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Useful French Phrases

Useful French Phrases

Old Jan 5th 2009, 10:19 am
  #76  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Je suis tombé de mon cheval et mon bras est cassé. Pouvez vous me dire ou se trouve l'hôpital le plus proche, s'il vous plait?

I've fallen off my horse and my arm is broken. Can you tell me where is the nearest hospital please?
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Old Jan 5th 2009, 8:58 pm
  #77  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Hello,
I see that you are located near Carcassonne. I was there yesterday, one of my sons is living there. Are you french or British?
By the way, your french and english sentences are correct. Only "ou" is "où". "où" means where; "ou" means or.
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Old Jan 6th 2009, 11:11 pm
  #78  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Roger O
Je suis tombé de mon cheval et mon bras est cassé. Pouvez vous me dire ou se trouve l'hôpital le plus proche, s'il vous plait?

I've fallen off my horse and my arm is broken. Can you tell me where is the nearest hospital please?
Originally Posted by CHRIS TERRIER
Hello,
By the way, your french and english sentences are correct. Only "ou" is "où". "où" means where; "ou" means or.
So it should really be "Can you tell me or the nearest hospital is?"

Do pedants usually ask for help in writing?
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Old Jan 7th 2009, 10:35 am
  #79  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by CHRIS TERRIER
Hello,
I see that you are located near Carcassonne. I was there yesterday, one of my sons is living there. Are you french or British?
By the way, your french and english sentences are correct. Only "ou" is "où". "où" means where; "ou" means or.
Hi Chris
I'm English (originally from Torquay) but moved to Switzerland (Zürich) in 1970 to work for Amexco, then changed to Swissair where I stayed till 1994. During that time I met my (second) wife Annaïck at a Swissair staff conference in Interlaken (She was working in our Nantes office and comes from Concarneau) - we married in 1981 in England as the administration side was simpler than in France or Switzerland. In 1994 - Swissair was already in trouble due to the Swiss EU-no vote in 92 - I moved to Amadeus - http://www.amadeus.com/amadeus/amadeus.html - in Sophia Antipolis (near Antibes/Nice) where I stayed till retirement in 2003, while Annaïck worked at Swissair/Swissport Nice.

In 2003 we moved to the PO near Perpignan where we had bought a house a year before - but after some difficult experiences with the Catalan mentality experienced by our daughter Alizée (now 18) we moved up here to Palaja 5 km from Carcassonne about a year ago. Still settling in - but much easier here than down there.. people are much more "open" to non-locals.

As to the ou and où, I was just too lazy to press the AltGr on my AZERTY keyboard, as most people don't notice the difference and take the word in context.. but I guess I should be more exact when translating!

Languages? I am totally bilingual in English/Schwiizerdüütsch (the local Swiss "dialect" of Zürich which I used at work during 24 years) with French running a close third (orally, though my written French is not so good - Annaïck takes care of most local admin here as I did in Zürich when we lived in Kloten, nearby).

So now you know the story! By the way, hobbywise I'm a keen herpetologist - if you happen to know anyone around here with the same mad passion for reptiles and amphibians!!

Cheers,
Roger

PS - after moving here, I discovered with pleasure that we have Swiss neighbours 4 houses away from us - so I can practice my "Swiss" with them, as well as with my two big daughters (43 and 42) from my previous marriage who both have dual nationality (UK/CH) and live not too far from Zürich.
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Old Jan 7th 2009, 10:55 am
  #80  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Roger O
Hi Chris
I'm English (originally from Torquay) but moved to Switzerland (Zürich) in 1970 to work for Amexco, then changed to Swissair where I stayed till 1994. During that time I met my (second) wife Annaïck at a Swissair staff conference in Interlaken (She was working in our Nantes office and comes from Concarneau) - we married in 1981 in England as the administration side was simpler than in France or Switzerland. In 1994 - Swissair was already in trouble due to the Swiss EU-no vote in 92 - I moved to Amadeus - http://www.amadeus.com/amadeus/amadeus.html - in Sophia Antipolis (near Antibes/Nice) where I stayed till retirement in 2003, while Annaïck worked at Swissair/Swissport Nice.

In 2003 we moved to the PO near Perpignan where we had bought a house a year before - but after some difficult experiences with the Catalan mentality experienced by our daughter Alizée (now 18) we moved up here to Palaja 5 km from Carcassonne about a year ago. Still settling in - but much easier here than down there.. people are much more "open" to non-locals.

As to the ou and où, I was just too lazy to press the AltGr on my AZERTY keyboard, as most people don't notice the difference and take the word in context.. but I guess I should be more exact when translating!

Languages? I am totally bilingual in English/Schwiizerdüütsch (the local Swiss "dialect" of Zürich which I used at work during 24 years) with French running a close third (orally, though my written French is not so good - Annaïck takes care of most local admin here as I did in Zürich when we lived in Kloten, nearby).

So now you know the story! By the way, hobbywise I'm a keen herpetologist - if you happen to know anyone around here with the same mad passion for reptiles and amphibians!!

Cheers,
Roger

PS - after moving here, I discovered with pleasure that we have Swiss neighbours 4 houses away from us - so I can practice my "Swiss" with them, as well as with my two big daughters (43 and 42) from my previous marriage who both have dual nationality (UK/CH) and live not too far from Zürich.


Could we please keep this thread on track - it is supposed to be just for useful French phrases. Please start other threads or send each other pm's if you want to share other details
thanks
Val
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Old Jan 7th 2009, 11:59 am
  #81  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Désolé pour l'embêtement!
Sorry for the annoyance!


I would have to move part of Chris' comment to another thread to make sense of my reply - and only an administrator can do that.

May I leave it to your discretion, Val?
Thanks,
Roger
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Old Jan 7th 2009, 7:29 pm
  #82  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
So it should really be "Can you tell me or the nearest hospital is?"

Do pedants usually ask for help in writing?
Pouvez-vous m'indiquer où se trouve l'hôpital le plus proche?

Who is pedant?
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Old Jan 24th 2009, 12:35 pm
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Hi everyone, newbie here. I used to live in France in the 60s (when Gen. de Gaulle was still President!) so my French slang is almost certainly out of date, but here goes:

Might as well bang your head against a brick wall

Autant pisser dans un violon

which, in my own modest redition would be

Might as well piddle in a fiddle

Bonne journée
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Old Feb 3rd 2009, 12:44 pm
  #84  
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Smile Re: Useful French Phrases

Hi,
I just discovered the British Expats website today, and have really enjoyed learning all those words and phrases one is not taught at school. I wonder why this is?
My French isn't (yet) up to contributing anything further, but I hope to be able to read and learn a lot more....!
At present, I manage to follow French conversations, but whenever I speak, I get funny looks. I will blame my accent. For some reason, all the French seem to know 'je suis anglaise'.
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Old Feb 3rd 2009, 1:00 pm
  #85  
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Cool Re: Useful French Phrases

Hi Mitichal and welcome to the board!
A useful one for you:

J'y pige que dalle

I don't get a thing
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Old Feb 3rd 2009, 1:19 pm
  #86  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Mitichal
Hi,
For some reason, all the French seem to know 'je suis anglaise'.
I shouldn't worry, I've been here almost 40 years and can't get rid of my accent, unless I copy the Languedoc one, but then I feel I'm mocking the locals. I still have problems with genders, if that's any encouragement...
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Old Feb 3rd 2009, 4:29 pm
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by dmu
I shouldn't worry, I've been here almost 40 years and can't get rid of my accent, unless I copy the Languedoc one, but then I feel I'm mocking the locals. I still have problems with genders, if that's any encouragement...
I don't Only girls for me
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Old Feb 3rd 2009, 8:58 pm
  #88  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Ka Ora!
I don't Only girls for me
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Old Feb 4th 2009, 8:59 am
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Blackladder
Hi Mitichal and welcome to the board!
A useful one for you:

J'y pige que dalle

I don't get a thing
Thanks for that, Blackadder, I will try it out today and see what happens.
Phonetically - Jer peeg ker dall.
I'll let you know how I get on!
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Old Feb 4th 2009, 9:18 am
  #90  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by dmu
Don't be fooled.
Ask Rugbymatt.
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