Pls help to correct my email draft

[Stephen Liu]

Hi folks,

Please help to check the mistake made by me in writing following email;


Cher Helen,
(Dear Helen,)

Combien de temps vous avez pour apprendre le français ?
(How long you have learn French?)

Pouvons-nous communiquer en français par email?
(Can we communicate in French per email?)

De cette façon, nous pourrons améliorer notre niveau de français à l'écrit
(In this way we can improve our written French level)


Aimez-vous la musique classique ?
(Do you like classical music ?)


Cordialement
SL


Thanks

[Frank]

Hi Stephen,

Here we go:


Chère Hélène,

Combien de temps avez-vous mis pour apprendre le français ?


The rest of your email draft is absolutely perfect. Bravo!

[Stephen Liu]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for your help.

avez-vous mis
What does "mis" mean here?

B.R.
Stephen L

[Frank]

Spending time can be translated as:
- prendre du temps
- mettre du temps
- passer du/le temps

The 1st and 2nd are roughly equivalent, while the 3rd one rather means wasting time or doing something slowly.

[Stephen Liu]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for your advice.

But I still don't understand the use/meaning "mis" in your correction;

Combien de temps avez-vous mis pour apprendre le français ?


B.R.
satimis

[Neil Coffey]

Stephen --

"mis" is just the past participle of "mettre". So just as for the verb manger you'd say:

J'ai mangé...

for the verb mettre, the form is mis:

J'ai mis...

For more info, you may want to look at the pages on:
- introduction to the perfect tense
- some common past participles of various French irregular verbs and regular patterns

[Stephen Liu]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your help.
Merci pour votre aide (correct ?)

B.R.
Stephen L

[Neil Coffey]

That's correct. On a web forum, it's also generally OK to use "tu" to everybody, so you can say Merci pour ton aide.

[Stephen Liu]

Thanks Neil

B.R.
Stephen L