J'en viens.

by Dwayne Roberts

Aug 10, 2012

I'm torn about how to translate this into English. I consider two alternatives:

I just came from there.

I am just coming from there.

The tense of the former has a sense of the past (passé); that of the latter, the present. Perhaps both translations are acceptable for their meanings are indistinguishable to me.

What do you think?

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    Educator

    George Hunt

    Then it is  "I come from there" or "I am coming from there" I suppose although  there could be alternatives I can't think of.

    Actually yes .Perhaps if you were asked "Est-ce que tu viens de le faire?" you could answer " Oui, j'en viens " meaning "Yes I have (just done it)"

    I am not sure but it sounds plausible!

    1

    Aug 10, 2012

    • up

      Charles D

      I know this is a French language site, but in order to do the French correctly, we all have to be careful initially of our English.  "I just came" works in English in the way "I just ate" and "I just saw" works: a sort of short hand.  What we actually mean is "I have just eaten" and "I have just seen" .  When this is understood, you can see that the passe composee doesn't enter into the discussion, and "Je viens de venir de..." works easily enough in order to say "I have just come from..."  "Je veins d'arriver de.." ("I have just arrived from...) is a reasonable alternative as well.

      Aug 11, 2012

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        Educator

        George Hunt

         Est-ce que tu as téléphoné   ta belle-mère?

        Oui ,ma belle.

        Tu en es sur?

        Absolument.

        Quand ca?

        Je viens de le faire.

        Tu viens de le faire?

        Si je viens de le faire.

        C'est pas vrai tu es  vraiment  lâche!

        Mai si je viens de le faire.

         (sanglots)

        Mais j'en viens.

         

        Does that work? Does it sound natural (the last line of course)?

         

         

        3

        Aug 13, 2012