ravi/ravie

Bonjour! Mon premiere fois ici. Je suis un beginner.

Je voudrais savoir s'il vous plait, le significat d'une phrase que une belle, tres douce femme Parisienne m'a ecrit par text quand je suis parti de Paris le samedi dernier .

Elle m'a dit: "Je serais ravie de te revoir!!!"

Is this adjective formal and polite or ... is it strong enough for me to have any hope ... to marry her!! Elle est vraiment adorable. The 3 exclamation maks are promising but...

Please give me hope, but be honest!!!

Merci beaucoup

Daniele (Je suis Italian)

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Permalink Reply by Tammy Slavvi on September 30, 2010 at 12:15am

Je serais ravie de te revoir means I would love or can't wait to see you (or that we meet) again. It is elegant French. Would that amount to a demande en mariage? I would get to know the person better if I were you.

Tamy

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Permalink Reply by daniele on September 30, 2010 at 12:22am

Bien sure! I was sort of joking. I was trying to understand the nuances of that phrase. I like her a lot, but not sure if she really means it so strongly as you suggest. Do you think the adjective suggests real interest? Linguistic nuances can really drive one mad with doubts?! Is that "elegant French" sign of aloofness and politeness instead? Thansk a lot anyway.

Daniele

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Permalink Reply by daniele on September 30, 2010 at 12:24am

PS can ravi be also used ironically?

Just trying to combine my search for the (romantic) truth with ... my attempt to improve my French...

Merci
Daniele

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Permalink Reply by Philippe nguyen-duc on October 2, 2010 at 11:21am

Without more context it's difficult to say
She certainly mean it but doesn't indicate the nature of her feeling
!!! is the best indication that she mean it

hope it can help
bonne chance ....

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Permalink Reply by daniele on October 2, 2010 at 12:03pm

Merci Philippe, malhereusement je pense que ... she means just friendship...

Having researched this slightly ambiguous adjective "ravie" (it seems to have different nuances) I was so hopeful that she felt the same feelings for me... she is an incredible woman and very beautiful...

The context: a beautiful first and only one encounter over a weekend a week ago, with her young daughter (we met on a dating site, she is a widow), a lovely walk from the Jardin des plantes to Notre Dame etc. The day after we went to Versailles and then, totally unexpected, she invited me to their little flat for supper!

Then I left to go back to UK where I live, she replied to my thank you for the lovely weekend with that phrase..."Je serasis ravie de te revoir!!!"

Two days after she replied to an email of mine with this

j'étais contente de te voir!!!
alors n'hésite pas à revenir
bises isabelle

We then agreed to meet again at the beginning of November and I suggested that:

On va manger les châtaignes grillées, en nous promenant à travers les feuilles jaunes des tilleuls dans Le Bois de Vincennes?

Her reply was not very encouraging at all (it is worth noting that I am a garden designer and I love gardens):

Il n'y a pas de tilleuls au bois de vincennes, j'en ai peur... en tout cas pas de jardin pour nous les filles...on aime notre petit confort urbain...
bises

I'm sure it is because, to show my intentions, I added to my letter this Japanese poem accompanying some photos I took of her:

You cannot know
How deep my feelings are
Their colours are hidden
Like the water among the rocks

She has changed tone completely when she realised that...

Domage, tres domage, mon reve etait ...seulment un reve....

Merci beaucoup
Daniele

Apologies for taking all this space, but at least readers here should have a clear idea of the meaning of ravi/ravie ... Use it carefully, then, to avoid breaking somebody's heart!