ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Académie française

The Académie française is a very special group in France that works to preserve the French language. Think of it as a "language police" who makes sure French words are used correctly and that new words are added to the language only if they are needed.

It's like a special club for smart people who love the French language and want to keep it healthy and strong. The members of the Académie française are called "immortals" because they are chosen for life (or until they don't want to do it anymore) and are very important people in France.

The Académie française was started a long time ago, in the 1600s, when a group of smart people got together to create a standard French language that everyone could understand. Since then, they have been working hard to keep the language pure and prevent it from being corrupted by other languages or bad grammar.

Whenever there is a debate or disagreement about a word or phrase in French, the Académie française is there to settle the argument and make the final decision. They also publish dictionaries and other books to help people understand the French language better.

So, the Académie française is like a group of super-smart language lovers who are trying to keep French healthy and happy. They are the guardians of the French language, making sure it is used correctly by everyone who speaks it.