Useful French phrases for 2014

[JenJ]

I studied French in high school (another Canadian here) and came out able to conjugate verbs in countless tenses but not really able to “think” in French very well. I could and still can read it much better than I can speak / understand it.
That said, when I travelled to Quebec and France, I found that in major cities, they did speak English much better than I spoke French but did not let on to that fact until I had fumbled my way in French and massacred the language long enough for them to give up and speak with me in English. But, if one assumed they speak English and didn’t even try to communicate in French, the reception was not very friendly.

On the other hand, in the rural areas, I would have been in real trouble had I not been able to at least formulate simple partial sentences in French.

[andy.smaga]

[QUOTE=Spooks;5165008]
Actually, according to my French-from-France teacher, although “Bienvenue” is commonly used in Quebec, it is not used in France. “De rien” would probably be a better term to learn for a trip to France.[/QUOTE]
Correct.
Our cousins from Quebec have slight differences when speaking French (same as you have some differences in France from region to region).

I agree with the fact that clients are not always considered as royalty! Better use a big smile and have a good sense of humor, this will have people really friendly and willing to help.

[Mozart]

@Janet;5164353

You forgot the Normandy Moules (mussels)!

Moules et Frites.
Mmmm…

Preferably with a green peppercorn sauce. Slurp.

[alicen]

Yup, bienvenue a’ Canada, but de rien in reply to thank you.

[riderboy]

[QUOTE=Spike;5164864]

And it is: LA merde not LE merde. So merde is feminine.

.[/QUOTE] Hmmm…

Anyway, on my one trip to France and Paris I found the people quite nice. I had two years of French in college, and my wife lived in France for a year. We tried to be polite and speak French, but after they had decided they could take no more butchery of their beautiful language, they usually answered in very good English. We did not ever speak louder thinking that would help, as in " I SAID, WHERE IS THE BATHROOM!!" People are people , kindness and respect are universally understood.

[FalseImpression]

[quote=Spike;5164864]

Bienvenue (said when someone says merci. it’s like you (re) welcome)
[I]Except, this is a typical Quebec expression. In France, you just say “de rien”.

[/I] Dont bother to ask your way (like: Pouvez vous m’indiquer le chemin pour aller à…) they will get you lost. Even if you understand their indications. I’m french speaking, and went to Paris 5 times, never got useful driving directions.
Don’t do like a Quebec friend of mine did in Paris. He said “I would like to go to…” and the reply was “go, sir, go” (still no directions) Besides, who wants to drive in Paris?

We, as North American people (USA and Canada) need to remember that the holly rule “client is always right” DOESNT APPLY overthere.
Although, every time I go (ie every year), I am amazed at how friendly and helpful people are in the stores, greeting you when you come in and when you leave. I forget to say “bonjour messieurs dames” when I enter a store (don’t do that up here!!) and feel terrible when they greet me!

Others:

Pourrais-je avoir le menu s’il-vous-plaît? (at the restaurant, to get the menu)
Or, do like the French, and say “le menu s’il-vous-plaît”

Pourrais-je avoir l’addition s’il-vous-plaît (To ask for the bill at the end of your meal, if you are a group and need all separate addition, ask instead: Pourrions-nous avoir les additions s’il-vous-plaît? Séparément).
And again "l’addition s’il-vous-plaît"

Oh and I had a good laugh reading the books by Stephen Clarke: A year in la merde, Merde encore and the 3rd volume (the first one is really the best)
http://contemporarylit.about.com/od/memoir/fr/merde.htm

[Spike]

you are absolutely right. Bienvenue is more of a Quebec way of saying de rien. But I found they understand it too. Well, probably when it comes from a person from Quebec (they recognize our accent 100% of the time lol)

We, as North American people (USA and Canada) need to remember that the holly rule “client is always right” DOESNT APPLY overthere.
Although, every time I go (ie every year), I am amazed at how friendly and helpful people are in the stores, greeting you when you come in and when you leave. I forget to say “bonjour messieurs dames” when I enter a store (don’t do that up here!!) and feel terrible when they greet me!

oh yes, french people are absolutely lovely people dont get me wrong I loved the time I’ve spent in France each time I went overthere and would go again in a hearth beat. But they wont let people be mean to them without any reason. Like we can see more often here in restaurants or boutiques.

Must again me my Quebec part but I would feel uncomfortable to just say: le menu s’il-vous-plaît. Here we use to ask things instead of order it. So that’s why the Pourrais-je avoir… lol

I agree with the fact that clients are not always considered as royalty! Better use a big smile and have a good sense of humor, this will have people really friendly and willing to help.

works everywhere!

Bon voyage à tous les chanceux qui iront aux prochains Jeux Équestres Mondiaux! (as we would say up here haha)

[jumpingmaya]

I’ll be going… but France is home for me (that’s my excuse).

So if anyone needs help with their French… I’m willing to give a hand :winkgrin:

[FalseImpression]

It is home for me too

I visited the Normandy area in '07 and really fell in love. I had already been to the landing beaches, the US AND Canadian cemetaries, the Mont St-Michel, but I did not know the Pays d’Auge which is where all the haras (studfarms) are located. I visited the Haras du Pin also. I have tons of pictures of beautiful farms, beautiful houses, Deauville, etc.

I’d love to go in 2014 (will probably be in France before that to visit family), but I don’t have very many horsey friends here or there who would want to go… still, it’s on my mind! Sigh… another “savings account” to open…

[Kementari]

I had four years of French in high school and three years in college. In the intervening time, I seem to have forgotten all the verbs.

Have you ever tried to communicate without verbs?

Allow me to assure you that it quite simply does not work.

So, should I win the lottery before 2014, I think I shall have to invest some of my winnings in French lessons. It should come back quickly, I would think, as I was reasonably fluent at one point in time. Of course, since I’m unlikely to win the lotto (as I never enter), I will likely just be watching the English translations on the meager tv coverage. Still, I am going to laugh every time I see a horse jumping a table! :lol:

[Reynard_Ridge]

@Kementari;5166190

So, should I win the lottery before 2014, I think I shall have to invest some of my winnings in French lessons.

K,
You might find the help you need on line for less than the cost of a tutor. Try BYKI (before you know it); the programs are fairly rudimentary (my Czech program does not conjugate verbs for instance), but I find it very useful for learning roots. Then I’m off to conjugate and decline on my own. :dead:

If BYKI it too expensive/does not meet your needs (and they have a free trial, so you can check it out before purchase :yes:), check around. Chinesepod was an incrediblely useful tool that was not too expensive, and I believe they were planning to expand the concept to other languages. Very cool for people who already have some grounding, but need reminders. And the listening bits are download-able to i-pod, so usable on the go.

Handy tips from someone who gets shouted AT all the time. Turns out that idea of speaking louder and louder to people who don’t understand your language (in the hopes that by shouting louder, the words will magically translate??) transcends cultures. Happened all the time to me in China and now in CR. Just a day in the life of being a foreigner. :yes:

[vineyridge]

Add to the useful phrases:
“Je ne comprends pas” and “lentement, s’il vos plait.” “Lentement” is essential.

[JER]

[QUOTE=Kementari;5166190]

So, should I win the lottery before 2014, I think I shall have to invest some of my winnings in French lessons. [/QUOTE]

French in Action

I posted that link way back in post #2 but it’s worth repeating. French in Action is a video series (highly, highly entertaining) of the Yale 1st year French program. There are 52 half-hour videos chronicling the exploits of American-in-Paris Robert and his amie parisienne Mireille.

You’ll learn a lot and it’s all free.

[dani0303]

I spent 4 summers in Normandy when I was a teenager. I had a fabulous opportunity to ride and show some truely lovely horses over there. I am quite familiar with the area (the farms I stayed on was 1.5km from the Haras Du Pin). Unfortunately over the years I have lost a good bit of the language but I’m sure I would pick it back up quickly.

To those who can do, DO! It will be a trip you’ll never forget. I loveloveLOVED the time I spent in France and if I could I would go back in a heartbeat. The French people are wonderful and the combination of their broken english and my broken french almost always got us by :yes:

[Carol_Ames]

do you suppose?

Do you suppose we could put together a set of language courses on cassette for equestrians? It would be nice to know what the sellers might be whispering about the horses you are :lol:interested in! :yes:

@poltroon;5162715

Walking around WEG, I was trying to imagine whether I would enjoy the experience as much if I didn’t speak any English.

Sadly, the only phrase I remember from my semester of French is “Le crayon est sur la table.”

Ah, but I know le cheval! Le cheval est sur la table!

At first I giggled wildly at my nonsense phrase. Then I realized in le concours complet that Le cheval est sur la table actually could have some application! Le cheval rouge est sur la table! I am starting to feel like a native speaker!! :lol: :lol:

But, I fear I would be lost if I left the confines of the cross-country course or the dressage arena… so what other phrases, especially horsey phrases, would a WEG attendee find valuable? My pesky French teacher never bothered with useful stuff like, “Where is the nearest bathroom?” let alone “What country is that bay horse from?” or “My hovercraft is full of eels.”

I don’t expect to go to Normandy, but hey, mucking stalls at home is the perfect time to practice foreign language vocabulary, and you never know what may come in handy…

[katarine]

If you get seated next to mouthy DQs with a French accent, pop out your cell phone and start filming them. That will save you the trouble of learning to say fermez la bouche

[FalseImpression]

well, “fermez la bouche” is so not French, but a literal translation. You would say that to someone eating with his/her mouth open, but not to keep them quiet.

You may be more successful if you said “Taisez-vous!” lol

[katarine]

Merci

[sophie]

[QUOTE=Carol Ames;5167393]
Do you suppose we could put together a set of language courses on cassette for equestrians? It would be nice to know what the sellers might be whispering about the horses you are :lol:interested in! :yes:[/QUOTE]

That’s a great idea! Even if your French is perfect grammatically, as in any language, people will not understand you if you don’t have the correct pronunciation. And you won’t find a lot of useful “equestrian” or horse-related phrases / vocab in available programs / software.

I would love to help set up something like that. It would be a nice change for me (translator / teacher / creator of learning activities for language software). I’m a native speaker and have a pretty good grasp of “horsey” vocab both in English and French. And it would just be FUN!

As for WEG 2014…I would love to go. After all one HAS to visit family regularly, right? And I have a few friends in Normandy, too… oooh tempting!

Any phrases you guys need translated?

[DeeThbd]

[QUOTE=andy.smaga;5165477]
Correct.
Our cousins from Quebec have slight differences when speaking French (same as you have some differences in France from region to region).

I agree with the fact that clients are not always considered as royalty! Better use a big smile and have a good sense of humor, this will have people really friendly and willing to help.[/QUOTE]

It’s actually a notable difference in accent and colloquialisms / idioms - much like the difference between North American English, UK English and Australian English.
Dee