Pads lesson for today

[Pads]

C'est à douze kilomètres d'ici.

it is 12 km d'ici ?

I dont understand the d'ici , now I know that "par ici"  is near here, so I kind a thought it would mean nearly? or some thing like that , but have looked up a few things and none of them translate as d'ici

Any Ideas ?

Many Thanks to all who have been helping me over the last few days sorry if im being a pest , but im determined now to really try and do this so every little word is important [:)] so that I get the whole picture of what im saying.        

[caramac]

12km from here?

[Pads]

Aaaah!! (as she thumps her self over the head )

 

Many thanks Caramac [:)] 

[Benjamin]

Pads I'm about five minutes in front of you with my French but in this case the de has the meaning of either from or of so caramac's answer is correct.

My dictionary has nearly two pages on de so it's a very meaningful word in all it's uses.

ps what qualification are we going to get out of this? [:D]

pps it might be helpful if the professionals hold back a while and see if we amateurs get there in the end and step in if we're getting it wrong?

[Pads]

Hi Benjamin

Im finding it very frustrating at the moment, as I was teaching my self from CD's for a year before getting it together to get a proper teacher, so although I know lots of words for things I cant put a sentence together, so I have had to start from the very begining (as I never did french at school[:(] ) Its all the joining little words that kill me as its hard to find d'ici in the dictionary if it had said de ici I would of worked it out.

My aim is in 3 years to be ready for an o'level ( OK get up off the floor ) so my teacher is working me very hard, for 2 hours once a week , then she sets me enough work for the week at home , I have worked for the last 3 days on my home work from 11am till 5pm and every time its the words --'-- that kill me  like "it is" c'est  if you try to work that out from a dictionary (I would end up jumping out of the window) I know it because I have be told its that , but why? I can only learn well if I can work out why somethng is ............

But Im coming on leaps and bounds since having a real teacher but its only been a few weeks so I have faith I will get there[blink] what I need is more time in france and less time at work , wish my boss would understand that. !!!!

I do only ask for help when I get to the point of banging my head against the wall , as I dont want to start annoying people with little questions

Well better get on as I have another chapter to do before stopping for my tea, How/ what method of learning are you using ?             

[chessfou]

[quote]like "it is" c'est  if you try to work that out from a dictionary (I

would end up jumping out of the window) I know it because I have be

told its that , but why?[Pads][/quote]

Why? Say "ce est," now say it quicker, now try saying it quicker still ...

[Pads]

No your not getting my point , I can say c'est , its where it comes from I dont get , if you look up it and is in the dictionary you dont get c' est , or maybe its just my dictionary[:(]

[M]

C'est... ce (it) + 3rd person singular, present tense of être (to be) ...put them together and you have c'est = it is. Although in some cases 'Il est' would be better. Look at www.french.about.com for really useful help with French grammar.

M

[Chancer]

De followed by a place, location or country means from.

Je viens d'anglettere = I come from England

D'où vous venez? or Tu viens d'où? = Where are you from?

Pas loin d'ici = not far from here (close to here)

C'est = it is for an indefinite article

Elle est, Il est = he is, she is

C'est à douze kilomètres d'ici = It's 12km from here.

Keep the questions coming, it keeps us thinking and lots of people at many levels learn from the answers.

[tegwini]

Bonsoir Pads

Have you seen this?

www.bitesizedlanguages.com

it's free, daily & click on it & you have sound too.

amicalement

Tegwini

 

[Pads]

Thanks tegwini , will have a look at that one [:)]

[dolly daydream]

Pads, ce est becomes c'est because it is clumsy to have two vowels together - such as words beginning with 'e' the la or le changes to l' e.g. l'eglise, l'ecole.

[Pierre ZFP]

Also it is extremely rare (if ever)  to have 2 vowels together or before an 'H' which is never sounded hence l'hotel .  (I can think of an exception  'La Harvre')

An example not involving 'le' or 'la' would be 'my friend' which is always 'mon ami' regardless if they are male or female (you might expect a female friend to be 'ma ami' but that puts 2 vowels together and it sounds wrong).  As my French Mistress (that sounds good) used to say 'It doesn't taste right'

[Christine Animal]

I think, but Clair can correct again if I'm wrong, that in front of a pronoun, a name, you don't drop the vowel, for example

not l'Athos, but le Athos.

 

Another funny one.  We would say the Harrisons.

But the French say les Harrison, without the plural on Harrison.

 

[Pierre ZFP]

But near me there is a river called 'Aa' and it's signposted everywhere as l'Aa

[Gemonimo]

A bit of fun for all the students out therehttp://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=BfPTRH70Ntc (Hope I got the llink ok). Jen

[Gemonimo]

Didn't get that quite right but it's a hoot and if I find the link key I'll try again. jen (the cyber virgin)

[Clair]

[quote user="Christine Animal"]I think, but Clair can correct again if I'm wrong, that in front of a pronoun, a name, you don't drop the vowel, for example

not l'Athos, but le Athos. [/quote]

Generally speaking, the rule remains the same (use the apostrophe to replace the voyel before another vowel: l'Athénée) but in practice, where the name is short as in your example, the article remains complete (les poèmes de Hugo, not les poèmes d'Hugo)

[quote user="Christine Animal"]Another funny one.  We would say the Harrisons. But the French say les Harrison, without the plural on Harrison.[/quote]

Surnames in French are always used in the singular, except if you're talking about French royal names (les Bourbons).

PS: I am not a specialist![:)]

[Cat]

[quote user="Gemonimo"]A bit of fun for all the students out therehttp://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=BfPTRH70Ntc (Hope I got the llink ok). Jen[/quote]

Try this http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=BfPTRH70Ntc

 

[Pads]

[quote user="Gemonimo"]Didn't get that quite right but it's a hoot and if I find the link key I'll try again. jen (the cyber virgin)[/quote]

 

Come on gemonimo im looking forward to a laugh after spending the day listening again and again and again and again to the same tape working on my listening skills, but have finally answered all 50 questions about what I have heard so im having a rest now and eating my tea, before thinking about going to work[:(]

Make me laugh please[blink]