Ferme La Bouche

jackieglasgow

Lol, the thing I remember from school is 'Ca suffit, c'est mauvais pour les dents!' :rotfl:

aliasojo

Got a french question so thought I'd bump this.

Why are mushrooms masculine?

And more to the point, how do you know what should have the masculine prefix and what should have the feminine, when you are talking about neutral things like mushrooms or frogs or pigs?!

Daughter has just shown me a video that school showed them. It is supposed to help them decide when to use 'le' and when to use 'la'.

Suffice to say, I'm confused. I get the brother or sister thing as they are clearly male or female but a mushroom?

Help me understand please? It's been too long and I have no memory of mushrooms. :rotfl:

Note: the mushroom thing in particular is jokey, the main point is the fact it's a non sex thing iyswim.

j.e.j.

Yes, why do languages have genders (other than to confuse us foreigners, lol). It's weird though, after a few years of learning it you start to get a feeling for what might be a masculine, or feminine or neuter word. Must be something on the subconscious level!

*max*

I'm afraid there's no rule! It's something that has to be learned by heart. Better you than me, if I may....lol

aliasojo

j.e.j. wrote: »

......., after a few years of learning it you start to get a feeling for what might be a masculine, or feminine or neuter word. Must be something on the subconscious level!

Well I would subconsciously like the pot plant in the corner of my room to be masculine.

Is it? :rotfl:

j.e.j.

oh dear, I'm not a french speaker so can't help you there. It's feminine in German, not that that helps you much :rotfl:

aliasojo

Annoying but catchy......bet you're humming it later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1gzKi94rq0

Errata

I was taught French from the age of seven all the way through to sixteen. I can get by, I don't bother with the gender stuff and my accent is dreadful but I can make myself understood and understand others.

I remember being dragged into an icebreaker at the start of a day long course - it was 'what would be your name if your first name was the name of your first pet and your second your mother's maiden name'. Everyone was sayin Cuddles Jones, Fluffy Smith and I said Fermez la Bouche ! (I loathe stupid same old, same old icebreakers with a passion).

*max*

I actually have a question for you guys, it's been bothering me for a while but came to a head today! I was on a bus, and had to call to an older lady who'd just got on that she'd forgotten her handbag at the bus stop. I went "Sorry Madam, ..." but "madam" sounds really formal in English (it's much less so in French, just normal). No problem with a man, it's "sir", but with a woman? "M'am" sounds very American to me.

So basically, how do I call out to a lady without sounding either disrespectful (can't bring myself to say "sorry, love!" for example), or like a French butler?

aliasojo

I don't really ever address someone particularly in that way Max, I tend to just kinda 'shout' 'excuse me' in the general direction of the person who's attention I'm trying to get.