mint Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 je n'ai jamais vu un homme pareilI have not never seen a man like him..........sooooooooo, you've seen lots of men like him? Or, you've never seen a man like him?Which is it, then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]je n'ai jamais vu un homme pareilI have not never seen a man like him..........sooooooooo, you've seen lots of men like him? Or, you've never seen a man like him?Which is it, then?[/quote]It cannot be "I have not never seen a man like him" - that would translate as "je n'ai jamais PAS vu un homme pareil" (double negative in both cases, not right)."ne.....pas" and "ne...jamais"Yes, mi-figue mi-raisin is a good one.And what about all the expressions and words borrowed from our Maghrebin cousins?C'est kif-kif. Le bled. Le toubib. La baraka. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 5-e, je n'ai jamais compris les expressions de nos cousins Maghrebin [:D][:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 S17,I was curious so I found...le bled http://french.about.com/library/vocab/argot/bl-argot-b.htmkif kif http://french.about.com/library/vocab/argot/bl-argot-k.htmle toubib http://dictionnaire.sensagent.com/toubib/fr-fr/la baraka http://dictionnaire.sensagent.com/baraka/fr-fr/Methinks 5E likes her films[:)]Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Thank for that Danny.As for 5-e, yes, she is film mad; does nothing other than watch films on DVD........[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 'Tis true she likes her movies.[:)]Great dico, Danny!Sweet 17, there are loads more maghrebin words in current use in French.Well there you go, you made me go and look.Apparently, in French there are around 215 words that come from North Africa (Maghreb).http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mots_fran%C3%A7ais_d%27origine_arabeand here are a few of them:Y a pas bézef (there is not much)la casbah - homeun chouia - a little bitun clebs - a dogfaire fissa - to hurry uple flouze - the moneytout le barda - all the stuffil est maboul - he is madfaire la nouba - have a party, or living it upquel ramdam! - what a lot of noise!faire des salamalecs - engage in lenghty and complicated greetings (hard to translate, that one!)toute la smala - the whole family, or the whole tribe and its entourageVery sorry for the slight thread-drift![:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Thanks 5 element and Danny, very interesting postings[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Loved that 5-E! Just reading the words takes me many years back ! [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 11, 2009 Author Share Posted November 11, 2009 Well, I'd love to faire la nouba with toute la smala but it's not possible with our family en ce moment as there is a warfare going on and half the tribe is alienated from the other half....Families, who'd have them?Rotten day here; cold, damp, drizzly and I think I am going to stay here in my casbah and keep away from everyone apart from mon clebs [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Well, I'd love to faire la nouba with toute la smala but it's notpossible with our family en ce moment as there is a warfare going onand half the tribe is alienated from the other half....Families, who'd have them?LOL Sweet 17! [:)][:)][:)]Have a good day[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 I've found myself just this morning using another of those totally illogical French expressions.A friend was waiting to pick OH and me up in his car. OH had got in pretty quickly and I was the one giving the dog a biscuit and telling her mama will be back soon, be a good girl, etc.Then, I called out, "Attendez, je ne suis pas encore arrivée!"Not only did I not have to "arrive" anywhere, I was saying it as I got into the car. I couldn't help thinking if I hadn't really arrived, how could I have been there to say so?If you can think of any more of these "peculiar" things the French say, do share them.......I could do with a laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Not only did I not have to "arrive" anywhere, I was saying it as I gotinto the car. I couldn't help thinking if I hadn't really arrived, howcould I have been there to say so?Is it not said that " it is better to travel than to arrive"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hey, for goodness' sake, don't say that to anyone trapped in the tunnel or waiting at railway stations to board the shuttle, will you?You'd be lynched![:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]Had a woman on the phone today, asking for the OH. I smiled as I said, non, il n'est pas là. It's so illogical, don't you think? He's not here, that's the natural thing to say, isn't it? So, why do we say he is not "là", there?Yes, I know, him being a man, he isn't always all "there". but, even so........[:D]Next one is:Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle.......see, I did look at the original French lyrics kindly provided by someone here when I mentioned the song "Autumn Leaves".That, too, made me smile because I can't see the leaves ramassent-ing themselves. Surely it's YOU who ramassez them?Can anyone think of other French expressions (or indeed English ones) that make us smile?Look, the evenings are long and could be boring unless we try to entertain each other?([:D] smile of encouragement).[/quote]The reflexive form in French 'se ramasser' is often translated by a passive voice in English.So the leaves don't pick them selves up, they 'ARE picked up' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 Thank you, Norman. Wish someone had explained the French reflexive to me. Now lots of expressions have become clear.For example when, earlier in the year, the OH s'est cassé le genou, he didn't break his own knee but his knee was broken!How much more sense all of that makes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Those are the moments in learning a language that stick...And of course you have the intelligence to apply the principle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Entre cinq et sept - Ce ne sont pas mon rayon - Kdos - K7 - 5MN (but only if you have a Ferrari on Monaco plates and an Italien Driving License or a Helicopter) - 7 a 7 (sauf 2 heures pour dejeuner) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 ' Bless her cotton socks ' Hee Hee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Oh, Frenchie, where on earth did you pick that up from? Yes, that did make me laugh and I'm not even sure exactly what it means.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 When I was much younger, I stayed at an old English lady's for two months, she was lovely, and she used that phrase [:)]And I heard it recently , don't remember where [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonraker Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Maybe an answer here!http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/21676 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Oh thank you, moonraker, very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted December 27, 2009 Author Share Posted December 27, 2009 Yessss, Moonraker, I LOVE the explanation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 This site has a daily expression 'explained', but you can also search it for ones you have come across..A good list is hereOne that is topical at the moment is Se mettre sur son trente-et-un'To get dressed up to the nines' from the idea that you wear your poshet clothes for the reveillon of the 31st December Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Goodness gracious, Norman, what a site: there are some expressions I have never come across.... and some of them are rather risqué...such as, the things one does with flies (the buzzing type)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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