Parlez vous francais??
Jul 8th, 2006, 01:00 AM
#41
Even though my French was pretty good thirty years ago, when my education was closer in time, it had become more than rusty over the decades, so when I started traveling in earnest five years ago I was extremely self conscious about attempting to speak French in public. I found that I would speak in French and people would respond in English, but I interpreted this as a desire to be helpful as well as to practice their own language skills.
The most difficult part for me is overcoming my own hesitation to use the language, to actually form the words and say them out loud. It has taken several trips to France for me to become confident enough to begin conversations in French even when the other person speaks English pretty well.
The times I have engaged in conversation about language with French people, I have usually had delightful exchanges that were mutually informative. When people correct me on my grammar or pronunciation I am really grateful that they have expressed the interest to tell me about it. Otherwise, how would I learn? I don't hear my own accent (although I had to laugh when somebody told me he liked my American accent, and I would much rather get rid of it for good).
Coco, I am so happy to read your description of your attitude as a French person toward correcting a person's use of language, as that is the impression I have always had of the French people I have encountered. And I absolutely love French accents (although I still have trouble believing the person who told me he found my American accent charming).
The most difficult part for me is overcoming my own hesitation to use the language, to actually form the words and say them out loud. It has taken several trips to France for me to become confident enough to begin conversations in French even when the other person speaks English pretty well.
The times I have engaged in conversation about language with French people, I have usually had delightful exchanges that were mutually informative. When people correct me on my grammar or pronunciation I am really grateful that they have expressed the interest to tell me about it. Otherwise, how would I learn? I don't hear my own accent (although I had to laugh when somebody told me he liked my American accent, and I would much rather get rid of it for good).
Coco, I am so happy to read your description of your attitude as a French person toward correcting a person's use of language, as that is the impression I have always had of the French people I have encountered. And I absolutely love French accents (although I still have trouble believing the person who told me he found my American accent charming).
(what is the equivalent in English?)
Jul 9th, 2006, 05:54 AM
#46
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I find it very weird to be in a country where I don't understand the language. I speak english, Italian, French, Spanish and Dutch. Last year I was in Germany and I did not enjoy it quite so much for that reason. I like eavesdropping (I must confess)...
Jul 9th, 2006, 06:05 AM
#47
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>"STOP" not "HALT" which I think is the word in German
"STOPP" is the german word for "STOP", but since it incorectly written on every stop sign, many germans themselves write "stop" now ;-)
"STOPP" is the german word for "STOP", but since it incorectly written on every stop sign, many germans themselves write "stop" now ;-)
Jul 9th, 2006, 06:08 AM
#48
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For you French menu and cooking terms you can go to: http://www.patriciawells.com/glossary/atoz/glossary.htm At this site you can download a PDF file with French terms and their definations. They also have a version for your Palm Pilot thatyou can download. You will have everything from A to Z.
Jul 10th, 2006, 04:45 PM
#51
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Ok- for the record... my 35 y/o brain does not want to take in this new info! Ugh! I'm keeping at it though...
One other question which I am sure is really, really dumb... Re: greeting as Monseiur, Madame, and Mademoiselle.. how do you know re: women? Is it a married thing? I'm confused... please help-
One other question which I am sure is really, really dumb... Re: greeting as Monseiur, Madame, and Mademoiselle.. how do you know re: women? Is it a married thing? I'm confused... please help-
Jul 10th, 2006, 06:53 PM
#52
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Two more goodies for the francais challenged - un autre (for one more/another - as in one more beer or whatever you just had that you want more of) and le meme (the same - as in the same as what he or she has or just ordered).
Jul 13th, 2006, 09:20 PM
#54
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Took our kids last summer to Paris for our second visit and are heading back in 4 weeks, for the third time, for our anniversary.
Parisians - only people picky about spoken French are the young male waiters - everyone else very patient with my 4 years HS 2 years college badly accented francais.
My kids and husband who do not speak the language used this - "Bonjour" "Merci" "Je voudrais un(e)..." "Au revoir"...also for my kids "glace du chocolate s'il vous plait" and for my husband "une Leffe pression, s'il vous plait"...we all got along well.
On the Metro - don't look at the beggars, weirdos, etc. who are there. Get used to being stared at as the French women like to look at you. It's not just Americans - they check each other out, too. Don't smile so much! It's am American habit. I developed the dead stare on my second visit and it actually made me feel much more comfortable. Remember - they don't care what you think about them so DON'T worry about what they think about you.
Also, to the previous poster regarding how to address - I am taking private french lessons from a French woman and asked the same thing. She said - you can look for a ring. If the woman has one on, always say "Madame". If she is younger than you and does not have one on, say "Mademoiselle". If she is same age and does not have one one - say "Madame" to be safe. Always it is "Madame" to a woman older than you. Of course "Monsieur" to all men. I cannot emphasize how much friendlier the French are with this proper greeting - it worked so well for all of us last summer. Their society is just structured on proper greetings and that is the way it is. I have to say - I love the little rituals when I am there.
Mostly I want to say - you will love France! Have fun! Don't worry about being an outsider - the first time I worried so much about doing everything right. By the end of the trip I realized - the only way that I could do that was to have been born and raised there. Hemingway was right - Paris is a moveable feast and you will carry a little piece away with you for the rest of your life.
Au revoir et bon voyage.
PS If you are visiting outside of Paris, friends who have lived in France have told me - any French outside of Paris is appreciated and they are MUCH more tolerant than the Parisians (whom I love anyway!).
Parisians - only people picky about spoken French are the young male waiters - everyone else very patient with my 4 years HS 2 years college badly accented francais.
My kids and husband who do not speak the language used this - "Bonjour" "Merci" "Je voudrais un(e)..." "Au revoir"...also for my kids "glace du chocolate s'il vous plait" and for my husband "une Leffe pression, s'il vous plait"...we all got along well.
On the Metro - don't look at the beggars, weirdos, etc. who are there. Get used to being stared at as the French women like to look at you. It's not just Americans - they check each other out, too. Don't smile so much! It's am American habit. I developed the dead stare on my second visit and it actually made me feel much more comfortable. Remember - they don't care what you think about them so DON'T worry about what they think about you.
Also, to the previous poster regarding how to address - I am taking private french lessons from a French woman and asked the same thing. She said - you can look for a ring. If the woman has one on, always say "Madame". If she is younger than you and does not have one on, say "Mademoiselle". If she is same age and does not have one one - say "Madame" to be safe. Always it is "Madame" to a woman older than you. Of course "Monsieur" to all men. I cannot emphasize how much friendlier the French are with this proper greeting - it worked so well for all of us last summer. Their society is just structured on proper greetings and that is the way it is. I have to say - I love the little rituals when I am there.
Mostly I want to say - you will love France! Have fun! Don't worry about being an outsider - the first time I worried so much about doing everything right. By the end of the trip I realized - the only way that I could do that was to have been born and raised there. Hemingway was right - Paris is a moveable feast and you will carry a little piece away with you for the rest of your life.
Au revoir et bon voyage.
PS If you are visiting outside of Paris, friends who have lived in France have told me - any French outside of Paris is appreciated and they are MUCH more tolerant than the Parisians (whom I love anyway!).
Jul 13th, 2006, 09:35 PM
#55
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> Parisians - only people picky about spoken French are the young male waiters ..
Ok, I'm not a French waiter but that's "une glace AU chocolaT". Just thought you would be interested to know since you are taking a French lesson.
Ok, I'm not a French waiter but that's "une glace AU chocolaT". Just thought you would be interested to know since you are taking a French lesson.
Jul 14th, 2006, 04:53 AM
#56
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You're right kappa, une glace au chocolat but also une glace à la vanille ou à la fraise. If the flavour is masculine you add "au" (glace au café
if féminine "à la" (glace à la menthe, à la pistache..)
Bon appétit!
coco
if féminine "à la" (glace à la menthe, à la pistache..)Bon appétit!
coco
Jul 14th, 2006, 08:40 AM
#57
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Ok, Coco you are now officially the French waitress of Fodor's
Of course, au, à la et aux depending on the gender of noun following it BUT my comment was rather directed to the incorrect use of du (de + le) chocolat instead of au (à + le) chocolat. That reminded me that I had seen on this board occasionally some people wrote mistakenly Pain du/de chocolat. I probably would not have posted if the poster above had written "glace à chocolat" as it is still incorrect but at least closer to au. Oh, well.
Of course, au, à la et aux depending on the gender of noun following it BUT my comment was rather directed to the incorrect use of du (de + le) chocolat instead of au (à + le) chocolat. That reminded me that I had seen on this board occasionally some people wrote mistakenly Pain du/de chocolat. I probably would not have posted if the poster above had written "glace à chocolat" as it is still incorrect but at least closer to au. Oh, well.
Jul 14th, 2006, 08:48 AM
#58
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kappa, I know the majority of fodorites are perfectionist. Ordering an ice cream is not that obvious so I just wanted to help them saying the things properly. (and they won't blame me, will they ;-)?)
Now I'm going to make a milk shake à la banane
Now I'm going to make a milk shake à la banane
Jul 14th, 2006, 09:05 AM
#59
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Every country we've visited, we (I) try our best to speak the local language.
I did alright in Italy and Costa Rica and had fun in Africa, but France was the worst. While my husband couldn't remember one word while we were in Italy for 2 weeks, he did much better in France than I.
The last morning I was still hammering and staggering to figure out how to respond with my room number when asked during the hotel's complimentary breakfast, but my husband was able to retain some of the most used phrases.
If it were up to me, I'd have many languages under my belt just for travel purposes!
I did alright in Italy and Costa Rica and had fun in Africa, but France was the worst. While my husband couldn't remember one word while we were in Italy for 2 weeks, he did much better in France than I.
The last morning I was still hammering and staggering to figure out how to respond with my room number when asked during the hotel's complimentary breakfast, but my husband was able to retain some of the most used phrases.
If it were up to me, I'd have many languages under my belt just for travel purposes!
Jul 14th, 2006, 07:50 PM
#60
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Ok, now here's another one- is there any discernable way of knowing- like some kind of method- of whether the noun is masculine or feminine? I mess this up constantly in Italian as well...
