French Questions

[dash_zero]

So, I've got a big French test next week. If anyone could help me clear up some of the following points that would be great.

Thanks a lot.

 

�1.Tu vas fatigue
    Non, je ne suis pas fatigue.

>So It's 'going' (aller) for asking how someone is, but:       'to be'   (�tre) for replying, saying how you are.

� 2. Est-ce que votre ami est francais?
      Est-ce que votre ami c'est francais? 

>can you say both?

�3. Tu es etudiant? =You are a student?
     Est-ce que tu es etudiant? = Are you a student?

>can you say both?

� 5. Vous avez compris?
      Est-ce que vous avez compris? 

>can you say both?

� 6.Marc: 'Elle est comment Aimmee?'
             /'Comment est Aimmee?'

    Brigette: 'Elle est belle'.               

     Marc: 'Elle est comment Aimee?'
     Jean-Luc: Elle est belle'.  

 

>Am I right for the above, that 'elle' is refering to Aimmee to this stays the same whether Marc is asking the question to a male or female?

 

� 7.'Non, il n'y a pas de fen�tres'.

     Seeing as 'ne' is meant to go before the verb, and 'pas' after, shouldn't it be:
'Non, il y n'a pas de fen�tres'? 

 

[mattfox]

Bonjour!!

1) Not quite - it would be etre in both cases... N'�tes-vous pas fatigu�?

2) They're not the same ... the "c' " is a pronoun and replaces "votre ami"... if you add the c' , you're saying "Is your friend is he French". You either say "Is your friend is French" (Est-ce que votre ami est francais) or "Is he French?" (Est-ce qu'il est Francais")

3) You can use both, but don't forget to include "un" or "une" and add an e if it's feminine.

4) Oops... You missed out a number quatre!!

5) Again, you can say both.

6) Yes - you're correct. It has to agree with the subject. In this case, the subject is Aimmee who is feminine :)

7) "Non, il n'y a pas de fen�tres" is correct ... you can read more here http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa042200.htm!


Hope that this helps!! And good luck with the test!!

[mattfox]

Just an extra little thing that will make a difference only in a French oral test.... for questions 3 and 5, if you use the "statement" form ("Vous avez compris...? or "Tu es etudiant?"), remember the rising intonation at the end to make it a question. Otherwise, you're just making a statement.

[Narolines]

Sorry to disagree, Mattfox, but "Tu es �tudiant?" and "Est-ce que tu es �tudiant?" are perfectly correct - the indefinite article is not used in this situation.  You are, however quite right in saying that the "e" should be added if the person being addressed is female.

[dash_zero]

Thankyou very much for the indepth answer mattfox, a great help!

[dash_zero]

Also, the issue Narolines mentions how the indefinite article is not used in this situation -this is something that's tripped me up before >when do you leave it out??

+I'm not so sure on mattfox's answer to 1: it's said 'etre' is used in both asking how someone is (as in their emotional state) and replying to this.

But I'm sure you use 'aller' ('to go'), as in: 'tu vas bien' ('you going good').

[mattfox]

I'm not sure if there are other situations, but you drop the indefinate article when talking about professions... "il est docteur" or "elle est factrice"...

[SteveD]

Mattfox, concerning your point about N� 7: I think it should be Il n'y a pas de fen�tre (singular, not plural) = there are no windows.  I have just seen another example of this in a news magazine: Pas de miracle apr�s Gaza which would probably be translated as "No miracles after Gaza".