Which is more correct?

[ted howard]

If I were wanting to say, for example: "They are reading." Would it be more correct to say: "Ils sont la lecture." which directly translates as "they are reading"....or as my Rosetta Stone language program says: "Ils lisent" which directly translates as: "They read.'"  The program has many examples of this where the direct translation leaves out the "are" and "ing" endings. They read, they run, they eat, they drink. Is it implied when you say: "Ils lisent, Ils courent, Ils mange, etc that the fluent French speakers would take that as "They ARE readING, They ARE runnING, They ARE eatING, etc...? Would appreciate some direction on this.

 

Thanks in advance!!

[ted howard]

I guess singularly as well,....does "Il court", "Elle court", (which directly translates as "He runs", "She runs") is it regarded by French speakers to mean "He IS runnING", "She IS runnING"?

[Neil Coffey]

Yes, same thing. Il court can mean either "He runs" or "He's running"; Je mange can mean either "I eat" or "I'm eating" etc.

[Neil Coffey]

By coincidence, this came up in another thread a short while ago.

 

In general, French doesn't make a difference between "they are ... ing" and just simply "they ...". So in French, ils lisent can mean either they are reading or they read.

 

Obviously, there are ways to make the difference in French and any other language if it's absolutely necessary. But French doesn't systematically make the difference, as English does.

[ted howard]

Neil!.....You're the man!!! Thanks! I know I am making the mistake that most new language beginners make by trying to translate everything to fit my English grammar, but I have the type of mind that needs to know I am learning it correctly and need to confirm things. I suspect that since Rosetta Stone has become so popular, I should have faith that they wouldn't be steering me wrong, but there approach is the no translation approach, and I understand what it is they are trying to accomplish, but sometimes there appears to be contradictions, and with no explanation as to why, I feel it necessary to find the answer. I'm sure there are other programs that are better or as good, but it is what I have got and I am trying to supplement it with anything I can find. As I said yesterday, without someone to bounce questions off of around here, it is a god-send that I have found your forum. Thanks again, very much!

[stu harris]

I believe the 'are ...ing' construction is known as present continuous. It can be a problem for a translator, deciding whether the original author in French intended that mood or not.

 

By the way, ils sont la lecture is totally wrong. It doesn't mean they are reading but more like they are the act of reading.

[ted howard]

Stu. Thank you for your input. I will be asking MANY questions, so I hope all of you will bear with me. i am just excited to have found this resource as I have no one else to ask questions to as I have struggled trying to do this on my own.