mint Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Am I pitching it right? I'd use cela when talking to my onco and ça when addressing my walking friends.I'd propose something and I'd ask ça vous arrange? I tend to use cela when writing and ça when talking with walking friends. Are they both pretty much interchangeable? ça a d'importance?[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 I would say "pas beaucoup d'importance" or pas de l'importance" in chathttps://francebienvenue2.com/2011/04/04/ca-ou-cela-que-faut-il-dire/I would always use cela in formal contexts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Thank you, Norman. My problem is I tend to drift into informality because I generally speak French to friends and neighbours and do not have many "formal" conversations.In my village, we all know each other's first names, faire la bise and off we go speaking about this and that and we are not a sophisticated crowd, all country folk. I'd like to sound a bit more refined sometimes!![:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 ah! c'est comme cela que vous meublez vos longues journées à la retraite... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Oui, c'est ça! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Living en campagne I really have no idea how you could mix with more 'literary' people, maybe a group in a city, with a common interest, history, books, wine etc etc etc. The french 'class' system is complex and the 'upper' echelons are alive and thriving. I often thought that some lovely ladies in my village didn't quite get that it was there. That was just from some disparaging comments they would make about certain things or people.I shall never master french in any sort of way in the way you want and that is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Well, id, we did have a book club going but, for lack of interest, numbers kept dwindling, then I got ill and it sort of....well.....foldered!It's not that there is no one to speak to exactly, but my one and only really close friend in the village moved to Nantes. There are book clubs for Brits, even church services, but I am not that interested in those. I am mostly interested in French as a sort of mental puzzle as much as anything else and sometimes, just sometimes, I am lost in admiration of someone speaking excellent French. In the same way, I also admire people speaking English and getting a point across. Which reminds me, did you catch that doctor speaking about the coronavirus in the select committee today chaired by Jeremy Hunt? Wow, that man spoke so sensibly and elegantly, I could have listened for hours but they only showed a snatch of it on Sky. Pity.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 ay fort we ad ad enuff of vem vere ixperrts....Don't forget to watch C'est dans l'air sometimes. There have been some very impressive people discussing that topichttps://www.france.tv/france-5/c-dans-l-air/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith-aka-Judith Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Mint, yes, I saw a bit of that doctor, such a sensible and easy to understand response. Now that, along with how properly to wash your hands (gosh, indeed so thorough) is what we should be doing, not wearing silly face masks ... and what the adverts should be saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 Judith, I am delighted you heard that doctor. Talk about ability to communicate something intrinsically complicated and nuanced in such an effective and elegant way!I found him strangely compelling! Must be to do with his "poached egg" eyes, as some commentator has it....[:P]Norman, I do watch C dans l'air sometimes but, it's such a long programme and my attention gets stretched to its limits while I try to follow the thread of the discussions[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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