Help!

[Edgar Colín]

Hello,

Can anyone help on how to say "I used to" in French. Example, "I used to" love her.

Merci =)

[Crack1]

Thanks Marc

I understand your point.
You see my dictionary is very old. It is a big dictionary; however it was printed in 1994.
It is HARRP'S French-English dictionary. This has both French and English. I am pleased with it.

I must buy a recently printed big dictionary. I will find all the latest development in French in a new book.
Do you suggest a me a good big dictionary?
It should have both English-French and French-English.

I could buy from an online bookshop. I need some advice.

[Marc Vonhalmen]

I don't think you really need a new dictionary. This is a very unique way of using the verb "s'imposer". In a French dictionary like Larousse, the definition is:
s'imposer: imposer sa présence, se faire accepter de force. That's pretty much the meaning I was looking for in my previous example.

But if you still want a new dictionary, I'm not sure mine will be much better than yours. I have the Larousse Chambers, Grand Dictionnaire, Advanced Dictionary, English-French, Français-Anglais. (but it's from 1999)

(btw is the sentence "it's from 1999" correct in English? In French we say "Il est de 1999" or "Il date de 1999")

[Crack1]

You wrote a book in 1999.

So it was written in 1999.

You gave it to the publishers in 1999.

Book was printed/published in 1999.
Nothing seriously wrong to say that it is from 1999.

You speak excellent French. So to keep one of the best dictionaries at home is not essential for you.

I need an excellent French dictionary. Because I don't know a lot of words in French.

[Crack1]

J'ai mangé de la nourriture épicée il y a 3 minutes à peine.
Marc wrote the above sentence.
I have difficulties in understanding it.

What is 'à peine'?

I think it comes from the verb 'peiner'. For me 'peiner' means some difficulty.

I ate some spice foods about 3 minutes ago with difficulty. [ This sounds odd to me.]

Please write the correct English translation.

[Frank]

Hello Crack1,

You're right ,"peine" means pain (difficulty).

But for some reason, "à peine" has a totally different meaning. It means "just", when the action just happened.

"Il y a 3 minutes" => 3 minutes ago
"Il y a 3 minutes à peine" => just 3 minutes ago

"Il vient à peine de sortir de la maison" => he just went out of the house.

[Crack1]

Thanks Frank

I just checked the word peiner in a dictionary.


I have difficulty in speaking French
J'ai de la peine à parle français.
[ Is the above correct?]
I just want to avoid the French word 'difficulté' and use the word 'peine'.

avoir de la ~ à faire to have trouble or difficulty doing

[Frank]

Hi Crack,

You can say "je peine à parler français" or "j'ai de la peine à parler français".

An alternative word is "mal".

"mal" means bad, but "du mal" means pain.

Ex:
- j'ai du mal à parler français
- j'ai du mal à cuisiner
- j'ai du mal avec la cuisine (same meaning, but using a noun instead of a verb)
- j'ai du mal avec les filles (you don't know how to talk to girls)
- je n'ai pas de mal à jouer au foot (ie. you _can_ play soccer, this is even something you like to do)

I think "du mal" is more common than "peiner", especially in order to express a difficulty.

"peiner" is more often used when the pain makes you feel really sad.
If you're girlfriend leaves you, it might be very painful and you could say "j'ai de la peine".
"je peine à parler français" means that you barely speak French, you know one word or two, and the whole thing makes you anxious.
"j'ai du mal à parler français" means that you still have difficulties, but you can get over them.

[Pamela Kingfisher]

Hi. I have heard "a peine" used to mean "scarcely" or barely.
As in, we scarcely, or barely made the last flight out, as our connecting flight was delayed.
Pam

[Frank]

Hello Pam,

Yes, it can also have that meaning.