Jump to content

A question from an inactif.


Chancer
 Share

Recommended Posts

Is it a jour ferie tomorrow?

Lots of places seem to be closed up tonight, maybe I wont be able to buy materials as planned tomorrow.

It is confusing to learn that I am inactif as I already work every weekend and public holiday (not that I usually know), I dont know what more I could do[:)]

My local AVF classifies me as one of their "jeunes actifs" which made me smile, their distinction is that I am not available during working hours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You werent being critical and neither did I think so, I was genuinely pleased to see your correct use of the accents as I had been unknowingly pronouncing and writing it incorrectly.

Little wonder that when I had asked the question in French I was always met with a blank look as I had been pronouncing it "ferie" or at best "férie"

Pronounciation is really important where I live as the people never get to hear foreigners malpronouncing and cannot comprehend anything other than the correct.

I will never forget my first full day here, when asked at the neighbouring brasserie what had I done that day? "Je suis allé à Amiens" said I, nobody could understand where I had been, I tried and tried with every conceivable way to pronounce Amiens, even resorting to giving the direction and traveling time, pointing etc but to no avail.

Inevitably it became a full blown discussion involving everyone in the bar much to my embarrasment, finally I brought in a map and pointed out Amiens, - "Ahhh Amiéns" the patron said stressing the é and everyone understood, except me, because Amiens does not have an accent egout but is pronounced, at least locally, with one! I should add that Amiens is the only large ville in that direction for 100kms.

That night in bed I reflected this is going to be a long and hard journey and indeed after nearly 3 years it still is, my french has improved massively and I speak, read and write in it only (as best I can) other than on this forum.

I have also found that my friends now understand my malpronunciation ie they have got the ear, and when they see someone else giving me the blank look they repeat what I have said with a Picard accent and all is well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="J.R."]

Pronounciation is really important where I live as the people never get to hear foreigners malpronouncing and cannot comprehend anything other than the correct.

[/quote]

Its the same here. A couple of examples which provided much head scratching, drawing and dictionary reading were

lino - pronouced leeno and temperature - pronounced  taaamperature

Still can't get over demem for demain though [:)]

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Linoleum and temperature I would suggest are being properly pronounced with the eee and the aaa unless they are hanging out the vowel sound, although these sounds may never sound right to our ears, my favorite is Weeeeet Speeereeet (white spirit).

Demem I have never heard so must be a regional thing.

Here is a bit of Picard for you to get your teeth into, it is not the phonetic spelling as it was the heading on the front page of the departmental magazine.

"Din ch'poaiyis d'ch' mahon qoié qu'i n'é?"

Any guesses?

This language is still frequently spoken and most people understand it and pepper their everyday French with it.

If no-one gets close then I will post it under the French language sub-forum

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No that is the darned problem, I hear words and speak and write what I think that I have heard.

Some previous examples, of course none of the others spring to mind right now!

Circumflex for circonflex

Mono for Moineau, - only this morning I read this word and realised why no-one could tell me where to buy sparrow netting.

I am probably seen as a bit of an Inspecteur Clouseau!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Bob T"]Even after three years here, I have problems saying twenty, wine and wind - they all sound like van to me!
[/quote]

A tip, Bob T, for what it's worth:

twenty = vingT (Do pronounce the "t" at the end)

vin is just....vin

vent, pronounce it as if it was vaaan, like an "a", as in can't (but keep the final t silent!)

you never know, I hope it might just help![:D]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...