dont: small but useful

[mint]

I forget about this little word but a New Year card from a friend has reminded me.

He writes with news of his family and then, to end, he says dont à moi.......etc

My turn then, once reminded, to write in an email to a new acquaintance asking for information about the nordic walking I do.  Concernant la marche nordique dont nous nous avons parlons......etc

I do know how to use it but, for some reason, I don't use dont much[:-))]

[YCCMB]

I think he probably meant "quant à moi" as opposed to "dont", if I might be so bold..

"Dont" usually means "of which" or "of whom" AFAIAC..

as in : "Deux cafés, dont un crème" or "Trois hommes, dont un français"

So, mint, in your sentence, you *could* have used both...

"Quant à la marche nordique dont nous avons parlé..."

[mint]

Thank you for the explanation, Betty, impeccable comme d'habitude!

Yes, he must have written quant à moi, as he is very well educated and cultured and would know his donts from his quants[:)]

I think I'd better go back to French class except that I have been enjoying myself, reading and searching out bits of grammar to revise.  I don't plan to go back until March.

Will rememeber quant as that is another "small but useful" word. I'll look at some other small but useful words as this has triggered an interest in what else there might be out there with which I can pepper my conversations and emails[:)]

PS I meant to write nous nous avons parlé and indeed that is what I did write in response but hunger was gnawing at my insides and I rushed to post[:$]

[mint]

Veuillez trouver ci-joint nos documents dont vous avez demandé et que je vous ai parlé....

now is that correct, Betty, and am I using dont as I should?

[Chancer]

Doesnt look right to me, I would have used "que" or perhaps "ce que"

 

.................les documents que vous avez demandé, dont certains sont les photocopies.............

[mint]

Merci, Chance[:)]

[YCCMB]

I agree with Mr C, mint.

You need to think of "dont" as "of which" or "of whom" - it's the "of" that distinguishes it.

So you could have said "Les documents dont je vous ai parlé" for example.

[mint]

Yes, I think I have got the hang of it.......the documents of which I have spoken..........thank you!

[Patf]

So is it a combination of "de" and "ont", an impersonal pronoun?

I've read the word in the past, but never used it.

[Loiseau]

Er, not exactly, Patf.

It's not a combination of anything. It's called a "relative pronoun".

Does this help explain its use?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zqx2mp3/revision/2

I must admit, it's word I might use in writing, but not much in speech.

Angela

[LisaInFrance]

It is words like this that I forget so easily if I don't speak French enough. It is especially annoying, as they really do make a huge difference in how fluently you can speak.