Please help me to correct mistakes, if any, in my sentences

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 11:46am

Hi Stephen,

Hier je vous ai vu et Stanley dans l'Eglise
Hier j'ai vu vous et Stanley dans l'église

This is an interesting case, because a literal translation is not an option.

When a pronoun is a direct object, it should be placed before the verb or its auxiliary.

Consider:

Je vois John (I see John)
Je te vois (I see you)
Je le/la vois (I see him/her)
Je nous vois (I see us)
Je vous vois (I see you, plural)
Je les vois (I see them)


Now, your example is slightly more complex because there are two direct objects.

The easiest way to go in such a situation would be to just use "with" (+ "and" is there are more than 2 people in the enumeration).

Hier, je vous ai vue avec Stanley dans l'église

If you want to avoid the "with", French use a specific, somewhat redundant form:

Hier, je vous ai vue dans l'église, vous et Stanley

"vous" is indeed written twice. This is the most important direct object. And at the end of the preposition, you enumerate people who were with her.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Liu on December 14, 2009 at 12:39pm

Hi Frank,

Hier, je vous ai vue avec Stanley dans l'église

in English it becomes;
I saw you with Stanley in the church.

slightly different in meaning;
I saw you and Stanley in the church.

They are couple NOT friend.

Hier, je vous ai vue dans l'église, vous et Stanley
Interesting, it is not the English way.


B.R.
Stephen

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 1:01pm

Interesting.

"avec" doesn't necessarily implies a couple in French, but only the fact that several people are at the same place.

Granted, if you're talking about two people of opposite genders, there's some ambiguity. If you want to clear it, you can always used "ainsi que" (as well as) instead (but notice that the structure has to change):

Je vous ai vu à l'église ainsi que Stanley

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 11:53am

Malheureusement je ne peux pas trouver vos couples après le service
Malheureusement, je ne puis trouver votre couple après que le service


"trouver" applies to objects, not to people. If the intent is to say "to meet", rather use retrouver.

Malheureusement, je ne peux retrouver votre couple après le service

but "votre couple" would sound unnatural. You'd rather just go the implicit way and say Malheureusement je ne peux pas vous retrouver après le service. Using the conditional would also be fine here.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Liu on December 14, 2009 at 12:45pm

"trouver" applies to objects, not to people. If the intent is to say "to meet", rather use retrouver

Could you please give me examples on "trouver". Thanks

SL

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 1:05pm

Sure.

Je n'ai pas trouvé les toilettes
Il a trouvé un portefeuille dans la rue
Vous avez trouvé une bonne solution au problème

"trouver" has a couple of different meanings, like to think. There's also a reflexive form.

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 11:58am

Recently I am visiting another church, returning to Christ Church occasionally.

J'ai récemment visité une autre Église, en retournant à l'Église du Christ de temps en temps

This is a literal translation. Please notice that "Église" begins with a capital when its meaning is"faith" and not the building itself.

"visiter" in French rather means to make a trip than to go somewhere. If you go regularly to some place, "fréquenter" would be a better pick :

J'ai fréquenté une autre Église en retournant à l'Église du Christ de temps en temps

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Liu on December 14, 2009 at 12:54pm

Please notice that "Église" begins with a capital when its meaning is"faith" and not the building itself.

When will I use l'eglise?

Is there a French word for "occasionally" instead of "temps en temps"? Thanks

SL

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 5:46pm

occasionnellement does exist but is probably less common that "de temps en temps".

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 11:59am

Je suis en prévision de répondre à vos couple dans une autre occasion
Je suis d'avance pour rencontrer vos couples dans une autre occasion.
Je suis dans l'attente pour répondre à vos couple dans une autre occasion.


Je suis dans l'attente de rencontrer votre couple à une autre occasion

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Liu on December 14, 2009 at 12:59pm

Je suis dans l'attente de rencontrer votre couple à une autre occasion

Why here use "de rencontrer" NOT " pour répondre à"?

à une autre occasion
Is it to avoid repeating "dans" in the same sentence and to use "à' instead? Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 14, 2009 at 5:49pm

pour répondre à means "to answer" (to pick up the phone, or to answer a question).

It's not really suitable in this context.

à une autre occasion
Is it to avoid repeating "dans" in the same sentence and to use "à' instead? Thanks

Take this phrase as-is : "à une autre occasion". It's always introduced by "à" or "lors". For some reason, "dans" isn't an option here.

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