The French Republic has several symbols which you can spot all over France. The most recognisable one is of course the French flag with its three vertical blue, white and red stripes. But when did this flag become official? And what do those colours represent? Learn more about the origins of this national symbol 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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- More French reading practice
