Bonjour Harry Potter Trivia Quiz

Answer: Harry Potter à l'école des Sorciers

It translates as "Harry Potter at Wizard School". Obviously, some of the characters' names have had to be changed, so that speakers of another language can manage to pronounce them, and so that the connotations surrounding certain names were preserved. Harry is still Harry though. The French editions were translated by Jean-François Ménard.

Answer: Poudlard

"Collège Poudlard, école de Sorcellerie" is still led by Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. Ménard apparently suffered a breakdown after working ten-hour shifts for two months, during the translation of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". He insisted that he wanted to ensure the 'made-up' words still meant something in French.

For example, he chose 'moldu' for 'muggle' - from the French 'mol', meaning 'soft', it implies someone "a little soft in the brain."

Answer: neither had their name changed

Both Ron and Hagrid stay the same, although "Weasley" is not easy for a French speaker to pronounce. Hermione Granger also gets to keep her own name.

Answer: Gallimard

Gallimard publishes the hardback copies, and their sub-branch, Folio Junior, publishes the soft-cover editions. When the fifth book ("Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix") was released in English in June 2003, it became the first English language book to top the bestseller list in France, selling between 25,000 and 30,000 copies in the first week.

It was not due to be released in French until December 2003.

Answer: Harry Potter et le Prisonnier d'Azkaban

Azkaban, the name of the terrible, feared Wizard prison remains unchanged. The first five books are: "Harry Potter à l'école des Sorciers", "Harry Potter et la Chambre des Secrets", "Harry Potter et le Prisonnier d'Azkaban", "Harry Potter et la Coupe de Feu" and "Harry Potter et l'Ordre du Phénix".

Answer: Neville Londubas

"Londubas" just doesn't have the same comical ring to it as "Longbottom". The character is still as amusing though.

Answer: Drago Malefoy

JK Rowling deliberately chose the name "Malfoy" as it is a corruption of the French-Latin 'mal foi', or 'bad faith', which perfectly sums up Draco's character. With a name like that, the poor boy never had a chance!

Answer: Hufflepuff

I think the word "Poufsouffle" perfectly captures the spirit of Hufflepuff. The other Houses are Gryffondor, Serpentard (Slytherin) and Serdaigle (Ravenclaw). By the way, in the Canadian (Quebec) French editions of the books, the house names remain the same as the English, with the exception of Poufsouffle.

Answer: Mrs Norris

JK Rowling named Filch's cat after Jane Austen's unpleasant, snooping Mrs Norris in "Mansfield Park". With this association meaning little to French readers, a different name was needed. 'Teigne' is French for ringworm, or slang for an irritating person.

Answer: ton tongue toffee

Literally translating as "long-tongue-praline", the phrase carries the same amusing tongue-twister effect, and the same meaning as the English equivalent.

Reading the books in French has not only helped my French, but also made me realise just how challenging JK Rowling's books are to translate. There are a multitude of made-up names and words, that still contain some meaning, and are very difficult to translate well. I can highly recommend the French versions - and I'm off to try the German ones next.