for Florence

[mint]

Great to have you on the forum![:)]  Someone to answer our "French" questions.

Some context...

I was watching an old French film where a secretary was late for work and the boss was waiting a bit impatiently for her.  She came in and started fiddling about taking off her coat and gloves.  He wanted her to start work getting out a file.....I said it was an old film, didn't I?

She said Attendez!  Je ne suis pas encore arrivée.

At the time, I only knew one meaning of arriver and I couldn't make out why she said she hadn't arrive when she was already there!

Later, I took that to mean.....I am not quite there yet.

So I used that the other day in my nordic walking group (all French) when everyone was starting to walk but I was still getting my sac à dos on.  I said Attendez!  J'suis pas encore arrivée!  (in the sense of I am not ready to start).  So far so good, until a music teacher (with whom I mostly talk music but sometimes French language) asked me to explain what I meant.

So I explained to her as I have done here.  Don't know if she was convinced.  We often have great long discussions and neither of us could agree on the conclusion.

Does anybody use that construction?

[idun]

I knew what that meant, but if I was still sorting my things out, I would say, j'arrive and maybe ask them to wait.

[mint]

Yes, id, I say j'arrive as well; usually when my neighbour is ringing my bell and waiting for me to walk to the gym together.

Another one I use is:  j'ai beau fait j'arrive pas à.......whatever it is that I haven't done and don't like to sound like I didn't even try...lol