Thursday 12 February 2015

FRENCH NOTE 41 VERB+INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

FRENCH NOTE 41

VERB + ANOTHER VERB IN INFINITIVE FORM

11.  ENVOYER QQN FAIRE QQCH - SEND SOME ONE TO DO SOMETHING

Elle envoie son mari chercher sa mère à la gare.

She sends her husband to the station to fetch her mother.

Envoyer  promener / balader qqn - to dismiss someone summarily

Cet homme me dérange toujours . J'ai envie de l'envoyer promener.

This man disturbs me always . I feel like dismissing him.

12.  ESPÉRER FAIRE QQCH - HOPE TO DO SOMETHING

" Espérer " is  a transitive verb.

Elle espère achever cette tâche bientôt .

She hopes to finish this task soon.

13. ÊTRE CENSÉ FAIRE QQCH - TO BE SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING

Pierre est censé venir chez moi à 16 heures . Il n'est pas encore venu.

Peter is supposed to come here by 16 hours. He hasn't yet come.

14. FAIRE FAIRE QQCH - TO GET SOMETHING  DONE


Remember " faire " is a very important and frequently used French verb. I may have to write at least ten notes on this verb, which I will in due course . Here , I am confining myself to its use when followed by another verb in infinitive form

Il fait construire un grand bâtiment près du lac.

He gets built a big building near the lake.

"Faire +infinitive of another verb " has special / idiomatic sense depending upon the verb which it follows . I am giving you a small list of such expressions.

Faire aller à la rame - to row

Faire accepter une idée à qqn - to sell somebody an idea

Faire accepter à qqn - put across to somebody

Faire accorder -to reconcile

Faire affaire avec - make a bargain with

Faire aimer - to endear

Faire basculer - to topple over

Faire baisser les prix - to depress the prices

Faire bien comprendre à qqn - to impress on some one

Faire bouger - to dislodge

Faire chavirer - to capsize

Faire comprendre qqch à qqn- bring home something to somebody


Faire claquer ses doigts - Snap one's finger

Faire cuire - to cook


Once again I am telling you that I shall prepare several notes on this verb to bring out all the nuances of its usage.

14. FALLOIR - TO BE NECESSARY

Remember this verb is used only in third person singular in an impersonal way.

"Il faut + infinitive of a verb " expresses obligation.

Il faut préparer bien pour l'examen .

It is necessary to prepare well for the examination .

Il faut faire du sport pour avoir une bonne santé .

One should play some game for good health.

Later , I shall deal with other expressions involving " falloir "


15.  LAISSER FAIRE QQCH - LET DO SOMETHING

Je le laisse lire ce livre.

I let him read this book.

Je lui laisse lire ce livre.

I let him read this book.

Both the constructions are allowed . You may use le, la , les or lui, leur. But the current preference is for the use of " le, la, les ".

That is all for now.

In the next note, I shall take up five more verbs which precede another verb in infinitive form directly without a preposition coming between them.


Sayee Jayaraman

27/01/2015
13/02/2015

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