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Post by Anne on Jun 28, 2007 7:41:32 GMT -5
Cybee - You are right about "c'est pas grave" Trechic - What Arrow wrote is the announcement that is made in planes before landing (sit down, fasten your seatbelt, ...) Arrow - If you ever fantasize about being called "Louis XIV" just tell us, we will be happy to indulge you your wildest dreams ...
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Post by Shoesy on Jun 28, 2007 7:52:33 GMT -5
Well, then I take back my comment, Arrow. That's a truly wonderful sentence. (Feel free to smite me for calling you a show-off. )
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Post by sistereurope on Jun 28, 2007 7:57:16 GMT -5
Wow! I actually sort of figured out Arrow's sentence before I read the translation (of course it wasn't until the end of the sentence, but still...) I am excited...maybe there's hope for me after all (just don't ask me to translate any of the above - yet
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Post by arrowcapet on Jun 28, 2007 9:57:47 GMT -5
Mesdames et Messieurs, le commandant a illumine le signal "attache les ceintures". Veuillez revenir a vos places, et assurez que vos ceintures sont bien attache en preparation pour notr'atterrissage a Paris!!! Ladies and Gentlemen, the captain has turned on the "fasten seatbelts sign", please return to your seats and ensure your seatsbelts are securely fastened in preparation for our landing in Paris!
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Post by iank9 on Jun 28, 2007 11:14:34 GMT -5
Bon soir monsieur, Je voudrais une verre de sauvignon et un calvados s'il vous plait. Merci bien! and later, Monsieur, une autre s'il vous plait, et aussi un boisson pour vous? Next night, repeat, Following night, a welcome like no other, very attentive service and chatter to pass the night away. Wonderfull!!! Best wishes
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Post by Penny on Jun 28, 2007 11:32:49 GMT -5
Good morning, I would like a one cone one vanilla ice cream and one raspberry sorbert, please. she understood me, LOL I had no idea how to say scoop. I bet Shoesy does.
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Post by Shoesy on Jun 28, 2007 11:36:55 GMT -5
I think "a scoop of ice-cream" is "une boule de glace".
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Post by Penny on Jun 28, 2007 11:37:38 GMT -5
trechic- strawberry is aux fraises which is wonderful also, but I like the cominbation of the vanilla ice cream and the raspberry sorbet Anything in Paris with raspberries to wonderful.
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jun 28, 2007 11:54:13 GMT -5
Speaking of ice cream flavors, I became very fond of lemon (citron) ice cream (not sorbet) in Provence although I haven't seen it very often in Paris. It's very refreshing, but still has that wonderful cream taste of ice cream! And figuring out ice cream and sorbet flavors on a board outside a small stand also taught me an offbeat word that I rarely use but it still makes me smile and I've never forgotten (pamplemousse = grapefruit) as well as various other fruit names.
Buying ice cream on my first trip to France (in a very small salon de the in the Dordogne) also gave me my first experience of really nice French people. I had managed to communicate my order but couldn't understand at all what I was being told about how much I owed -- so I just held out a handful to coins of many denominations, and let the young woman pick out the ones she needed. She was really nice about it, and I was thankful that it was a workable solution!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 4, 2007 13:05:53 GMT -5
Sandy - so don't keep us in suspense, what does "pelouse" mean and why did it make you laugh (other than the lint-y cat, of course)?
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 4, 2007 13:23:59 GMT -5
Okay, I did the translation on Google - it means lawn (so obviously, you are right that it had to do with "stay off the grass")! Now, how to work that in with cats . . . .
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Post by geordy on Aug 10, 2007 16:09:38 GMT -5
I rather like saying "saucisson"...like eating it too! In a book called" French or Foe" these are described as the five most important words, "Excusez-moi de vous deranger, monsieur(or madame)"...followed by "mais "..whatever you need, want, etc. Or the generic "Mais j'ai un probleme" and state your case, problem, situation, whatever.
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Mar 16, 2008 11:08:17 GMT -5
So, here I am "speaking" French . . . . but there is a crucial difference . . . . (From today's paper - couldn't resist!)
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Post by joan1 on Mar 17, 2008 0:09:50 GMT -5
With fondness I remember the first word I learned from my french father...LOL
Merde.
He swore in french at home, we knew it was a " bad word" since it was french( and we didn't speak french at home) and his face was usaully a most unhappy one when he used the word. When my french grandmother came to visit, I was around 5 , I then learned "mange mange" which I thought was " mush mush" like the eskimos say to their dogs, I thought it meant hurry up hurry up(I was slow at dinner) , I also then learned was " merde " meant as I proudly used it in front of grandma to show her I knew some french.. LOL . Lets just say there was trouble that night! My mom yelled at me, my mom yelled at my dad, my granma yelled at my dad, my dad yelled at my mom,, it is funny now, but at the time I thought it was bloody unfair,, I really thought it meant something along the lines of " rats" or " darn" I didn't know it was " a filthy word that a lady never uses" ( quote from my mom, LOL )
PS I used to use " merde" in front of my kids too, I thought I was fooling them too( all the satifaction of swearing when upset and none of the guilt of swearing in front on your kids, ) ,, rats, they all eventually figure it out, LOL
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Post by mez on Mar 17, 2008 0:59:15 GMT -5
My mom yelled at me, my mom yelled at my dad, my granma yelled at my dad, my dad yelled at my mom,, it is funny now, but at the time I thought it was bloody unfair,, Of course it was unfair. Instead of complimenting you on your French, the adults focussed on each other - LOL. Mez
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Post by ladyjicky on Mar 21, 2008 19:09:59 GMT -5
Ok I hear this in French movies etc and I would love to know What it Means - so in a sad English way it sounds like this - For me daab - it can come with an explanation mark too! as in - "OH, for me daab!!" Please tell me what it means - its driving me CRAZY! LOL
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Post by GitteK on Mar 22, 2008 3:19:47 GMT -5
Oh, formidable !! If spoken in a fast, sloppy French that could sound a bit like >for-mee-dab'<
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Post by luckyluc on Mar 22, 2008 8:36:03 GMT -5
You are the one for me, for me, for me, formidable You are my love very, very, very, véritable
Sorry I could not resist!
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Post by phread on Mar 22, 2008 12:24:02 GMT -5
Merde! I love saying that word. Especially when I am really upset and get to linger over the second "e" sound.
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Post by ladyjicky on Mar 22, 2008 16:29:28 GMT -5
Formidable! LOL Well, I have just learnt something Gitte! Here I am thinking all French speak their language in a lovely sexy sounding way - and some do not! Like English can me spoken in a lazy run-it-all- together way that is sloppy, some French people do the same but - it sounds better in French Gitte!!!! Especially if someone says "Formidable " in that low sexy Marlene Ditriech way. Tres Sexy!!! Oh well - Quel dommage!
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