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 French - Plaire and Manquer, Pluperfect, Indefinite Pronouns, Déjeuner du matin |
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Plaire and Manquer
| plaire-to please, enjoy |
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manquer-to miss, be lacking |
| plais |
pleh |
plaisons |
pleh-zohn |
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manque |
mawnk |
manquons |
mawn-kohn |
| plais |
pleh |
plaisez |
pleh-zay |
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manques |
mawnk |
manquez |
mawn-kay |
| plaît |
pleh |
plaisent |
plehzz |
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manque |
mawnk |
manquent |
mawnk |
The past participle of plaire is plu. To say that someone likes something, you have to switch the subject and object around, so that literally it translates to "something or someone pleases." As a reflexive verb, se plaire means to enjoy being somewhere. Faire plaisir à can also be used to mean "to delight or to like."
Cette chienne plaît à Dominique. Dominique likes this dog. (Literally: This dog is pleasing to Dominique.)
Ça t'a plu? Did you like it?
Ils se plaisent à Londres. They enjoy being in London.
Cela me fait plaisir de vous revoir. I am happy to see you again.
Manquer has several meanings: to miss, to lack, or to regret the absence (miss). The last meaning uses inverted word order just like plaire. Manquer à means "to fail to do."
Elle a manqué le train. She missed the train.
Vous manquez de courage. You lack courage.
Tu me manques. I miss you. (Literally: You are missing to me)
Ils ont mangué à les devoirs. They failed to do the homework.
Pluperfect
This compound tense is used for flashbacks or anything that had happened before the time of the narration. It's formed with the imperfect tense of avoir or être and the past participle of the main verb. This tense is comparable to the passé composé.
| Imperfect of avoir or être |
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| avais |
avions |
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étais |
étions |
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| avais |
aviez |
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étais |
étiez |
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+ past participle |
| avait |
avaient |
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était |
étaient |
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Je n'avais pas fini mon travail quand il est arrivé. I had not finished my work when he arrived.
Vous aviez faim parce que vouz n'aviez pas du tout mangé. You were hungry because you hadn't eaten at all.
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to no one or nothing in particular, such as someone or something.
someone/body |
quelqu'un |
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somewhere |
quelque part |
something |
quelque chose (de + adjective) |
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not one, none |
aucun...ne |
some (masc) |
quelques-uns |
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some (fem) |
quelques-unes |
another |
un(e) autre |
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anything |
n'importe quoi |
several |
plusieurs |
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anyone |
n'importe qui |
some...others |
certains...d'autres |
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anywhere |
n'importe où |
each |
chacun |
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nowhere |
ne...nulle part |
Do not confuse chacun with chaque (each, every). Chacun is a pronoun and replaces a noun, while chaque is an adjective that describes a noun.
Déjeuner du matin
Déjeuner du matin
Jacques Prévert
Il a mis le café
Dans la tasse
Il a mis le lait
Dans la tasse de café
Il a mis le sucre
Dans le café au lait
Avec la petite cuiller
Il a tourné
Il a bu le café au lait
Et il a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler
Il a allumé
Une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder
Il s'est levé
Il a mis
Son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis
Son manteau de pluie
Parce qu'il pleuvait
Et il est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Et moi j'ai pris
Ma tête dans ma main
Et j'ai pleuré. |
Breakfast
Jacques Prévert
He put the coffee
In the cup
He put the milk
In the cup of coffee
He put the sugar
In the café au lait
With the coffee spoon
He stirred
He drank the café au lait
And he set down the cup
Without a word to me
He lit
A cigarette
He made smoke-rings
With the smoke
He put the ashes
In the ashtray
Without a word to me
Without a look at me
He got up
He put
His hat upon his head
He put
his raincoat on
Because it was raining
And he left
In the rain
Without a word
And I, I took
My head in my hand
And I cried. |
| Translated by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, from Paroles by Prévert |
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