Few sentences

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 25, 2009 at 9:56am

Hi Crack,

Perfect, except "telefax" that no one uses. A fax is just called (un) fax, no matter what the context is.

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on December 25, 2009 at 1:28pm

Thanks Frank

So we use the verb when snow is falling.
Is this is the only way to say snow falls?
Don't you use the verb 'descendre'?

Un fax va de tomber aujourd'hui.
A fax will come today.
So we should the verb tomber even for a fax message.
Is there another way of telling this? I mean using another verb instead of tomber.

Do we use the verb tomber even for email?

Un email va de tomber aujourd'hui . Is this correct?

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 25, 2009 at 7:16pm

Hi Crack,

The idea behind "tomber" when talking about something happening is that it's all due to a quirk of fate.

"Un fax va de tomber aujourd'hui" implies that its content is something major. This very fax might drastically change your life.

Is there another way of telling this? I mean using another verb instead of tomber

The verb arriver is way more suitable for things that are more common or somewhat expected, i.e. this is the one you should probably opt for 99% of the time.

Un fax va arriver aujourd'hui

"descendre" has the idea of moving step by step, or in a controlled way. It it's only driven by winds and gravity, as snow is, tomber is your best bet.

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on December 25, 2009 at 8:34pm

Thanks Frank

I have received 100 emails today.

I will receive 100 emails tomorrow.
How do you translate the above?

Fax is dyeing down. It is very rare people send fax.

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 26, 2009 at 12:19pm

J'ai reçu 100 mails aujourd'hui.

Je recevrai 100 mails demain.

Faxen are dead for ages. This is a service that ISPs keep providing but I've never ever used that and I even donnu of anyone who ever did.

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on December 26, 2009 at 7:39pm

Thanks Frank
You are being a native French speaker skip the word tomber. It is interesting.
How about the following sentences?

Il nous est tombé dessus.
He showed up unexpectedly.


La maladie, ça peut vous tomber dessus n'importe quand.
You can fall ill any time.

The interesting point that most French verbs use avoir as the auxiliary verb.
Tomber is one the few verbs which you should use être as the auxiliary verb.
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I hope my following French sentences are fine.
J suis tombe amoureux de Martina.
J'ai tombe amoureux de Martina. [WRONG]
I have fallen in love with Martina.

Femme enciente means a pregnant women.
Elle est enciente de 8 mois. [ She is 8 months pregnant.]
In English we don't say 'fall in pregnant'. We say she is pregnant.
In French it is falling into pregnancy.

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 26, 2009 at 8:08pm

Hi Crack,

All your sentences, but the one you explicitly marked as WRONG, are correct.

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on December 26, 2009 at 10:11pm

Frank

J suis tombe amoureux de Martina.
J'ai tombe amoureux de Martina.
I have fallen in love with Martina.

I have difficulty in understanding when you say both of the above are correct.
The verbs tomber, mourir, naître, aller, etc need être as the auxiliary verb.
It is impossible to use both of them.
Please tell me more about it.

Je suis né en 1889.
J'ai né en 1889. WRONG

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Permalink Reply by Frank on December 27, 2009 at 3:22pm

Hi Crack,

As stated before, the one you have marked as WRONG, i.e. "J'ai tombe amoureux de Martina" is definitely wrong. "être" is the right auxiliary here.


Je suis né en 1889.
J'ai né en 1889. WRONG

Ditto, "être" is the only option here.

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on December 27, 2009 at 4:26pm

Thanks Frank for taking time to reply me again.
I misunderstood you.

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