La et lui

1. Je l'ai recontrée au cinéma.

I met her at the cinema.

The feminine nature is obvious to a person with very little knowledge of French because the verb 'recontrée'. I have a smattering of French. I must confess it.

If it was man, I think it should be the following:

2. Je lui ai recontre au cinéma.
I met him at the cinema.

Is the second sentence fine?

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Permalink Reply by Frank on July 26, 2009 at 10:33pm

Hi Crack1,

"Je m'entraîne 3 fois par semaine à un gymnase" est presque correct.

On dirait "dans un gymnase" au lieu de "à un gymnase". C'est la seule erreur, le reste est parfait.

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on July 26, 2009 at 10:41pm

Thanks Frank

Je m'entraîne 3 fois par semaine dans un gymnase.

Did you know the reason for using the reflexive form of the verb 'entraîner'?

I guess if you train yourself it should be 's'entraîner'.

If you tell or rather coach someone how to train it is 'entraîner'
Please tell me.

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Permalink Reply by Frank on July 26, 2009 at 11:08pm

Training yourself (your body, your mind, whatever) indeed uses the reflexive form "s'entraîner".

You could say: je m'entraîne à parler français
ce serait tout à fait correct.

Now if you are a coach, you can say "j'entraîne cette personne". You're training her.

"Entraîner" (not in it reflexive form) can also have totally different meaning: to drag along. If you're hiking with a friend and you fall down a cliff, and your friend falls with you (of course he didn't want to, but you unintentionally forced him to, by grabbing his hand, or whatever), you can say "Je l'ai entraîné dans ma chute".

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Permalink Reply by Frank on July 26, 2009 at 10:42pm

Side note: A "gymnase" is for indoor sports, but usually for sports we play in teams, like basketball. Of course, gym lessons can happen in a "gymnase", too.

But there's also a lot of places where you can practice several activities like cardio, yoga, martial arts, gym, dancing, etc. These places aren't "gymnases". They are just called "salles de sport".

In a "gymnase" you'll find baskets in order to play basketball. In a "salle de port" you won't find any basket, but you'll find devices in order to train your muscles.

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on July 27, 2009 at 12:01am

Frank

I go to a gym where people do circuit-training and aerobics. No other sports are there.

I do only circuit-training. Aerobics sessions are flooded with girls.

I don't like aerobics.

So my gym is 'salle de sport'. I didn't know this.

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Permalink Reply by Frank on July 27, 2009 at 12:31am

Oh yes, a rule of thumb is that you usually find more girls in a "salle de gym" than in a "gymnase", especially before the summer break :)