Translate into French please...

[Poppy]

Could someone please translate the following into French for me please (I'd be eternally grateful :)

"Dear .....
I hope that your sister is happy with her new jacket! I enclose a spare button. Many Thanks."

[summersoon]

Cher __
J'esp�re que votre soeur est heureuse avec sa nouvelle veste ! J'enferme un bouton disponible. Merci beaucoup.

Warning: you may want to check that i am not entirely sure! But hope it helps!

[Poppy]

thanks summersoon! that's great. I knew a few words but it wasn't great. It's for an eBay buyer- I think they'll be impressed that I bothered but I thought it unfair that we had to do the whole thing in English! Many Thanks.

[robbo82]

summersoon is almost right, except the subjunctive needs to follow esperer que, so 'est' should just be 'e': '...votre soeur e heureuse...'. Also, 'contente' may be a better fit than 'heureuse'.

[jno]

robbo, are you sure? I think the subjunctive form should be soit... but this site

http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa111799.htm

- about halfway down, suggests esperer doesn't take a subjunctive anyway

[Quizmonkey]

Jno - I agree with you: there is no form of �tre that is just 'e'!! And using the subjunctive with 'esperer que' (if not obligatory) implies too much doubt.

Not sure about 'disponible' for 'spare'. Something like 'bouton de rechange' may be better.

[robbo82]

Yes, sorry, my fault, it's been a while since my A-Level French!

[mata hari]

Poppy, even if you make a mistake in the translation, I'm sure the french lady will be highly delighted that you made the effort. In any case, there are so many twists and turns in localised French you would be hard put to to know which expression to use!! I know, I live here!

Mata

[Postdog]

for future reference..

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

[nickmo]

And even more translations here: http://www.translation-guide.com/free_online_translations.htm

All free online and can do phrases, webpages and text, in Ronmanian, Icelandic, Latin, French Dutch etc etc etc

[atoach]

For heaven's sake be careful with on-line translators !

This, for example, is what the last-mentioned translator makes of it:

J'esp�re que non thanksggiving votre soeur c'est satisfait de son nouvelle veston. MOI joindre une �viter boutonner.

Which is not right. The first solution given here is the same as babelfish gives, and is at least comprehensible.

[moppettshow]

J'espere (can't find the grave accent on my computer) does not take the subjunctive. For reference, the present active subjunctive of etre (excuse lack of accent again) conjugates as follows:

Je sois, tu sois, il/elle/on soit, nous soyons, vous soyez, ils/elles soient.