Comments on Between thou and you. French polish speak.

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Thanks for that information. I have crossed and retreated over the
tutoyer boundary myself, so it is good to know that others have felt that way, too.

posted by WindTapper on August 26, 2006 at 8:17 PM | link to this | reply

Thanks for the thought Ypun, read my comment on your blog please.

posted by marieclaire66 on August 19, 2006 at 2:12 PM | link to this | reply

BTW Marieclaire, the quote is fr. MJ Coetzee, South African nobel laureatte

I did not see you around BLOGIT today--and I had time until now--my afternoon/evening. Stay well--enjoy Sunday--and I will check back after the Sabbath. Shalom my friend--a gift to share--

posted by ILLUMINATI8 on August 19, 2006 at 12:45 PM | link to this | reply

You deserve a country of these---who knows maybe that is possible!!

posted by ILLUMINATI8 on August 18, 2006 at 3:13 PM | link to this | reply

Ypun you'd better have read this, I will give you a test tomorrow.

posted by marieclaire66 on August 18, 2006 at 2:55 AM | link to this | reply

translation is....

"Qu'est devenu ce front poli, ces cheveux blonds, sourcils voutes?"

what became of this polished forehead, such blond hair, arched eyebrows?

posted by marieclaire66 on August 17, 2006 at 1:42 AM | link to this | reply

May I say "tu" and spell it so it affords an escape clause: "too"?

Anyway, Please help trasnlate this for me--and I can tell you how I know this expression, later.

"Qu'est devenu ce front poli, ces cheveux blonds, sourcils voutes?"

This is reakted to the news from Soputh Africa you got from my compatriots. yes, they are 100 % correct and YU are correct TU! (No fear that I will judge your viewpoint; in fact my wofe shares it and I knwo its true--hence the rleuctance to settle there). shalom & thanks for everything

posted by ILLUMINATI8 on August 15, 2006 at 5:21 PM | link to this | reply

Zut! I meant to say switch to "tu"

posted by marieclaire66 on August 15, 2006 at 3:36 AM | link to this | reply

good question!
I think I would give you a "vous" until you allowed me to switch to a "vous", it is a matter of friendship and trust, how close you are willing to get to another person; I always err on the side of caution the "vous" I prefer to be too formal rather than casual, out of respect for the other person's emotional space. It varies from person to person but I think it is a good rule of thumb and applies for most people.
I hope it answers your question. There are no hard and fast rules, it is all a matter of how well and how close you want to be as well?

posted by marieclaire66 on August 15, 2006 at 3:36 AM | link to this | reply

would you refer to me
were we to meet as a vous or a tu?

posted by Azur on August 15, 2006 at 2:22 AM | link to this | reply

azur you are forgiven for every linguistic transgression, but you may only
do this once, you understand!

posted by marieclaire66 on August 15, 2006 at 1:56 AM | link to this | reply

I find these French post interesting
For the non-French I guess we have an excuse if we get it wrong

posted by Azur on August 15, 2006 at 12:43 AM | link to this | reply

thanks for bothering to read this, most people dont give a stuff about
French but thanks for making the effort.

posted by marieclaire66 on August 15, 2006 at 12:28 AM | link to this | reply

same with French
in Tahiti they don't bother with vous, guess it makes life easier, dont know if it is a change in attitude people becoming less respectful or just plain lazy

posted by marieclaire66 on August 14, 2006 at 9:49 PM | link to this | reply

I think the whole world is becoming too informal, actually.

Marta said I don't seem to like reading fiction very much.
"I guess you're not an 'afictionado'," she said.
Poor Marta. For all her reading, she doesn't even know the right word.

posted by Mademoiselle on August 14, 2006 at 9:21 PM | link to this | reply

Marie-Claire--- I understand completely your point about this. In my
experience, Spanish has become more informal over the years, with "tu" used more commonly than what I was taught years ago.

posted by Jazwolf on August 14, 2006 at 7:57 PM | link to this | reply