French help
 

I've just realised that I'm going to be at my hotel in Bayeux a bit later than planned. I'd like to let the hotel know (for the sake of politeness, and so they don't give my room away!)<BR><BR>My French is quite awful, so if anyone can give me a few words to put in my fax ..<BR><BR>Something along the lines of... I'm sorry but I won't arrive until X.00pm instead of...<BR><BR>Sorry about all the questions today!<BR><BR>Thanks<BR><BR>-- Viola

Viola,<BR> it has been my experience that the hotels usually are able to read English for just this sort of occasion.<BR> If you want to use French, there is a site called babelfish that you can use. <BR>I am including their web address.<BR>Good luck!<BR>Kate<BR>http://babelfish.altavista.com/<BR>

Bonjour Viola,<BR><BR>you can write something like<BR><BR>&quot;Madame/Monsieur,<BR><BR>J'arriverai � votre h�tel le (day/month) plus tard que pr�vu, soit vers xxx h au lieu de xxx h.<BR><BR>Merci de maintenir la r�servation de ma chambre.<BR><BR>Avec mes meilleures salutation,&quot;<BR><BR>Hope this helps and welcome to France.

I agree with Kate. Put your message in English. Someone will know English at the hotel.<BR><BR>I have found that when I write French there is more confusion than when I write in English. Maybe thank them in French.

Viola,<BR>I'd write in English, too.<BR><BR>I assume you made your reservation in English and they confirmed it in English. <BR>So, there is most definitely somebody who understands it at some point.

Hi Viola and Kate,<BR> Instead of going to Babelfish (which is slow) you can go directly to the translating machine that they use at <BR><BR>http://ets.freetranslation.com/

Cher Madame ou Monsieur (or a name if you have it),<BR><BR>J'ai decouver que j'arriverai a (x heures) du soir pas a (X heures). S'il vous plait, ne louez pas ma chambre d'une autre. Si vous avez besoin de le numero de ma carte de credit pour la reservation, je peut vous donner.<BR><BR>Merci beaucoup<BR><BR>It's probably not perfect but will get your message across (I think!) Translation;<BR>I've discovered I will arrive at x hour pm (du soir), not x. Please don't rent my room to someone else. If you need my credit card number to hold the reservation, I can provide it.

Hi there<BR>I agree that you should probably be OK to fax them in English - if they don't understand it they will no doubt let you know! <BR><BR>However, if you'd prefer to write in French, the sentences that Florence has suggested would be perfect (except that there should be an 's' at the end of salutation), and far more understandable to a French person than McLaurie's valiant effort (sorry...)

If you want to write in French, use the Florence's version (2nd response), simple and of course her being francophone, there is no mistake. (btw, on my screen, where she put letters with French accent signs are shown with ? like h?tel instead of hotel with o with an accent sign. Is that the same with you all?)<BR><BR>OR write in English with your own words.

I always write it in English, put it into Babelfish translator then put both versions into the email with the english on the bottom. I know a little French, since I took it for 6 years in school, so I usually do a little correcting of the Babelfish translation which is not always accurate (much like mapquest), especially with diction. If there is a questionable word used I look it up in a French dictionary. The person on the other end always gets the ideea, even if they don't speak English. This approach has served my travel communication needs well.

I'd just write it in English.<BR><BR>One problems with writing in French, they might respond to you in French, then you'd have to look for a translation

Go to 'dictionary.com', choose the translator option. you write what you want to say in English, and have it translated into whatever (French). You can also cut and paste it into a word processor also.

Ewis, dictionary.com is great! Thanks! And Hanl, thanks for the &quot;valiant&quot; comment. I try :)

Good for you! It's always worth having a go :o)

Send the fax in both French and English. That's polite and pragmatic.<BR>

And don't forget to use the 24-hour clock when stating your approximate arrival time.