Reflexive Verbs - French Language2024-03-29T15:09:14Zhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/forum/topics/reflexive-verbs?commentId=3179028%3AComment%3A117948&feed=yes&xn_auth=noSandra, this whole time I had…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-06:3179028:Comment:1177822015-03-06T21:50:23.973ZRoberthttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/Robert
Sandra, this whole time I had the exact same thoughts. I am so happy my hunch is in fact in-line with how at least some Francophones think.
Sandra, this whole time I had the exact same thoughts. I am so happy my hunch is in fact in-line with how at least some Francophones think. Hello !
I can only see one si…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-06:3179028:Comment:1180382015-03-06T10:58:54.027ZSandrahttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/Sandra
<p>Hello !</p>
<p>I can only see one situation where you can use "je me douche" alone, it's if someone is asking you what you are doing.</p>
<p>"qu'est ce que tu fais" - "je me douche" => Given that you are already in the bathroom.</p>
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<p>Otherwise "je me douche" must be associated with context elements to be understood as a close future.</p>
<p>"Je me douche et j'arrive"</p>
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<p>So if you say to a native French "je me douche" in another situation than in response to "what are…</p>
<p>Hello !</p>
<p>I can only see one situation where you can use "je me douche" alone, it's if someone is asking you what you are doing.</p>
<p>"qu'est ce que tu fais" - "je me douche" => Given that you are already in the bathroom.</p>
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<p>Otherwise "je me douche" must be associated with context elements to be understood as a close future.</p>
<p>"Je me douche et j'arrive"</p>
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<p>So if you say to a native French "je me douche" in another situation than in response to "what are you doing (in the bathroom)?" it's gonna be awkward...</p>
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<p></p> So if you translated (literal…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-05:3179028:Comment:1177772015-03-05T14:09:00.807ZDaniel Chttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/DanielCoulton
<p>So if you translated (literally) 'I'm having a shower' into French and said it to a French native would they understand its meaning (assuming they didn't know English)?</p>
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<p>Vedas - the origins of 'to take a shower' may lay in American-English (I don't know) but its usage has certainly penetrated into UK English. If someone said it to me I wouldn't think "why are you using Americanisation's" in the same way I would if they used the words 'sidewalk' or 'trash'. Each way I previously…</p>
<p>So if you translated (literally) 'I'm having a shower' into French and said it to a French native would they understand its meaning (assuming they didn't know English)?</p>
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<p>Vedas - the origins of 'to take a shower' may lay in American-English (I don't know) but its usage has certainly penetrated into UK English. If someone said it to me I wouldn't think "why are you using Americanisation's" in the same way I would if they used the words 'sidewalk' or 'trash'. Each way I previously mentioned all sound perfectly natural to me. Which one a person uses is most likely just down to dialect.</p> @ Vedas
Tell me now I though…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-05:3179028:Comment:1178412015-03-05T13:13:24.431ZGeorge Hunthttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/GEORDIEHOUND
<p>@ Vedas</p>
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<p><span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><font color="red">Tell me now I thought that "to take a shower" was more a US usage and that "to have a shower" the UK usage</font></span>?</span></p>
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<p><span>Well <strong>both</strong> sound natural to this UK speaker .</span></p>
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<p><span>Perhaps "have a shower" is looser but I can't say how the US phrases it.</span></p>
<p>@ Vedas</p>
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<p><span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><font color="red">Tell me now I thought that "to take a shower" was more a US usage and that "to have a shower" the UK usage</font></span>?</span></p>
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<p><span>Well <strong>both</strong> sound natural to this UK speaker .</span></p>
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<p><span>Perhaps "have a shower" is looser but I can't say how the US phrases it.</span></p> Very literally, "I shower mys…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-05:3179028:Comment:1178382015-03-05T12:58:59.203ZCharles Dhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/CharlesD
<p>Very literally, "I shower myself" or "I am showering myself". These other permeations have more to do with English (either American or British) than with French</p>
<p>Very literally, "I shower myself" or "I am showering myself". These other permeations have more to do with English (either American or British) than with French</p> Hello,
Je me douche is unl…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-05:3179028:Comment:1177762015-03-05T12:42:26.853ZVedashttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/frederic
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<p>Hello,</p>
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<p><em>Je me douche</em> is unlikely to be a an imminent future, not impossible though in a specific context .</p>
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<p> "<em>Je me douche" </em>is the reflexive form of<em> "Je prends une douche / je suis en train de prendre une douche"</em></p>
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<p><em>"Je prends une douche"</em> is perhaps a bit more likely to mean I'm going to have a shower in a very imminent future.</p>
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<p>Tell me now I thought that "to take a shower" was…</p>
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<p>Hello,</p>
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<p><em>Je me douche</em> is unlikely to be a an imminent future, not impossible though in a specific context .</p>
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<p> "<em>Je me douche" </em>is the reflexive form of<em> "Je prends une douche / je suis en train de prendre une douche"</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em>"Je prends une douche"</em> is perhaps a bit more likely to mean I'm going to have a shower in a very imminent future.</p>
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<p>Tell me now I thought that "to take a shower" was more a US usage and that "to have a shower" the UK usage?</p> So the phrase 'je douche' is…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-05:3179028:Comment:1177742015-03-05T09:32:05.352ZDaniel Chttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/DanielCoulton
<p>So the phrase 'je douche' is meaningless in French without qualifying it to something (like a dog, baby, Pauline, yourself etc)? Whereas in English 'I'm showering' automatically applies to yourself and would be understood as such, there is no need to add 'myself' at the end of the sentence (and would actually sound quite weird if you did).</p>
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<p>Maybe the choice of verb is poor in this example because showering is axiomatically applicable only to yourself in English (when used in…</p>
<p>So the phrase 'je douche' is meaningless in French without qualifying it to something (like a dog, baby, Pauline, yourself etc)? Whereas in English 'I'm showering' automatically applies to yourself and would be understood as such, there is no need to add 'myself' at the end of the sentence (and would actually sound quite weird if you did).</p>
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<p>Maybe the choice of verb is poor in this example because showering is axiomatically applicable only to yourself in English (when used in the sense of washing with water). You can shower with someone but you do not shower them. </p>
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<p>So when you say 'the exact translation of "<strong><em>je me douche</em></strong>" is <strong>I'm having a shower</strong>' do you mean literally or contextually? If literally then I don't understand how the verb 'having' has appeared without the conjugation of 'avoir'. I was thinking (ironically whilst showering) of how many different ways you can express 'having a showering' in English (each as valid as the previous); you could say 'having'/'getting'/'taking' or just simply 'I'm showering'. Is 'je me douche' equivalent to 'I'm getting a shower' or 'I'm taking a shower' even though in French we haven't used the verbs 'get' or 'take'? As I understand it, 'je me douche' literally means something like 'I (am) (to) myself shower(ing)' which in English you would translate to 'I'm taking/getting/having a shower'?</p> In the example he has given m…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-05:3179028:Comment:1177692015-03-05T08:53:55.319ZDaniel Chttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/DanielCoulton
<p>In the example he has given me exactly what I've given you: the phrase plus translation with no further context.</p>
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<p>But it does seem to me it's a contextual translation rather than a literal translation. I can think of situations where in English you'd use the present tense for a (near) future intention. For instance, you announce to an audience 'I'm showering' after watching TV. You're not literally showering at that moment but from the context of the conversation it is clear…</p>
<p>In the example he has given me exactly what I've given you: the phrase plus translation with no further context.</p>
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<p>But it does seem to me it's a contextual translation rather than a literal translation. I can think of situations where in English you'd use the present tense for a (near) future intention. For instance, you announce to an audience 'I'm showering' after watching TV. You're not literally showering at that moment but from the context of the conversation it is clear you're about to get a shower.</p> What you say is true in terms…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-05:3179028:Comment:1180312015-03-05T06:48:29.635ZNeil Coffeyhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/NeilCoffey
<p>What you say is true in terms of "literal" translations. But I'm wondering about something... the present tense is commonly used in French to refer to an "imminent planned future" where English would use a future-oriented expression. For example, when in French you say "Je te vois demain", in English you'd generally say "I'll see you tomorrow". So I wonder if this may be the intention of the example (it's difficult to say for sure without seeing the context) -- "Je me douche" could be used…</p>
<p>What you say is true in terms of "literal" translations. But I'm wondering about something... the present tense is commonly used in French to refer to an "imminent planned future" where English would use a future-oriented expression. For example, when in French you say "Je te vois demain", in English you'd generally say "I'll see you tomorrow". So I wonder if this may be the intention of the example (it's difficult to say for sure without seeing the context) -- "Je me douche" could be used to mean something like "Je vais juste me doucher".</p> Hello,
Yes you're right : I…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-04:3179028:Comment:1179482015-03-04T21:17:41.582ZVedashttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/frederic
<p>Hello,</p>
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<p>Yes you're right : <strong>I am going for a shower</strong>= <em><strong>je vais me doucher</strong></em></p>
<p>the exact translation of "<strong><em>je me douche</em></strong>" is <strong>I'm having a shower</strong></p>
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<p>Whenever you talk about yourself you have to use the verb reflexively otherwise you must indicate a direct object:</p>
<p>Je vais doucher le chien/ le bébé/ Pauline....</p>
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<p>Hello,</p>
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<p>Yes you're right : <strong>I am going for a shower</strong>= <em><strong>je vais me doucher</strong></em></p>
<p>the exact translation of "<strong><em>je me douche</em></strong>" is <strong>I'm having a shower</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>Whenever you talk about yourself you have to use the verb reflexively otherwise you must indicate a direct object:</p>
<p>Je vais doucher le chien/ le bébé/ Pauline....</p>
<p></p>