French for beginners! :P

[ce-line]

Hi!

 

Like so many others on this forum I'm learning french, but I'm still a beginner and

I have difficulties with my motivation.

 

Then I thought of doing a little translation-game. Just for fun!

So if anyone else has problems getting started, join in! And you can ask anything if you have problems with the grammar

or something else!

 

I don't know if I'm the only one who likes the idea, but let's try it!

 

We'll start with an easy one.

 

Celine is beautiful! (Just translate it, and write a new sentence for translation. And not too difficult, 'cause this is for beginners.)

[grobandion]

Celine est jolie

 

(My french is way lower than just "beginner", but I will always give my best shot)

 

My house is big

[Jacqui]

Err...

 

Ma maison est grand?

 

I'm going to work.

[VanMerlin]

This is a neat thread...very good idea! I hope that those with experience can correct any mistakes that are made by beginners (because we know that we won't know any better if we mess it up!!), and offer some tips, tricks, slangs, and local variations (such as the difference between Quebec and France speech).

[stevethefan]

Err...

 

Ma maison est grand?

 

I'm going to work.

 

Je vais travailler

 

? Not sure is it's grammatically correct though.

[celinefanonline]

i think it's right!!!

c'est bon!

[PrincesseJen]

I have difficulties with my motivation.

 

Garder vos yeux sur le prix.

 

 

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z30/Sarahj21230/Fooddrink/Frenchpastry.jpg

[Cheerfuljane]

Stop it Jen I'm on diet

 

 

OK.... next phrase....

 

 

"The small girl is running to her mother"

[VintageCeline]

La petite fille est *running to her* mere ... AHHH! I don't know....

 

x

[ce-line]

Hmm, I'm not sure but could it be something like: "La petite fille courant à sa mere?"

I might be totally wrong...

[Cheerfuljane]

Very very close

 

The infinitive of 'to run' is 'courir'.

Check the conjugation

[ce-line]

Oh, thank you so much! It's great to have a pro here or we wouldn't learn anything... haha!

But what was the correct translation then?

 

Ok, new sentence:

 

"He's playing in the garden"

[ce-line]

After searching I finally found the answer:

 

"La petite fille court à sa mere" Isn't it right?!

[Cheerfuljane]

Yes, Well done

[ce-line]

yay, haha!

 

Is no one going to translate the next one....

 

And it was:

 

"He's playing in the garden"

Edited September 3, 2008 at 07:38 PM by ce-line

[Angie--x]

il joue dans le jardin...? maybe im not 2 sure lol

 

Okay heres the next one..

 

"We love Celine!"

Edited September 3, 2008 at 08:42 PM by Angie--x

[ce-line]

I think I know this one...

 

"On aime Céline!" ...Right?! We need Jane to correct us!

Next:

 

"The weather is nice today" (Which it actually isn't, but anyway...)

Edited September 4, 2008 at 08:28 PM by ce-line

[GoldenLeaf]

I think I know this one...

 

"On aime Céline!" ...Right?! We need Jane to correct us!

Next:

 

"The weather is nice today" (Which it actually isn't, but anyway...)

La température est agréable aujourd'hui

 

Here is the next one :

 

The old cat is blind.

[ce-line]

"Le vieux chat est aveugle" Is it right?!

 

next:

 

"I'm picking a flower"

[Bralo20]

Je prendre un fleur.

 

 

One frome Célines songs :

 

I drove all night

[ce-line]

Isn't it "je prends" and fleur is the feminine gender, right?! Edited September 11, 2008 at 02:09 PM by ce-line

[ce-line]

"Je conduisis tout la nuit" - Is it right?! This is almost too difficult for me...

 

Next:

René and Céline love each other

[reamary]

I could try to help and correct too. I'm not a native speaker but I study French as a major, so I can at least try.

 

"Le vieux chat est aveugle" Is it right?!

 

That's correct.

 

 

Isn't it "je prends" and fleur is the feminine gender, right?!

 

Yeah it's "Je prends une fleur." Or then you could use the verb "cueillir" cause it means "to pick". So I think you could say also "Je cueillis une fleur."

 

"Je conduisis tout la nuit" - Is it right?! This is almost too difficult for me...

 

Next:

René and Céline love each other

 

That, or then "J'ai conduit toute la nuit." It's toute because "la nuit" is feminine.

[autumnskies00]

Im glad I found this topic, because I've been trying to learn French myself for years. Are you all taking classes to learn, or attempting to teach yourselves? If you're on your own, what books or programs are you using? Merci!

[Jacqui]

Celine et Rene s'aime?

Wow that's a hard one...umm...It seems like there should be more words, but I don't know what.

 

I need to use the bathroom.

[ce-line]

I could try to help and correct too. I'm not a native speaker but I study French as a major, so I can at least try.

 

"Le vieux chat est aveugle" Is it right?!

 

That's correct.

 

 

Isn't it "je prends" and fleur is the feminine gender, right?!

 

Yeah it's "Je prends une fleur." Or then you could use the verb "cueillir" cause it means "to pick". So I think you could say also "Je cueillis une fleur."

 

"Je conduisis tout la nuit" - Is it right?! This is almost too difficult for me...

 

Next:

René and Céline love each other

 

That, or then "J'ai conduit toute la nuit." It's toute because "la nuit" is feminine.

 

Thank you SO much for corecting me!

But I have one question, though. Why is it "J'ai"? Doesn't it mean "I have"?

[reamary]

Celine et Rene s'aime?

Wow that's a hard one...umm...It seems like there should be more words, but I don't know what.

 

I need to use the bathroom.

 

It's almost correct, you only need to put the verb into a plural form, so it's "s'aiment" instead of "s'aime".

 

I could try to help and correct too. I'm not a native speaker but I study French as a major, so I can at least try.

 

"Le vieux chat est aveugle" Is it right?!

 

That's correct.

 

 

Isn't it "je prends" and fleur is the feminine gender, right?!

 

Yeah it's "Je prends une fleur." Or then you could use the verb "cueillir" cause it means "to pick". So I think you could say also "Je cueillis une fleur."

 

"Je conduisis tout la nuit" - Is it right?! This is almost too difficult for me...

 

Next:

René and Céline love each other

 

That, or then "J'ai conduit toute la nuit." It's toute because "la nuit" is feminine.

 

Thank you SO much for corecting me!

But I have one question, though. Why is it "J'ai"? Doesn't it mean "I have"?

 

Yeah, "J'ai" means "I have" if it's the only verb that you're using in a sentence. Like, I have flowers - J'ai des fleurs. But the verb is also used as an auxiliary verb, in past forms. So, if you write for example "I had flowers", in French it would be "J'ai eu des fleurs", if you want to use the passé composé (perfect tense) form in French, which is normally more used than past tense (which would be "J'avais des fleurs", which is of course possible as well )

So in that example phrase, I drove all night, you can very well say "Je conduisis toute la nuit" (then you kind of don't know when the driving started, how long it lasted and when it stopped, you were just driving), but also "J'ai conduit toute la nuit" (then it means that your driving started and then stopped at some point, it lasted for a specific time and you reached the "finish line" ). Does my explaining make any sense to you at all?

Edited September 19, 2008 at 07:29 AM by reamary

[ce-line]

Thank you so much reamary!

I think I understood most of it. But I can tell you that I haven't really come so far yet to know all these things about how long it lasted and, you know! (God, it's difficult to explain in english)

[whineupemily]

Celine m'a inspiré à apprendre .. français a-t-elle inspiré un autre ?

 

Ive have been taking classes along with Rosetta Stone, and it has helped me tons!

[VintageCeline]

Je suis fatigue

 

x

Edited September 22, 2008 at 11:49 PM by VintageCeline