flamdaari

[floral ember]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[jaunty walrus]

« au » is the preposition « à » plus the definite article « le ». The reason why you keep seeing so many translations for it is because prepositions don’t always line up between languages, especially since English and French belong to two different subfamilies

[neat heron]

Ah ok

[jaunty walrus]

Tu parles au gars qui t’a draguée ?
You’re talking to the guy who hit on you?

Je pense au mécanicien qui doit réparer la clim.
I’m thinking about the mechanic who has to repair the AC.

Le criminel a échappé au policier.
The criminal got away from the policeman.

[neat heron]

hmmm

this is confusing

[jaunty walrus]

https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/a-preposition/
Read that

[neat heron]

Thx

[jaunty walrus]

It’s because prepositions in French don’t translate to English and vice versa. There’s no way around it.

The English verb ‘to listen’ is indirect transitive (I’m listening to a song) but its equivalent translation in French, « écouter », is direct transitive (j’écoute une chanson). Why? Dunno. That’s just how it is.

In English you depend on something but in French you depend off something (dépendre de quelque chose). Why? That’s just how it is.

[neat heron]

Ah ok

[jaunty walrus]

In future, if you’re trying to use translation to determine meaning, translate the whole sentence not make equivalences between words

[neat heron]

Ok