Video Transcript
Hello everyone, welcome to this new video where we'll look at a French expression in just a few minutes.
Before we start, go ahead and pick three cards "au pif."
You didn't understand what I asked? That's the expression we're going to look at today: "au pif."
"Au pif" is an expression that means at random.
When I ask you to pick three cards "au pif," I'm asking you to pick three cards blindly, completely at random.
This expression can also mean approximately, roughly.
So it's not truly random, but it's really just an estimate, a rough guess.
You're guessing without really knowing. For example, I could ask you: how far do you think the distance between the bookshelf and me is?
You could answer "au pif, 3 meters."
That means it's a rough estimate - you don't really know, but you're saying it somewhat randomly, as it seems to you, as it appears. But of course, you don't have a measuring tape to check.
For example, you can also use this expression in cooking. If you don't have a scale to weigh ingredients, you'll make a recipe "un peu au pif." You might say "well, I didn't have a scale, so I added the sugar, flour, and milk au pif, as it seemed right. I did my best without being able to properly measure." As you've understood, "au pif" can mean truly at random, completely blind.
Or it can mean in a somewhat approximate way, going with your gut feeling. That's it for today's expression. I hope you understood it. If there are other expressions you'd like me to explain, feel free to leave them in the comments. If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to give it a thumbs up. And if you're new to the channel, subscribe so you don't miss any of my videos. See you very soon!