mint Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Il ne parle qu'anglais.Is that right or wrong, please, you who know about these things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroTrash Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I'd say 'Il ne parle que l'anglais' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 16, 2011 Author Share Posted October 16, 2011 Thank you, EuroTrash. That indeed sounds right to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Both are correct....[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Thank you, Eric. But, do you think EuroTrash's way is a little more elegant? And easier to say with the definite article in front of anglais? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 The first choice is easier to pronounce.......Are you saying it or writing it?? If you are saying, use the easiest. If you are writing a letter to Sarko...use the second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Write a letter to Sarko! Better not as I am not an admirer.Besides, il ne parle que français [I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 [quote user="sweet 17"]....Besides, il ne parle que français [/quote] Well....there you are...well done ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I think that the point is that it sounds better with the definite article if it begins with a vowel. N'est-ce pas, Eric? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Qu'est j'en sais moi ??.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I feel you're probably better placed to say than some of us, bonnie lad.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Its one that I often get confused by especially as in speech people often drop the negation so when I hear both the ne and the que it sounds to my ears like "not only..........."And then there is when I read books, with the short lines I read the "ne" and it can be a couple of lines before the "que" finally appears by which time I have interpreted the whole sentence as being not blah blah blah as opposed to only blah blah blah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroTrash Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 You got me wondering why I said that now.I just think it sounds better with the l' .Or maybe it's a negative thing, I'd probably say 'je parle anglais' but I'd say 'je ne parle pas l'anglais'.Anyway here are some statistics according to how many times google found things:"parle anglais" 2,710,000"parle l'anglais" 66,000"ne parle que l'anglais" 91,000"ne parle qu'anglais" 68,600"ne parle que anglais" 10,700 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 [quote user="EuroTrash"]"parle l'anglais" 66,000 "[/quote]Eugh. The two ls side by side sound horrid. I'm with the majority here in both cases (makes a change!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Eric is right, both are correct !I'd say " il ne parle qu'anglais " C'est qui, Sweet, ton mari ? [;-)] ( only kidding) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Non, Frenchie, pas mon mari............I'd have killed him by now!The neighbour who wanted me to drive him to the garage AND speak to the garagiste on his behalf[:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Well, I've done this before, for friends..I don't mind, I understand .I've always found the English who live in France and don't speak the language at all very brave, in a sense, because personnally, if I lived in a foreign country whose language I don't speak, I'd be scared that if anything should happen to me, and I was taken to hospital, I would not understand what the staff say about what they are going to do to me !!Don't know why, that's always been my first thought ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINKLE Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 [quote user="ericd"]Qu'est j'en sais moi ??....[/quote]Qu'est ce QUE j'en sais moi?Sorry - I've got my red pen out tonight children ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Hi, Twinkle, long time no see!Or rather: Je ne vous ai pas vue depuis longtemps! Phew, hope that's right because negatives and passé composé have not always been easy for me [:(]And, I suppose, if we are REALLY going to nitpick, does "qu'est-ce" not have a hyphen?[:P]Twinks, I hope that, now you have graced us with your presence, you won't stay away so long again?[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINKLE Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Hi sweets! My fench is far from perfect and accents and hyphens are always a problem for me! I tend to nip in and out of the forum as nervously as a cat in a chinese restaurant so...?Hope you're well ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Tu m'as manqué aussi Twinks ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINKLE Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Bless! Hope your chaton is well x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Oh yes !! He's growing up, his coat is so soft, he is purring all the time, I'm so happy to have him !! A real cutie !!Mais je crois qu'il ne parle que français, contrairement à mon petit chien.. [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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