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French Phrases

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  • 11-06-2007 1:19pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 14,469 ✭✭✭✭


    Just over 20 hours to French. To say I'm extremely worried would be a major understatement. Me being a lazy bum and my teacher being a useless bum has to conspired to leave my up faeces creek sans un paddle.

    So heres my SOS; Any of you who are linguistically gifted out there, could you post your classy/flashy french phrases so at the very least I have something to write down for the essay.

    And if anyone wants to write a general opening and closing paragraph to the essay/reaction qs/diary/letter that would be great. I'd do it myself but its guaranteed I'd fúck it up.

    Merci :)


«1

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    Parce-que je le vaux bien - Because I'm worth it ....l'oreal


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16 powerofone


    Putain- WHORE!!!

    Ah no, just learn the basics like "I agree with the statement" - Je suis tout a fait avec ca

    In my opinion- A mon avis

    Firstly- premierement

    And sorry about the lack of accent marks, this keyboard is pretty merde.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,190 ✭✭✭Haven't a Clue


    En ce qui concerne, je pense que... = As far as _____ is concerned, I think that...
    Il s'agit d'honneteté - it's a question of honesty
    Il faut prendre les choses du bon coté - you must luck on the bright side
    Le problem est devenu plus repandu - the problem has become more widespread
    Á la suite de - as a result of
    C'est un question difficile a résoudre - it's a difficult question to answer
    Je doute que ce sont vrai - I doubt this is true
    Qui plus est - what's more...
    Toute réflaxion faite - when all is said and done
    En revanche - on the other hand
    Qu'on le veuille ou non - whether we like it or not


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,469 ✭✭✭✭cson


    Éxcellent!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭Heinrich


    Parce-que je le vaux bien - Because I'm worth it ....l'oreal
    je vaux
    tu vaux
    il vaut
    nous valons
    vous valez
    ils valent

    donc: je le vaut (I it worth)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 280 ✭✭SamHamilton


    Je suis tout a fait d'accord avec ca
    No?

    Cson, I don't think you should rely on the information you get from this forum because, no offence to the people in this forum, we're not always right whereas you can be assured that a book will be.

    Learn the layouts of formal letters and know the ending - dans l'attente de votre réponse etc.

    For the questions on general topics like politics and the environment, this usually works nice:

    Il faut que le gouvernement fasse quelquechose pour résoudre le probleme.

    The government should do something to solve the problem. It uses a subjunctive which will impress the examiners.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    néanmoins - nevertheless

    je meurs d'envie d'avoir + [past participle] I can't wait to have

    travailler d'arrache pied - to work one's ass off

    en dépit de - despite

    malgré le fait - despite the fact

    le oui-dire - hear-say

    Cependant on doit le faire que on aime ou pas - however one has to do it whether they like it or not (bonus marks for use of the subjunctive)

    la varieté est l'épice de la vie - cariety is the spice of life

    il faut s'en souvenir - it is necessary to remember

    se méfier de - to distrust


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,254 ✭✭✭Citizen_Erased


    Actually about that phrase about the government , we were actually warned to avoid it by our teacher because we were told that everybody has used it constantly for the past number of years and so examiners are not only bored senseless of it but it also shows that you are simply regurgatating a phrase.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭Heinrich


    En ce qui concerne, je pense que... = As far as _____ is concerned, I think that...
    Il s'agit d'honneteté - it's a question of honesty
    Il faut prendre les choses du bon coté - you must luck on the bright side
    Le problem est devenu plus repandu - the problem has become more widespread
    Á la suite de - as a result of
    C'est un question difficile a résoudre - it's a difficult question to answer
    Je doute que ce sont vrai - I doubt this is true
    Qui plus est - what's more...
    Toute réflaxion faite - when all is said and done
    En revanche - on the other hand
    Qu'on le veuille ou non - whether we like it or not
    Je doute que ce c'est vrai
    Toute réflexion faite
    Il faut prendre les choses du bon côté you must look on the bright side


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,079 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Baaaaaaaaaaa............. Oui. = Ammmmmmmmmm......... Yes

    Good phrase for stalling.

    **Disclaimer** may not be quite as effective in the written form


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    marco_polo wrote:
    Baaaaaaaaaaa............. Oui. = Ammmmmmmmmm......... Yes

    Good phrase for stalling.

    **Disclaimer** may not be quite as effective in the written form
    lol

    I'm guessing your oral was...interesting;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭JC 2K3


    Je m'appelle.... = my name is....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭JC 2K3


    marco_polo wrote:
    Baaaaaaaaaaa............. Oui. = Ammmmmmmmmm......... Yes

    Good phrase for stalling.

    **Disclaimer** may not be quite as effective in the written form
    LMAO.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭Heinrich


    marco_polo wrote:
    Baaaaaaaaaaa............. Oui. = Ammmmmmmmmm......... Yes

    Good phrase for stalling.

    **Disclaimer** may not be quite as effective in the written form

    Argot will not get you brownie points.

    Stalling... alors euh


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,389 ✭✭✭✭Mushy


    Nous sommes éngages dans une suerre contre un ennemi sans visage--We are engaged in a war against an enemy without a face

    Thats a good one for drugs. Heres hoping for some miraculous B tomorrow:rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,500 ✭✭✭Fuzzy_Dunlop


    Mushy wrote:
    Nous sommes éngages dans une suerre contre un ennemi sans visage--We are engaged in a war against an enemy without a face

    Thats a good one for drugs. Heres hoping for some miraculous B tomorrow:rolleyes:

    Guerre?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭fallon54


    Informal Letters:
    • Il me tarde recevoir de tes nouvelles
    • Je m’excuse d’avoir + PP
    • Je te remercie de tout coeur de ta lettre
    • J’espere que tu as fait bon voyage
    • J’aimerais savoir si...
    • Il est tres sympa
    • Je ne sais pas comment je vais me debrouiller
    • Est-ce que tu es libre en juillet
    • Ecris-moi le plus vite possible
    • Je dois te quitter maintenant
    • Il commence a se faire tard
    • El commernce a se faire tard
    • En ce qui me concerne
    • J’aimerais bien a avoir de ses nouvelles
    • Je vous souhaite un joyeux anniversaire

    Insert accents where appropriate


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭Heinrich


    Mushy wrote:
    Nous sommes éngages dans une suerre contre un ennemi sans visage--We are engaged in a war against an enemy without a face

    Thats a good one for drugs. Heres hoping for some miraculous B tomorrow:rolleyes:

    "Faceless enemy "would be the expression.

    engagés would be the word:rolleyes:

    on peut aussi dire "on est engag dans une guerre"

    guerre, bataille, conflict armé


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭fallon54


    Anyone else think the whole booking a campsite/hotel or applying for a job could come up?

    also, how the hell do you put accents into word in MS word


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭Heinrich


    fallon54 wrote:
    Anyone else think the whole booking a campsite/hotel or applying for a job could come up?

    also, how the hell do you put accents into word in MS word

    In the toolbar

    Insert - symbol. Select the font and character from the window.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 21,389 ✭✭✭✭Mushy


    Whoops, I did mean guerre, speeling was off in the typing. I just translated it literally too. My spelling is really off. It was egagés, not éngages. Ah screw this, but ya get the idea. I was thinking engaged.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,488 ✭✭✭mathew


    Heinrich wrote:
    je vaux
    tu vaux
    il vaut
    nous valons
    vous valez
    ils valent

    donc: je le vaut (I it worth)

    Eh.. nope!!

    Je vaux... I earn
    Je le vaux... I earn it
    Je le vaux bien... I earn it well... ie I am worth it
    parce-que je le vaux bien... because I'm worth it.

    The verb agrees with the personal pronoun, ie the 'je'


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,500 ✭✭✭Fuzzy_Dunlop


    Mushy wrote:
    Whoops, I did mean guerre, speeling was off in the typing. I just translated it literally too. My spelling is really off. It was egagés, not éngages. Ah screw this, but ya get the idea. I was thinking engaged.
    :D

    Ya know Heinrich(and fallon54) you can get the accents just using Alt Gr and the vowel, although just the basic fada styley ones

    Actually while you're all on about vaut, heres decent phrase.
    'Il ne vaut pas le coup'-It isn't worth the blow(when referring to nuclear energy or summit

    Edit once more- If you are saying 'il faut dire que...' do you still have to use the subjunctive after?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    mathew wrote:
    Eh.. nope!!

    Je vaux... I earn
    Je le vaux... I earn it
    Je le vaux bien... I earn it well... ie I am worth it
    parce-que je le vaux bien... because I'm worth it.

    The verb agrees with the personal pronoun, ie the 'je'
    Cheers mat

    Vindicated at last!


  • Registered Users Posts: 348 ✭✭nedward


    playa3 wrote:
    Edit once more- If you are saying 'il faut dire que...' do you still have to use the subjunctive after?


    On n'en a pas besoin.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭Heinrich


    Cheers mat

    Vindicated at last!

    oops:o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 eily


    la question épineuse ~ the thorny question
    on peut constater que ~ one can see that
    on doit debrouiller les faits ~ sort out the facts
    il faut tirer l'affaire au clair ~ shed light on the matter

    personal favourites ha!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,577 ✭✭✭Heinrich


    playa3 wrote:
    :D

    Ya know Heinrich(and fallon54) you can get the accents just using Alt Gr and the vowel, although just the basic fada styley ones

    The question asked was how to get accents in Word.

    There is also the character map in Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Character Map.

    And of course if you have a continental keyboard of a specific country you get the accented characters directly from the keyboard.:D
    • alt+0224 gives à
    • alt+0225 gives á
    • alt+0226 gives â
    • alt+0232 gives è
    • alt+0223 gives é

    That is the way it is done!:D

    Of course you already knew that:rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,389 ✭✭✭✭Mushy


    playa3, that about sums up my day of writing out words. At least I didnt have to do it for maths


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,500 ✭✭✭Fuzzy_Dunlop


    Heinrich wrote:
    The question asked was how to get accents in Word.

    There is also the character map in Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Character Map.

    And of course if you have a continental keyboard of a specific country you get the accented characters directly from the keyboard.:D
    • alt+0224 gives à
    • alt+0225 gives á
    • alt+0226 gives â
    • alt+0232 gives è
    • alt+0223 gives é

    That is the way it is done!:D

    Of course you already knew that:rolleyes:

    Yeah and what i said is also applicable in word, sheesh...:rolleyes:


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