Phrase of the Day

sryanbruen

Merci de participer aux frais d'entretien des sanitaires - Thank you for donating to the maintenance of this sanitary facility

sryanbruen

Les cheveux blanchissent avec l'âge - Hair whitens with age

sryanbruen

La neige a blanchi les toits - The snow whitens the roofs

mtoutlemonde

Où vous êtes allé? - Where have you gone?

shrapnel222

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

Où vous s all- Where have you gone?

it should be

Où etes vous alle? Where did you go? (not sure why but it's not saving my accents)

mtoutlemonde

shrapnel222 wrote: »

it should be

Où etes vous alle? Where did you go? (not sure why but it's not saving my accents)

Vous avez raison - je suis désolé. Où est-ce que vous êtes allé? Although I think the first is still correct but would involve intonation?

Il a travaillé hier?
Est-ce qu'il a travaillé hier?
A-t-il travaillé hier?

shrapnel222

ou vous etes alle? is colloquial and bad french, but would be used by the less educated french.

vous etes alle ou? is also perfectly acceptable but less litterary

Où est-ce que vous etes alle? is absolutely fine also

mtoutlemonde

shrapnel222 wrote: »

ou vous etes alle? is colloquial and bad french, but would be used by the less educated french.

vous etes alle ou? is also perfectly acceptable but less litterary

Où est-ce que vous etes alle? is absolutely fine also

I posted the expression on a language forum, here is the result:

slang = non ! familier = oui.

Où êtes-vous allé* ? = soutenu
Où est-ce que vous êtes allé ? = courant
Où vous êtes allé / Vous êtes allé où ? = familier (la deuxième tournure - celle avec le où à la fin - est à mon avis plus fréquente).

Colsin91

Il ne faut pas pousser mémé dans les orteils, surtout quand elle ne porte pas de culottes. Literally it means don't push Granny in the nettles, especially when she is not wearing underwear. De facto, it means don't exaggerate

Colsin91

Il parle le français comme une vache espagnole. Literally he speaks French like a Spanish cow. De facto it means that his French is brutal

Colsin91

Il pleut comme vache qui pisse. It is raining like a pissing cow (and that is why I adore French)

Colsin91

C'est la période de vaches grasses. Literally it means that it is the period of the fatty cows (calves). De facto it means that it is a time of prosperity. On the opposite hand, c'est la période de vaches maigres. Literally it means it is the period of the scrawny cow (calves). De facto it means that it is a time of austerity

Colsin91

Mieux vaut avoir la tête bien faite que bien pleine Better to have your head well made than well full

Colsin91

Tu ne peux pas avoir le beurre et le prix du beurre. You cannot have the butter and the price of the butter I.e. You cannot have your cake and eat it

Colsin91

Soyez réaliste, demandez l'impossible. Be realistic, ask for the impossible

shrapnel222

Colsin91 wrote: »

Tu ne peux pas avoir le beurre et le prix du beurre. You cannot have the butter and the price of the butter I.e. You cannot have your cake and eat it

close. it's "tu ne peux pas avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre"

Colsin91

Strange, I was quoting my partner who is French. He says it the way I wrote it

Colsin91

Faute de grives, on mange des merles. Literally, it means in the absence of thrushes, one eats blackbirds. I.e. Beggars can't be choosers

Mountainsandh

Colsin91 wrote: »

Il ne faut pas pousser mémé dans les orteils, surtout quand elle ne porte pas de culottes. Literally it means don't push Granny in the nettles, especially when she is not wearing underwear. De facto, it means don't exaggerate

les orties
Les orteils are your toes.
Autocorrect I imagine, it's a nightmare sometimes.

edit : I know it as "le beurre et l'argent du beurre" alright. Maybe it's a regional thing ?

Colsin91

I use predictive text alright with French. It is a pain in the backside.

I remember in college, in my French class I proudly said "un bon bailleur en fait bailler dix". My lecturer looked at me strangely. He had never heard the experssion. Every time I yawn, mt partner says it to me. Sometimes I am not sure if they are his family sayings or idioms. Is it widespread to say "il péte plus haut que ses fesses" ?

Mountainsandh

Colsin91 wrote: »

Sometimes I am not sure if they are his family sayings or idioms. Is it widespread to say "il péte plus haut que ses fesses" ?

Ahem ... yes, although in my family it's a less refined version

I'm not an expert, I would know best the Rhone-Alpes/Provence areas, but yes, some phrases are regional. It led to many a laughing and teasing session between ourselves and Parisian cousins before.

Topito (a silly, I mean really silly, but fun website) has some maps that hint at that at the moment. http://www.topito.com/top-cartes-insolites-langue-francaise
The more serious website they got the info from https://francaisdenosregions.com/2015/05/18/quel-francais-regional-parlez-vous/

Colsin91

Thanks for all the information!

I love the richness of the French expressions. His family all come from Paris.

I find that the French my friends taught me is different to the French that his family use. They said that it is impolite to say things like "je suis crevée", "où sont mes fringues", "je suis hyper-fatiguée". I don't know if their French is pedantic.

I am doing a course for work in the banlieue in Paris in December. I am hoping to pick up some good expressions then.

My expression for the day is "je ne bosse pas pour des prunes" I don't work for plums. De facto means I don't work for free

Mountainsandh wrote: »

Colsin91 wrote: »

Sometimes I am not sure if they are his family sayings or idioms. Is it widespread to say "il péte plus haut que ses fesses" ?

Ahem ... yes, although in my family it's a less refined version

I'm not an expert, I would know best the Rhone-Alpes/Provence areas, but yes, some phrases are regional. It led to many a laughing and teasing session between ourselves and Parisian cousins before.

Topito (a silly, I mean really silly, but fun website) has some maps that hint at that at the moment. http://www.topito.com/top-cartes-insolites-langue-francaise
The more serious website they got the info from https://francaisdenosregions.com/2015/05/18/quel-francais-regional-parlez-vous/

Colsin91

Dans nos ténèbres, il n'y a pas une place pour la beauté. Toute la place est pour la beauté. In our darkness, there is not only one place for beauty. The whole place is for beauty

Colsin91

Qui vivra, verra. Time will tell

Colsin91

C'est la fete de la tous saint aujourd'hui. It is the feast of All Saints today. (In France, people would typically visit the grave of their deceased relatives today)

Colsin91

Il m'aime un peu, beaucoup, à la folie, passionnément, pas de tout. Literally, He loves a little, a lot, madly, passionately, no at all. De facto, he loves me, he love me not

Colsin91

Il m'aime un peu, beaucoup, à la folie, passionnément, pas de tout. Literally, He loves a little, a lot, madly, passionately, no at all. De facto, he loves me, he love me not

Colsin91

Si on veut, on peut. If one wishes, one can. I.e. Where there is a will, there is a way