The small difference between sin and fishing in French If you ask a French speaker what “sin” is in their language, and then ask what “fishing” is, you will get the same answer. « But how does that make sense? » This is a question a few of my students have asked me. In French, we have the verbs « pécher » and « pêcher ». Pécher means “to sin,” and pêcher means “to fish.” Nothing in common, the exact same pronunciation, just a different spelling. They are homophones, and the French language is full of them. In conversation, they are easy to tell apart depending on context, so they are rarely confused. Here is a little story about them to help you memorize the words. The word « péché » (a sin) comes from the Latin peccatum, which in Christianity refers to a serious act of disobedience — a wrongdoing against God’s rules and others — rooted in self-centeredness or materialism. The word « pêcher » comes from the Latin piscari (the “s” became the circumflex accent ^), a derivative of piscis, meaning “fish.” A popular French expression is: « Où avez-vous pêché une idée pareille ? » Which translates literally as “Where did you fish up such an idea?” The real meaning expresses disbelief when someone says something that sounds completely absurd and in most cases, is totally wrong and illogical. At the end of the day, the accent is a very small difference between two words, but it can flip the meaning so drastically that if someone tells you they are going to « pêcher », you might think they are confessing a serious moral offense before committing it. Here is a little exercise to make sure you understood ! Follow me or book with me for more ;))