomed.

During the interview, he notices the director’s ridiculous tie and wonders if the guy actually asked for it in a store. This thought makes him laugh, and the director mistakes it as a compliment.

When asked if he speaks English, he nervously says “yes.” Then, asked about his biggest flaw, he considers the truth (obsessive, socially awkward, liar) but instead answers, “I’m a perfectionist.”

Finally, the director asks about his kayaking experience. He panics, tries to bluff his way through, and points out that kayak is a palindrome. The director awkwardly ends the interview with “We’ll call you.”

He hears the undertone "Go F*** yourself”

Bref. He went to a job interview.

Top 10 Interesting Phrases from Bref.04 J'ai passé un entretien d'embauche.

1. “Bref, ça faisait un moment que je cherchais du boulot.”

• Literal: “In short, I had been looking for a job for a while.”

2. “Un soir, j’ai craqué, j’ai envoyé 250 mails copiés-collés.”

• Literal: “One night, I snapped and sent 250 copy-pasted emails.”

3. “Quitte à chercher, autant que ce soit tout près.”

• Literal: “If I have to look for a job, might as well be nearby.”

4. “C’était soit une maladie vénérienne, soit une branche de l’ONU.”

• Literal: “It was either an STD, a branch of the UN, or a company renting printers.”

5. “J’avais mis le costume que je mets aux mariages, aux enterrements et aux entretiens d’embauche.”

• Literal: “I wore the suit I use for weddings, funerals, and job interviews.”

6. “Je me suis demandé s’il avait vraiment demandé une cravate Dingo en magasin.”

• Literal: “I wondered if he actually asked for a Goofy tie in a store.”

7. “Il m’a demandé de me speaking English.”

• Literal: “He asked me to speak English.”

8. “J’ai répondu ‘Yes.’”

• Literal: “I answered, ‘Yes.’”

9. “Vous aimez le kayak ?”

• Literal: “Do you like kayaking?”

10. “J’ai entendu ‘pas de nouvelles, bonne nouvelle.’”

• Literal: “I heard ‘no news is good news.’” (But in reality, it meant no news = no job.)

About This Series

This blog is part of the Bref Commentary Series, where we break down episodes of the iconic French TV show Bref. Each post includes summaries, key phrases, and cultural insights to help you understand real, everyday French.

💬 Need help with a phrase? Drop a comment, and I’ll transcribe it for you!

💡 Language Learning Tip

Struggling with Bref? Read the summary here, then rewatch the episode without subtitles. You won’t catch everything at first, but over time, your brain will adapt. Master Bref, and you’ll understand everyday French with ease.

#KeepLearning 🚀

Joshua Balata 3/10/25 Joshua Balata 3/10/25

Ep 3

Plot of Bref.03 Je me suis préparé pour un rendez-vous.

The main character is getting ready for a date, and he’s overthinking everything.

He waits three days before texting the girl to act cool but secretly googles everything about her. When preparing, he showers twice, spends an hour grooming his beard, and changes outfits multiple times. He checks for nose boogers, zips his fly, puts on cologne—but then doubts if it’s enough, so he showers again and reapplies it.

He practices his opening lines and his deep, mysterious stare. He tunes his guitar and leaves it visible in case she comes over. He tidies his room, hides the tissues near his bed, and checks if he still has condoms. He even does a few push-ups to look stronger but just ends up sweating, so he showers again.

Two hours before the date, he feels ready. But then he accidentally falls asleep, wakes up late, and rushes out—without checking anything. He sweats again, forgets his cologne, doesn’t tune his guitar, doesn’t hide his tissues, forgets to zip his fly, and realizes too late… he has a booger in his nose.

Bref. He got ready for a date.

Top 10 Interesting Phrases from Bref.03 Je me suis préparé pour un rendez-vous.

1. “Bref, quand je dois prendre rendez-vous avec une fille, j’attends toujours trois jours avant de lui envoyer un texto.”

• Literal: “In short, when I have to make a date with a girl, I always wait three days before texting her.”

2. “Je tape son nom et son prénom dans Google.”

• Literal: “I type her first and last name into Google.”

3. “Je prends une douche deux fois pour être bien propre.”

• Literal: “I take a shower twice to be really clean.”

4. “Je teste une tenue 1, une tenue 2, une tenue 3…”

• Literal: “I try outfit 1, outfit 2, outfit 3…”

5. “Je vérifie si j’ai pas de crotte de nez.”

• Literal: “I check if I don’t have a booger.”

6. “Je mets du parfum, j’oublie que j’en ai mis, alors j’en remets.”

• Literal: “I put on cologne, forget that I put it on, so I put more.”

7. “J’accorde ma guitare et je la mets bien en évidence.”

• Literal: “I tune my guitar and place it prominently.”

8. “Je fais des pompes. Je suis toujours pas musclé.”

• Literal: “I do push-ups. I’m still not muscular.”

9. “Je me réveille en retard, je cours, je transpire.”

• Literal: “I wake up late, I run, I sweat.”

10. “Bref, je me suis préparé pour un rendez-vous.”

• Literal: “In short, I got ready for a date.”

About This Series

💬 Need help with a phrase? Drop a comment, and I’ll transcribe it for you!

💡 Language Learning Tip

#KeepLearning 🚀

Joshua Balata 3/10/25 Joshua Balata 3/10/25

Ep 2

Plot of Bref.02 Je remets tout à demain.

The main character is a master procrastinator. He keeps postponing tasks—canceling his old internet subscription, throwing away a moldy Tupperware, reading emails, or even just replacing a burned-out lightbulb.

He starts tasks but never finishes them—like reading books, signing up for financial aid, or putting a photo in a picture frame he bought six months ago (which still contains a stock photo of a random little girl).

Even when he tries to unsubscribe from services, if the process is too complicated, he just stays subscribed. He buys a hard drive to back up his files but never actually backs them up… then loses all his data.

In short, he always pushes things to tomorrow. But for him, tomorrow never comes.

Top 10 Interesting Phrases from Bref.02 Je remets tout à demain.

1. “Bref, lui, c’est demain.”

• Literal: “In short, This guy, he's tomorrow”

2. “Tous les trucs que j’ai à faire, je les remets à demain.”

• Literal: “Everything I have to do, I push to tomorrow.”

3. “J’ai 284 e-mails non lus.”

• Literal: “I have 284 unread emails.”

4. “Ça fait trois mois que je me douche dans le noir parce que j’ai changé d’ampoule.”

• Literal: “I’ve been showering in the dark for three months because I changed a lightbulb.”

5. “Quand je me désabonne d’un truc, s’il y a plus de deux étapes, je reste abonné.”

• Literal: “When I unsubscribe from something, if there are more than two steps, I stay subscribed.”

6. “J’ai commencé 12 livres, j’en ai fini aucun.”

• Literal: “I started 12 books, I finished none.”

7. “J’ai acheté un cadre pour mettre une photo, mais je n’ai jamais mis de photo dedans.”

• Literal: “I bought a frame for a photo, but I never put a photo in it.”

8. “J’ai acheté un disque dur pour sauvegarder mes données, mais je n’ai jamais fait de sauvegarde.”

• Literal: “I bought a hard drive to back up my files, but I never backed them up.”

9. “Bref, je remets tout à demain.”

• Literal: “In short, I push everything to tomorrow.”

10. “Quand ce type me donne un truc, moi je ne donne à jamais.”

• Literal: “When this guy gives me something, I never give it to never.”

About This Series

💬 Need help with a phrase? Drop a comment, and I’ll transcribe it for you!

💡 Language Learning Tip

#KeepLearning 🚀