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You are here: Experts > Homework Help > French Language > French Language > french grammar
Expert: Denise Pepin - 11/6/2009
Question
QUESTION: Denise, one last question of the day. I hope you are not tiring of my neediness?
"ça fait mal de voir." No object here? So let's see if I'm catching on. Is it "mal de" because the "de" is glued to "mal"?
Gosh, English is so easy and it isn't because it is my native language either. The French put everything into a box with no room for flexibility.
ANSWER: Bonjour Joan,
You are right (vous avez raison. French is terrible sometimes ...hum, hum !)
Oui, Ça fait ....adjectif + de +verbe
De is glued to "mal" because mal is an adjective" and furthermore, these are "expressions" with "de" and some words that go with Ça fait are NOT adjectives !!. Ah those little boxes like you mentioned !
You can say
Ca fait mal de voir des pauvres.
Ça fait bizarre de parler français.
but
Ça fait plaisir de vous connaître.
[[so be careful, you cannot use all the adjectives you want. I'll find a list with
Ça fait ... + de + verb. Is that ok with you?]]
(it is like
je suis contente de parler français
you have an adjective + de + verb)
but please do not go there (we would need the subjunctive at one point and I want you to be able to sleep tonight :-)
Bonne chance and I'll get back with "ça fait ... de ..."
Ça me fait toujours plaisr de répondre à vos questions.
Denise
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Denise,A million thanks for your response, and I am in love with Quebec. I will go on those sites that you mentioned. I have a few more questions and then I will give you a rest. You see I have been holding on to these questions for years because my French friends and the two French teachers I had couldn't explain why. There answer was always "because that's the way it is in French." Like Mathematics, I need a formula to utilize the grammar correctly. It is impossible to memorize thousands of sentences accordingly. Some people like doing crossword puzzles and my hobby is studying the French language. Okay here we go with the question or questions.
Question #1. Ou est le lieu de rencontre ( au lieu de = in place of, doesn't it?) (le lieu = place= the place ?) (there is no object as the sentence reads "Where is the place to meet." Is it that we must use de after lieu, regardless?
Question #2. à bientot de se revoir (is "se" considered the object?
(to see each other)
Question #3. Is the following sentence correct. I found this on the aboutfrench.com site. Also is there another easier phrase that would say the same. I will give the translation in English according to the site. "Tant mieux pour nous de pouvoir nous faire inviter chez des Francais." English Translation: "It's great that we are able to be invited to the homes of French people." (while these people were traveling in France)
Denise, I hope you miss me during your rest!
ANSWER: Joan,
Oui, vous allez me manquer !
I will miss you!
Allons-y!
Question 1 : Où est le lieu de rencontre ?
Oui, "au lieu de" = in place of , instead ..
"Le lieu" = the place
Where is the place to meet? In English, you prefer to use a verb. "Où est le lieu de se rencontrer ?" (we do not say that in French) We can say
"Où est-ce que nous nous rencontrons (se rencontrer)?" "Where do we meet (each other)?"
But without a verb "Où est le lieu de rencontre? " Here, the "de" = ""for, to"" like a goal, an objective (Où est le lieu pour la rencontre?" (do not forget the "la" when we use "pour", and now I would say :"this is the way it is :-D" ... The "de" is not married with lieu :-); it is there to indicate a "purpose, a goal ..."
Question 2: À bientôt de se revoir !
I have never heard that sentence. Where did you see it? Maybe it was "À bientôt, on va se revoir!"
Désolée. This sentence doesn't exist in "normal French". Maybe in poems, who knows? People can invent all kinds of grammar when writing poetry!
Question 3: "It's great that we are able to be invited to the homes of French people" =
C'est bien (extra, extraordaire) de pouvoir se faire inviter chez des Français.
Tant mieux = all for the better ... or something like that .. or good for us to be invited ...
I, personally prefer something simpler like "C'est excellent de, parfait de, extraordinaire de, ... pouvoir se faire inviter chez des Rançais." (notice the "de" after each adjective)
Voilà!
J'espère que je vous ai aidée, Joan.
I hope I helped you, Joan.
Oh yes, I will miss your questions ,.,.,..,
À plus tard,
denise
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Denise, I spoke too soon! Merci beaucoup de m'aider. Just want to be sure your answer to Question #1 filtered through all the gray matter. Jut realized that rencontre is not a verb in this phrase, so I understand to translate it.
Where is the place of meeting. I am not familiar with having to use "la" with pour. If it were male, it would be" pour le rencontre" Is that correct?
I have loads of French grammar books, however, none touch on the complex grammar. You should write an advanced problematic French grammar book. I'd be the first at the book signing. How do you like that one???
I will keep better track as to where I read or hear these phrases to pass on to you.
In the meantime I wish you a most beautiful weekend and I will make a toast to this wonderful adventure I am having with your help Denise.
à la prochaine fois,
Joan
Answer
Joan,
For you, I would keep a special page in my French Grammar ...
You are right ; here, "rencontre" is a noun, a "feminine" noun. So, "la" is an article (the).
If rencontre were "masculine", it would be "le rencontre".
Example: "J'ai décidé de partir à 6h pour la rencontre avec mes amis."(rencontre, feminine noun)
And I can say:" J'ai décider de partir à 6h pour rencontrer mes amis." (rencontrer, verb)
Voilà!
Passez une excellente fin de semaine (un excellent week-end)!
Denise l'aventurière!:-D
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