#fatmax1492

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

coral oliveBOT
#
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.

neon monolith
#

"quand est-ce ton anniversaire ?" is an incorrect sentencee

pseudo sigil
neon monolith
#

it should be "quand est ton anniversaire ?"

#

when asking a question formally, also called inversion, the subject and verb switch order, and you add a dash inbetween. Hence, when "ce" is subject, it becomes "-ce" placed after the verb

#

for instance:
"quand est-ce ?" ("when is it?", word for word)
"__c'__est en Janvier" (it's in January)

pseudo sigil
#

I should use better examples then

median finch
#

Inversion is very much comparable to English questions

#

Quand est-ce ton anniversaire
When is it your birthday
Où est-ce la banque
Where is it the bank

#

"ce" is a pronoun, it's supposed to replace the subject, so you don't wanna say it again

median finch
pseudo sigil
#

So "Quand est-ce ton anniversaire" does work?

median finch
#

no

#

when is it your birthday

#

two subjects

pseudo sigil
#

Ohh

#

When is vs when is it

indigo obsidian
# median finch no

I think it wasn't clear that your examples were meant to be incorrect (the birthday sentence could be said, for example)

pseudo sigil
#

^

#

Thanks for clarifying

indigo obsidian
#

In English I mean

#

French DOES often repeat the subject for emphasis or just.. out of habit
This just isn't really a case where that happens

pseudo sigil
#

Right, thanks

#

So in a normal situation don't use the -ce

indigo obsidian
#

Depends

#

There are 3 ways to form a question

#
  1. Inversion (que veux-tu?)
  2. Est-ce que (qu'est-ce que tu veux?)
  3. Intonation (tu veux quoi?)
pseudo sigil
#

Quand est-ce que ton anniversaire

median finch
indigo obsidian
#

Inversion is formal, often to a point that it's bizarre to use in anything but very formal contexts, and even then usually isn't used for every question
Est-ce que is neutral, can be used in formal or informal contexts
Intonation is formal/oral

indigo obsidian
#

Roughly

pseudo sigil
#

Right

median finch
#

it can be like
c'est quand ton anniv
il est quand ton anniv
ton anniv c'est quand
quand est-ce qu'il est ton anniv

pseudo sigil
#

And il est can also be replaced with c'est?

#

In the last example

indigo obsidian
#

C'est/il est is a little complicated
Imo in this case it could work but would sound like a different sentence and I don't think I've heard anyone say it like that

pseudo sigil
#

Ah

indigo obsidian
#

Like you're not asking when the birthday is but.. what time it becomes your birthday? Almost?

pseudo sigil
#

To me they're still the same

#

I should brush up on that then

indigo obsidian
#

This is a distinction you'll mostly get from exposure to the language

pseudo sigil
#

Right now my french is just random bits and bobs that I'm trying to put in one place

indigo obsidian
#

There are other cases of c'est/il est that are a bit more clear cut

pseudo sigil
#

Mostly just on feeling