The FastDay Forum

I tried German for all of one lesson. I just couldn't 'hear' the words properly. There was just too many consonants piled one on top of the other.

I think French is beautiful Mands..i studied it for seven years at school and passed my A level ( Advanced Level)
Really enjoyed the literature we studied..stories by Guy de Maupassant and Francois Mauriac,the plays of Moliere..other stuff that ive forgotten over the years x

Like Candice, I did it at A level and can speak enough French to get by in France, but do have some pitfalls.
I wanted to buy a fly swatter in the supermarche and couldn't remember the word for fly... mouche or mouchoir.. (sorry no dictionary to hand) so I asked the assistant and mimed the motion of a fly swatter. She burst out laughing and in French said that it is a 'tapis' (have I got that right Manderley?) which is also a colloquial word for a gay man. You lives and learns, mes amies.

I think it's more beautiful when it's not "our" language. I mean, I love reading Jane Austin, Hemingway, even Shakespeare in English. I find them less "rough" but I have some French classics I love, of course. However I wouldn't advise to anyone to read a Stendhal novel ,like "the red and the black" as it is very long and complicated....

German is even worse, Julie, as some things female for us will be male or neutral for them and it's a big mix match not friendly at all to learn

@PennyForthem The right word for it is a "tapette" which is a slang word and even an insult for gay men.

Sorry, I am imagining you miming the fly and I can't help laughing now... which still hurts my foot, by the way

Oh yes, a tapis is a carpet or rug! Doh, I've just had it pulled from under my feet! Merci manderley!

Dear @Manderley, a phrase that sticks in my mind coz as rebellious teens at school we kept saying it was, " Je m'en moque! " .." I don't give a hoot!" Is that correct?
Do you know our lovely member@angie090465
She lives in Kent but was brought up in France XX

Lol Candice!

I think the phrase you were thinking of is "je m'en fou" which means i dont dive a damn in no uncertain terms
I have italian parents but i was born and bread in France ( where on earth does this bread come from???? ) i think italian is a beautiful language, i call it the singing language..very expressive

Hi angie and thanks.. I learnt some italian in sixth form..my friend and i thought we could get thru italian exam by attending alternate lessons..me one week,her the next..
I remember the phrase "Dove l'amica" where is yr friend..as the teacher said it to me every time i turned up! X
Lovely pic btw Angie! X

[carorees]

Lol Candice!

I think the phrase you were thinking of is "je m'en fou" which means i dont dive a damn in no uncertain terms
I have italian parents but i was born and bread in France ( where on earth does this bread come from???? ) i think italian is a beautiful language, i call it the singing language..very expressive

That's bred not bread; it's the past tense of to breed, which is one of our many irregular verbs.

I can get by in French and Swedish but am no linguist...if I can't remember the word I need in French, the Swedish one will pop into my head, it's as if my brain is saying "well it's not English isn't that good enough?"!

Grazie mia amica!!

Lol Candice!

I think the phrase you were thinking of is "je m'en fou" which means i dont dive a damn in no uncertain terms
I have italian parents but i was born and bread in France ( where on earth does this bread come from???? ) i think italian is a beautiful language, i call it the singing language..very expressive

That's bred not bread; it's the past tense of to breed, which is one of our many irregular verbs.

I can get by in French and Swedish but am no linguist...if I can't remember the weird I need in French, the Swedish one will pop into my head, it's as if my brain is saying "well it's not English isn't that good enough?"!

Of course dohhhh me !! Thank you Caroline!, i must have had bread on the brain i stand corrected!!

I was once in a supermarket in Spain and was asking for 6 items, I can't even remember what I was after. But I do remember counting to six on my fingers in 4 languages before I got to Spanish.

Morning all. Wow. It's stormy here again today. Hardly slept.

Ditto. Came back to North East yesterday - pleased I travelled then, as the next few days don't look good!

Oh take good care of yourselves. Saw some footage on the storms over there. We all seem to be getting more of our share of severe storms.