Speaking French - A place to practice and exchange

[Kikyo Maaka]

Originally Posted by Loca-por-Ba!le

hahahaha D'accord. I see. Merci beaucoup pour répondre/la réponse.

So I'll wait for sombody that maybe will help US in the "Continuous".

Puis quelle est ta langue maternelle?

De rien :3

J'ai oublié de l'imparfait (imperfect verb tense, I haven't heard the term in a while since I'm on vacation >_>) >_< XD That's the only verb tense I can think of that could be continuous, but don't quote me on it :P

Ma langue maternelle est l'anglais ^^0

[nahnou]

Originally Posted by Loca-por-Ba!le

hahahaha D'accord. I see. Merci beaucoup pour répondre/la réponse.

So I'll wait for sombody that maybe will help US in the "Continuous".

Puis quelle est ta langue maternelle?

Salut Loca-por-Ba!le,

as to your question concerning present / past continuous in French I'll give it a try:

I think there's nothing exactly like that in French. If I do remember well the grammar rules, then present continous in English applies to an action that one is doing with a regularity at present or that is still enduring. Normally in this kind of situation you would use present tense (le présent) in French.

However, there's another form of present tense existing in French which you use for describing what you are doing right now at the very moment.

It might sound strange but this tense / form is used with the construction: "être en train de faire qc" (and it has nothing to do with a train )

For example, as I am just right now writing this message to you:

In English I would use present tense: I am writing a message to you.
In French I would say: Je suis en train de t'écrire un message.

As this construction is used quite often in French, I think you should try to get used to it

However, you cannot really compare it to present continous in English, even though there is a certain intersection.

Hm, could I help or did it get even more complicated?

Hope it does help!

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

Originally Posted by Kikyo Maaka

De rien :3

J'ai oublié de l'imparfait (imperfect verb tense, I haven't heard the term in a while since I'm on vacation >_>) >_< XD That's the only verb tense I can think of that could be continuous, but don't quote me on it :P

Ma langue maternelle est l'anglais ^^0

WoW. So I need u to help me in my great English, indeed! not in French. j/k

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

Originally Posted by nahnou

Salut Loca-por-Ba!le,

as to your question concerning present / past continuous in French I'll give it a try:

I think there's nothing exactly like that in French. If I do remember well the grammar rules, then present continous in English applies to an action that one is doing with a regularity at present or that is still enduring. Normally in this kind of situation you would use present tense (le présent) in French.

That's very good!

Originally Posted by nahnou

However, there's another form of present tense existing in French which you use for describing what you are doing right now at the very moment.

It might sound strange but this tense / form is used with the construction: "être en train de faire qc" (and it has nothing to do with a train )

For example, as I am just right now writing this message to you:

In English I would use present tense: I am writing a message to you.
In French I would say: Je suis en train de t'écrire un message.

As this construction is used quite often in French, I think you should try to get used to it

However, you cannot really compare it to present continous in English, even though there is a certain intersection.

Hm, could I help or did it get even more complicated?

Hope it does help!

Merci beaucoup pour l'exlication. J'ai compris. C'est tres utile!

So when I want to describe what is happening right now, I use this form "être en train de faire qc".

[nahnou]

And in fact you can also use the French "action" form in order to say that you
are learning something currently:

Je suis en train d'apprendre le français.
Je suis en train de regarder un film.
Tu es en train de faire les courses.
Elle est en train de traduire les paroles d'une chanson

[nahnou]

Originally Posted by Loca-por-Ba!le

That's very good!



Merci beaucoup pour l'exlication. J'ai compris. C'est tres utile!

So when I want to describe what is happening right now, I use this form "être en train de faire qc".

Exactly. Sorry I was adding something at the same moment. See my examples above

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

Merci beaucoup nahnou. C'est tres utile what u wrote above.

[Kikyo Maaka]

Merci nahnou pour me le rappelle, je suis toujours en train d'oublier les choses comme ça >_>;; XD

(Random side-note: use one's second/third/non-native language whenever possible, or else you start forgetting all the useful stuff XD)

[nahnou]

@Loca-por-Ba!le: You're very welcome! I'm happy to help
Tu es la bienvenue! Heureuse de t'avoir aidé!

@Kikyo Maaka: De rien - c'est très humain , on a tendance à oublier ces choses-là faute de pratique.... surtout quand il s'agit de grammaire

[Lyssa]

Originally Posted by Loca-por-Ba!le

Mais le français est beaucoup plus difficile qui l'englais

Merci pour l'aide.

You didn't till me: Es Française ou Egyptienne ou Espagnol ou quoi? Parles arabe?

Oui je trouve aussi que l'anglais est plus facile.. & de rien^^
Je suis française xD Mais je parle espagnol et j'adore l'Egypte L'arabe non, j'ai pas eu le temps d'apprendre

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

ohhhhh! I thought u were Arab "Egyptian" Good u agree that ur language is difficult hahaha Since u love Egypt, I don't know if u have know that, but here in Egypt, French is the second language and they study it since the first year of secondary school, normally, and since the first year of intermediat school in Languages schools ,in which students study in EN, and since the first year of the primary school if u join one of those special schools which deal in French and in those schools, students used to have to talk to each other in French inside the confines of the school and they r not allowed to talk in Arabicl!! What's this?!! I didn't study French unfortunately coz I didn't study here in Egypt.
I'm sorry. I caused a headache for u!
Mais pourquoi tu aimes l'Egypte?

[Lyssa]

LOL! I'd like to be xd Yeah it's true, French isn't the easiest language! I didn't know that, but that's great it means Egyptian people can understand me even if I can't speak Egyptian, but i want to learn it! Maybe you could help me with this^^
No it's okay, very interesting things
Parce que c'est un pays magnifique =) J'aime beaucoup l'histoire et l'Egypte ancienne c'est ce qui m'intéresse le plus. Quand j'étais jeune je voulais devenir égyptologue! En plus il y a le désert, la mer qui est bien chaude et très belle
Donc il y a tout: culture, monuments, pyramides, plage...

[ if you want me to translate the French part, just ask. I let you guess first if there are unknown words for you ]

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

"If there r unknown words for me"!! hahaha No, you can replace it by: "If there r known words for me" hahaha
I've gotten the help of my companion Google with some words, but I left the others for u. Il ne puet pas traduir. ()

Originally Posted by Lyssa

LOL! I'd like to be xd Yeah it's true, French isn't the easiest language! I didn't know that, but that's great it means Egyptian people can understand me even if I can't speak Egyptian, but i want to learn it! Maybe you could help me with this^^

Oui, pour sûr! -for sure- When do u want us to start? Mais j'ai une condition: I'll help u with that in Freeench!
Hey, we already have a thread here for teaching Egyptian accent -in Spanish- in Arabic section. If u want, u can join ^_^

Originally Posted by Lyssa

No it's okay, very interesting things : )
Parce que c'est un pays magnifique =) J'aime beaucoup l'histoire et l'Egypte ancienne c'est ce qui m'intéresse le plus. Quand j'étais jeune je voulais devenir égyptologue! En plus il y a le désert, la mer qui est bien chaude et très belle : p
Donc il y a tout: culture, monuments, pyramides, plage...

ahaaa I see then. Wish u can visite us one day ^_^ and of course u r welcome.

Originally Posted by Lyssa

[ if you want me to translate the French part, just ask. I let you guess first if there are unknown words for you ]

Je ne compris pas les expretiones I underlined them. Tu puex me aider?

P.S: Merci beaucoup pour me parler en Français! ^_^ Thanks alot for talking to me in French

[Lyssa]

LOL! Google doesn't know everything :s
On peut commencer tout de suite si tu veux =) I'm still on holidays, but soon I'll have school so I don't know how much time I'll have left than xD
Allright I'll check this thread in the arabic section ^^

& now to translate:

En plus il y a = furthermore, there is
Donc il y a tout = so there is everything

- "il y a" is very used in French, most of time it means "there is/there are" but you can use it to give an indication about time too.

Exemple: IL Y A des gens = THERE ARE people / IL Y A une maison = THERE IS one house

IL Y A 10 ans = 10 years AGO
=> When talking about time, "il y a" refers to some PAST event and there is always an indication about how long ago.

- En plus ( you can say "de plus" too, better in some writtten exam ) is used
* to ad something,
* to emphasize.
Exemple: On est en vacances, super! [ We're on holidays, great ! ]
Oui, EN PLUS il y a du soleil [ Yes, and there is EVEN sun! ]

- Donc = So

- Tout = Everything

I hope it's clear If you have any question, n'hésite pas

[jivago]

"clap, clap, clap" Bravo Lyssa ! Rien a redire à tes leçons simples et claires.

Originally Posted by Loca-por-Ba!le

Hey! Why did u type it twice. I can understand French very well

Bien sûr cher/chère Loca-por-Ba!le, mais d'autres nous lisent peut-être et pourraient moins bien connaître le français que toi.

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

Originally Posted by Lyssa

LOL! Google doesn't know everything :s
On peut commencer tout de suite si tu veux =) I'm still on holidays, but soon I'll have school so I don't know how much time I'll have left than xD
Allright I'll check this thread in the arabic section ^^

Je puex te envoyer une vidéo du alphabet arabe

Originally Posted by Lyssa

& now to translate:

En plus il y a = furthermore, there is
Donc il y a tout = so there is everything

- "il y a" is very used in French, most of time it means "there is/there are" but you can use it to give an indication about time too.

Exemple: IL Y A des gens = THERE ARE people / IL Y A une maison = THERE IS one house

IL Y A 10 ans = 10 years AGO
=> When talking about time, "il y a" refers to some PAST event and there is always an indication about how long ago.

- En plus ( you can say "de plus" too, better in some writtten exam ) is used
* to ad something,
* to emphasize.
Exemple: On est en vacances, super! [ We're on holidays, great ! ]
Oui, EN PLUS il y a du soleil [ Yes, and there is EVEN sun! ]

- Donc = So

- Tout = Everything

I hope it's clear If you have any question, n'hésite pas

Oh, merci beaucoup pour l'explication et l'effort. Oui, c'est clair et c'est très utile pour moi.

I'd like to know what this :"il y a" means since I read that school book and I'd like to know how we can express this "There is/are" in French. So thanx so much.

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

Originally Posted by jivago

"clap, clap, clap" Bravo Lyssa ! Rien a redire à tes leçons simples et claires.



Bien sûr cher/chère Loca-por-Ba!le, mais d'autres nous lisent peut-être et pourraient moins bien connaître le français que toi.

Je ne pus pas comprendre sans Google J'étais en train de "jok" avec toi (I was jokking with u), Je ne puex pas comprendre bien that I'm quite beginner yet

[Lyssa]

Ah oui une vidéo avec l'alphabet ce serait très utile!

De rien, je suis contente si ça peut t'aider

[El raisa]

Salut les amis , comment ca va ?

Loca : did you join the French club ?!

[Loca-por-Ba!le]

Salut El raisa! Comment vas-tu? WelCome back!

Oui, I joined the club, finally! You know, Spanish is not that important in Egypt and I decided that I need to support Spanish by other language and I selected French initially; coz I wanted to learn a different language in pronounciation and I thought if I went well with it I'd continue and till now it seems good for me!

أنا كنت عايزة أقول: إن أنا قلت لنفسي لو مشيت فيه كويس هكمل ... يا ترى اللي أنا قلته بالإنجليزي ده عك وللا إيه؟

Sorry, I'm replying too late coz I didn't enter much and I couldn't use the computer much before. I've just started to participate!

[Dead JaSMiNe]

Salut tout le monde !

comment allez-vous?

moi aussi j'ai étudiée la langue francaise,
mé je fais bcp d'erreurs,a cause du manque de Pratique !

[El raisa]

Originally Posted by Loca-por-Ba!le

Salut El raisa! Comment vas-tu? WelCome back!

Oui, I joined the club, finally! You know, Spanish is not that important in Egypt and I decided that I need to support Spanish by other language and I selected French initially; coz I wanted to learn a different language in pronounciation and I thought if I went well with it I'd continue and till now it seems good for me!

أنا كنت عايزة أقول: إن أنا قلت لنفسي لو مشيت فيه كويس هكمل ... يا ترى اللي أنا قلته بالإنجليزي ده عك وللا إيه؟

Sorry, I'm replying too late coz I didn't enter much and I couldn't use the computer much before. I've just started to participate!

Not late dear , sorry I am , you said it clear , do not worry , now ..back to French
ca va bien , et toi ?
Bon chance chere

[El raisa]

Originally Posted by Dead JaSMiNe

Salut tout le monde !

comment allez-vous?

moi aussi j'ai étudiée la langue francaise,
mé je fais bcp d'erreurs,a cause du manque de Pratique !

Salut et bienvenue , Je suis comme toi ..exactement , je ne sait pas pourquoi ce thread a arrêté !!

[citlalli]

Originally Posted by El raisa

Salut et bienvenue , Je suis comme toi ..exactement , je ne sait pas pourquoi ce thread a arrêté !!

Parce que tu n'étais pas là!!! mais maintenant tu es ici une autre fois

[El raisa]

oops !!!!!
Je ne sais pas que Je suis tres importante
Merci beaucoup ma belle amie

[Dead JaSMiNe]

Merci Bcp Soeur ^^


tu vois ! u r so lucky, coz u ve such friends

[El raisa]

Merci pour toi ,est ce que tu es Arabe ?

[Avoss]

Bonjour

[Dead JaSMiNe]

Bjr El raisa et avoss

No, je suis pas une arabe

je suis une Tamazight


Je parle bien l'arabe et j'ai bcp des poèmes en arabe

[Avoss]

Originally Posted by Dead JaSMiNe

Je parle bien l'arabe et j'ai bcp des poèmes en arabe

Que veux-tu dire par là ?