Allright . I never heard anybody say that but maybe it’s a Brittany countryside custom . I believe you, but honestly it’s not a common way of speaking all over France .
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Dear Philippe
Perhaps I should add to that pronounciations of words, especially place names, round here vary enormously from one village to another and one person to another. Thus a Breton place name such as Kernevez (new place) should have the z emphasised but many people don’t and use a sort of softened French version. You can ask Breton speakers for translations and you will get lots of different versions.
Another thing I have noticed is that the use of the French word “terrible” seems to have slightly changed. Nobody says anything is “terrible” in the positive way but always say “c’est pas terrible”. I can’t work it out!
I assume that you are French- I think I should be writing this letter in French!
Regards
David Rosemont
Personally I don’t like it!
C’est terrible and c’est pas terrible are used to say exactly the same thing.
Can I suggest keeping your goals simple. Learn the present tense for the most commonly used verbs. Then use ‘aller’ to create the future tense - much easier than the pure future. Past tense with ‘avoir’ and ‘etre’. Forget the imperfect. Just learn the three simple past-present-future tenses and that will get you there. Then keep a dictionary by your toilet as you have a few minutes every day to learn new nouns. Learn three nouns a day and use them. Aeroplane, frog, pen for example … and use them in your head. Create silly phrases in English but with the French nouns: I wonder if there’s a grenouille in that avion with a stylo for example. Use those three words a lot in one day and they will get ingrained. Set realistic targets - we’re never going to be fluent. But if you can set realistic limits to express yourself and become competent in those, rather than trying to learn everything and not very well, it will boost your confidence. Good luck.
Hello David
Glad you can write in French, rather rare here, I can express myself far better of course .
I live in the South-West and lots of people pronounce the final consonant in villages names, the Occitan way, and others do it in the northern way, silent . I guess this occurs in many parts of France . It doesn’t make difficulties for a native speaker though . Regarding “terrible” as “great” I think it faded after the 60s . There is a Johnny Halliday’s version of Eddie Cochran’s “Somethin’ else” called “Elle est terrible” in this old meaning . You’re right nowadays we only hear “pas terrible”, or sometimes the original meaning of terrible, from “triggering terror” when horrible things happen .
I indeed like your family name, it sounds “terrible” in French and creates beautiful images, a rose and a mount, congratulations .
Nice to hear from you, you seem different from the bunch who dwells this site .
Amitiés, Philippe .
You already have a very French attitude to not learning French Deborah.
For a year before we moved here I would spend half an hour after breakfast with my books and really do the exercises.
It paid off because I could make myself understood and, mostly, understand what people were saying to me.
If you come to live in a country it is necessary and courteous to speak their language.
After all, we expect those going to live in UK to speak , or learn to speak, English.
Thanks Philippe
I have had a long love affair with France. I started visiting with my parents in the fifties when we used to motor down to the south coast. It used to take three days each way; when we first arrived you could still see plenty of war damage. I visited again, including Brittany, when I was a Royal Navy cadet in 62.
When I was at school and architectural college in London I developed a penchant for the French way of life. Heavily into B and W films, Gauloises, 2CV, jazz and beat poetry! I had friends at the Sorbonne in 68- here is a pic of one who made theheadlines. He died last year sadly.
On a whim i decided to visit Brittany after Le Mans, which I used to visit every year. My granny left me a small bequest and I bought the second house I saw, which I have still. Now I use it for friends and guests. my village is Scrignac 29640 in the gorgeous parc naturel des Monts d’Arree. It’s quite a rugged place in winter. Now we live in a larger granite house in the village. It was originally the village notaire’s and is a bit qwerky. The village is in decline sadly and has lost most businesses very recently. Now we have to drive about 8k to get to a supermarket or even alimentation.
Yes my surname is French.My family in the UK is very small, less than ten people. Mt grandfather was an early photographer who had a shop in the Rue des Termes in Paris about 1890. But the French name was a literal translation from the German as having a business with a German (and especially Prussian) surname was not good for business. We became Rosemonts! There are some posh de Rosemonts in France. I never claim to be one but it’s surprising how many French people assume that I am connected!
I have two sons living in England, and grandchildren. Here I had a first marriage, a divorce after 22 years, then a very short but lovely second marriage but my dear wife died here in France in 2007 Ten years next month. Then a while later and I remarried again to a much younger and lovely Asian woman and we have a gorgeous daughter aged 7 1/2, and she was born here in Morlaix.
I am obviously retired. I ran a busy cabinet in London. We did hundreds of projects over the years and we did projects for many well known people.
I am still busy with my daily life. of course we are fearful of Brexit as nobody has any idea of what will happen. It seems certain that it’s going to take a long time. It seems to be a job creation scheme for functionnaires!
I have visited the Occitan area and even sung mass in Occitan! I have friends near there and near Beziers.
BTW I think my friends using terribel in the old way are relics like me of that period!
Today I have been to the first funeral of 2017. There’s another this week too.
Anyway nice to meet you!
Cordialement
David
Ah ah ! So you belong to the Prussian fith column who is here to prepare the next war ! Is your mission trying to locate the magic potion once and for all ?
Don’t know your village of course, but I wandered a summer in Brittany, inland too . I was lucky enough to see Brocéliande forest before it widely burnt . No sign of Merlin nor Vivianne the Lady of the Lake, like Getafix they faded away .
The beat poets ? Do you mean the surrealists, Artaud, Paul Fort, René Char, Eluard, Boris Vian, Jean Genêt, Queneau, from the last decade France was still mentally French ? Or the Americans who lived between poor hotels in Paris and poor hotels in Tangier, Ginsberg, Burroughs ? I would have liked to be in Paris at this time, oh yes . Sorry I can’t find the pic of your 68 friend . Who was he ?
For sure you had a serious glance of real France sir . I met a few erudite old gentlemen in Southern England cathedrals and extravagant charming old ladies who seriously knew France ( and sheltered the young adventurer I was then) . Since the age of 5 I felt a powerful attraction for England, and in this time with only one TV channel it was quite unique in my South-West seaside village . So my first trips were to England, while Spain is 80 miles from my place . From 75 to 94 I went 12 times in the UK . The highest love of my life was a Scottish witch by the way .
So we are a bit complementary, although I was born too late to experiment life from 45 to 60, I regret it . I also miss England, in 75 it was a totally alien country, it was a trip man ! Even in 80 most of my mates lived in social housing . The eternal England became difficult to find in my last trips, where has she gone ? In the same limbos as the social flats I guess . But well French soul has disappeared too . When I see how supposed French people obey every government ukase without just refusing I’m depressed . And in the 70s Pasolini was saying the same thing about Italy . The US money makers steamroller washed all brains .
Sorry, I didn’t mean to be dark . The Occitanie was very wide, from the Atlantic to Italy, and the Mediterranean breed is quite different from the Atlantic one ( I heard they are anthropophagous in Béziers, is that true ?) What I know is I always hated their style of rugby . Don’t worry too much about Brexit . Your Goth masters will take care of you .
Eh bien à la prochaine avec grand plaisir . Est-ce obligé de publier nos emails sur le site en même temps ? Je ne suis pas sûr que ça intéresse grand monde d’autre .
Ciao Dave .