To spare, can you spare it?

[Chancer]

By a long and convoluted descriprion involving, prêter, donner, epargner, libre etc I managed to make myself understood I believe but no-one was able to tell me how this would be said in French.

Over to you [Www]

[NormanH]

A suggestion...

Vous n'auriez pas xxxx (à me passer) ?

You wouldn't have...

http://www.larousse.com/en/dictionnaires/anglais-francais/spare/613647

[Clair]

[quote user="Chancer"]By a long and convoluted descriprion involving, prêter, donner, epargner, libre etc I managed to make myself understood I believe but no-one was able to tell me how this would be said in French.

Over to you [Www][/quote]

A colloquial expression:

quelque chose en rab / avoir du rab = in excess / extra

from rabiot

T'en veux? J'ai du rab... = Do you want some? I have more...

[EuroTrash]

Dépanner is a useful word, people have offered to dépanne me with various things at various times, meaning lend or give me things that I needed. Could you maybe do something like "pourriez vous me depanner de ..(whatever it was you wanted)."

[YCCMB]

I've just come in and my immediate thought was "en rab" and of course Clair had already got there.

[Chancer]

Great replies, I will read up on the usage of rabiot.

I thought of aurait - tu? but it seemed a bit assuming, mind you that is exactly what he says to me in the same circumstances, I would use that if I could precede it with "I am on the scrounge, aurait tu?.............. so thats the next question.

Another person when he comes on the scrounge always says "peut tu me depanner?" and come to think of it when I sort him out with whatever he needs there is never any doubt in my mind that I am giving away said truc, that it wont be replaced by him at a later date.

So indeed I did subconsciously know of at least 2 ways of saying it but I guess lacked the confidence to do so without the discussion, thanks again.

Editted, if I wanted to borrow something to get me out of trouble with the intention of returning or replacing said item I would say "peut tu me preter le truc pour me depanner?"

Editted again, Norman, now I read your suggestion again the à me passer adds the specific meaning to aurait-tu?

Aurait tu le rab à me passer?

So a good evenings learning, rabiot and à me passer [:D]

[Christine Animal]

Sort of the other way round, once someone has offered to lend or give you something and you want to be sure they can spare it, you can ask

"Mais ça ne va pas vous faire défaut ?"

http://www.linternaute.com/dictionnaire/fr/definition/faire-defaut/

 

[Chancer]

Thats excellent also Christine, now I can ask if someone can depanner me, ask them would they by any chance have  ............, let them offer it to me and then make sure that they can spare it. [:)]

Its rewarding to now be at a level with the language that I can concentrate on the niceties, politeness etc even if those around me often dont.

Someone recently commented that I wasnt homosexual after all! When I asked them to explain they said that they had been told I was because of the way I spoke and that I was polite (and of course believed it), I asked would it have mattered if I were? and they got quite uncomfortable and said no but were happier to know that I wasnt [8-)]

When in the UK over Xmas I saw a film called "Idiocracy" which had a virtually identical scene and several other deja vu moments.

[NormanH]

dunno wich is the bigger porkie...that u iz polite or yer aint a poofter[6]

[Chancer]

After such a prolonged drout who knows which way I may swing when the rains come [:P]

[ericd]

When I need to borrow a tool from the very helpful neighbour, I ask him " je viens t'emprunter un xyz " and then describe the project I am working on. By saying "emprunter" he knows that said item will be returned....... Or I describe my problem and ask him if he has the right tool for it.

[Chancer]

The great thing about neighbours or anyone who has to regularly put up with our attempts at the language is that they eventually understand what it is we want even if we might be saying anything else.

I believe that the  viens t' is not correct.

Je viens (de) t'emprunter un XYZ means I have just borrowed an XYZ from you.

In fact now I am confused as I'm not sure that the tu form goes before or after the verb in this case, maybe je viens d'emprunter un XYZ de toi.

What I say and its probably not correct French, maybe overcomplicated and overpolite (gay[;-)]) is:

Je viens pour demander si je pourrais emprunter un XYZ.

So what is the correct way of asking "I have come to ask if I could borrow an XYZ from you?"

Or equally "I have come to borrow an XYZ from you?" My apologies if Erics text was correct [:$] its only when seeing or hearing things said in a different way that I question my own speech.

[Christine Animal]

Eric is correct and I believe he is French.

Je viens t'emprunter    I come to borrow from you

Je viens de t'emprunter   I have just borrowed from you.

C'est pas simple !

 

[Christine Animal]

So what is the correct way of asking "I have come to ask if I could borrow an XYZ from you?"

I would say, Je viens ou je suis venu(e) te demander si je pouvais t'emprunter ton XYZ.

 

[Chancer]

My humble apologies Eric [:$]

At least you have taught me something that will stick!

One never forgets a painfull lesson in life.

[ericd]

[quote user="Christine Animal"]

So what is the correct way of asking "I have come to ask if I could borrow an XYZ from you?"

I would say, Je viens ou je suis venu(e) te demander si je pouvais t'emprunter ton XYZ.

 

[/quote]

Pas de probleme Chancer. There are worse matters to worry about. [:D] You appear to have been confused with " je viens t'emprunter..." Look at is as " Je viens emprunter a toi where toi is replaced by t' . ...... Now we can start talking about your roof (toit) but that can add much confusion. [:-))]

For the translation above you can also ask " Je viens te demander si je peux t'emprunter ton/ta XYZ"......As I know my neighbour, I by-pass the grovelling and go straight to " Je viens t'emprunter ton/ta XYZ".

[Chancer]

Thanks again Eric!

I see that I miswrote my statement, I say pourrais not pouvais but si je peux is better, I think I get myself confused with having to use the conditional instead of the future with si I then mistakenly started using the conditional instead of the present tense.

Life was a lot simpler when I could just point at something and shout 'GEEVE EET TO ME!" [:P]

[ericd]

Don't worry Chancer. There are many ways to ask the same thing..

 

- Puis-je emprunter ta xyz ?

- Pourrais-je emprunter ta xyz ? (alternative is ...Je pourrais emprunter ta xyz ??)

- T'as pas un/une xyz a me preter?

-  etc ...but keep it simple.

[Frenchie]

Bon, après toutes ces circonvolutions ,  il te le prête ou pas cet outil .?????? [:D]

[Christine Animal]

Mais non, he can't spare it !

 

[mint]

Unless he has one d'appoint?

Sorry, Betty has just taught me this word and I am trying to use it at every opportunity so that I can remember it![:D]

[Chancer]

Cant recall what it was anymore [:P]

Ah yes I recall now, it wasnt to borrow but to keep and yes he did sort me out, hope he is not expecting it returned though!

[Frenchie]

In which case he could have said " et il s'appelle retourne " ! ( very common thing to say in such circumstances"