Venir de - to have just done something

My husband is very good at maths and I am (usually!) very good at English.  We talked about how very often in maths you are given a rule, the teacher demonstrates that the rule works (take long division for example) the pupil goes away and tries some exercises to prove the rule works, then you apply the rule for the rest of your maths life.
But isn't learning a language just like that?  You get given a rule (how and when to use que or qui for example).  You do loads of exercises so you realise you can trust the rule and it won't let you down, then you go off into your chosen language knowing you can apply that rule and it will always be correct.

So here is today's rule!

Venir de:  The French do not say, "I have just (done something)." ;  they say, "I come from (doing something)" 

Here's the rule that never fails:

present tense of venir + de + the infinitive of the next verb

You'll come across this a lot, especially at GCSE level.

Here are some examples.

I have just arrived = je viens d’arriver.






1. Je viens de voir le film.
I have just seen the film.

2.  Il vient de terminer son travail.
He has just finished his work.

3.  Je viens de terminer mon travail.
I have just finished my work.

4.  Ils viennent d’acheter la maison.
They have just bought the house.

I hope you find this useful and notice it in your reading and writing.
Back soon
Jane

d'un air - with an air of

Hello everyone
I keep coming across the above phrase and it seems to work with adverbs.  Have a look at what I mean:

Je dois commencer à sortir plus souvent, décida-t-elle d’un air résolu.
I must start going out more, she decided resolutely.

"Non, pas vraiment,“ répondit Marie d’un air indigné.
No, not really, replied Marie indignantly.

"Yvonne," répondit-elle d’un air boudeur...’
"Yvonne," she replied glumly.

Also,
"Where do you live?" he asks.
"215 Rue des Martyrs," dit-elle d'une voix rageuse.
.... she said with a voice of rage.

"Merci," dit-il d'un ton taquin.
"Thank you," he said in a teasing tone.

"Je le savais!" dit-il d'un air méprisant.
"I knew it!" he said nastily.

Hope you find these examples helpful.
Jane xx

How dare you?!

Bonjour!

Here are a few phrases you might find useful:

"Oh mon Dieu, comment ose-t-elle m'acheter quelque chose comme ça, ce toupet!“
Oh my  God, how dare she buy me something like that, the cheek!"

Tu parles trop, pensa-t-il mais il n’osa pas le dire tout haut...’
You talk too much, he thinks, but he dare not say it out loud.

Elle l’aurait conamné à une longue souffrance s’il avait osé le faire à l’intérieur.
She would have threatened him with violence if he had dared to do it in the house.

Je n'ose pas me promener dans ce quartier -
 I don't dare walk in this neighborhood

Comment osez-vous ! - How dare you!

	Present		Future		Imperfect		Present participle
j'	ose		oserai		osais		osant
tu	oses		oseras		osais
il	ose		osera		osait		Passé composé
nous	osons		oserons		osions		Auxiliary verb	avoir
vous	osez		oserez		osiez		Past participle	osé
ils	osent		oseront		osaient
	Subjunctive		Conditional		Passé simple		Imperfect subjunctive
j'	ose		oserais		osai		osasse
tu	oses		oserais		osas		osasses
il	ose		oserait		osa		osât
nous	osions		oserions		osâmes		osassions
vous	osiez		oseriez		osâtes		osassiez
ils	osent		oseraient		osèrent		osassent
	Imperative
(tu)	ose				Verb conjugation pattern Oser is a regular -ER verb
(nous)	osons

Hope you find these useful.
Bises
Jane

Au lieu de - instead of

Bonjour!

On my reading travels I come across lots of phrases that I realise are really useful.  Here are some ways of saying 'instead of':

Parfois, vous voudrez peut-être dire que vous voulez une chose à la place d'un autre. Voici quelques exemples:

"Alors je vais prendre une omelette nature avec une salade au lieu des frites."

J’ai payé seulement dix euros au lieu de vingt euros.

Mais:

Est-ce qu’il y aurait la possibilité de remplacer l’escalope de dinde par du coq au vin?

Look out for more examples in your reading.
Bises
Jane

Nice is Nice!

Hello all!
After much searching and discussing, we are going to Nice for a holiday in April.  I am so excited!
We are staying in an appartment. 
I have been reading all about it in a lovely blog by Margo Letz called The Curious Rambler.  It's really made me even more excited about going.  Margo has been very kind and emailed me details of good local restaurants and food shops, which I'm sure will come in handy.  Next I need to know what the weather will be like as I haven't got a clue what to wear (typical woman!)




Why wouldn't you want to go here?!

Then, my pastor's wife came to see me yesterday and over coffee I told her about our impending trip and she said she was sure that Kenneth Copeland Ministries have a church out there.  So this morning I decided to Google it and sure enough there are two churches.  One of them gives you headphones so you can have the service relayed to you in English.  So guess where we'll be going Sunday morning?!

The only thing I need to sort out now is my camera, which has refused to upload my photos this morning.  The wonders of modern technology!
Back soon
Jane xx