The celui ci (spl?) lesson!

[Ali]

I can't find it

Have been trying really hard to break the habit of 'ca' and use celui ci instead, yesterday I did it really well

Very chuffed - thanks Judith

[Madame Moorhen]

Well done - I keep trying to but in the nanosecond you have to think I can't remember whether it's celle or celui or ceux in time to say it! And even if you do say it with ci they only go and repeat it with la which makes you feel silly.

In the Netherlands there was dit and dat (or something similar - apologies to Dutch people for having forgotten nearly everything I learnt) and whenever I pointed to something and said one of the words in Dutch the shopkeeper would point and say the other word!!! Talk about encouragement, not!

Mind you I suppose we don't easily differentiate between this and that either.

Oh and I was served in the Xmas market in Rennes by the lady with the sweetie stall who probably spoke worse French than me and pointed to everything saying 'Ca?' ;D

[rach22]

Hi Ali

don't worry to much about ça and celui-ci.

I still get my THIS and THAT wrong!! and THOSE and THESE... Please don't try to explain - Chris has tried for 15 years!!

If you are in the patisserie and you want a cake, then you will say:
je voudrais celui-ci (or celle-ci if you are talking about a Tarte/tartelette (f)).
Tarts are female... weird...!! but that (or this) is another story!!

I would say, ça is more general.

Go to the market and listen to people. See what they ask for!

Are you ok with your "Tout, Toutes and Tous" ?!!
This is another difficult one, I guess. :)
rach

[Ali]

Feb 4, 2011 14:30:33 GMT 1 rach22 said:

Are you ok with your "Tout, Toutes and Tous" ?!!
This is another difficult one, I guess. :)
rach

Good point, haven't looked at those for ages!

I speak a lot less French now since I left the immo, but on the flip side have more time to learn. Think I'll get the books back out :)