FRENCH NOTE 55. EXPRESSING TIME IN FRENCH
I don't mean telling time by the clock .That is too elementary . Here we deal with expressions relating to time in French . We have a very rich crop of words and expressions. If you learn them thoroughly ,you can write better French . Let us take five expressions for each note and learn how we can use them. Perhaps , I may require about ten notes for completing this topic. If anyone has suggestions, he or she is free to make them.
1. N' importe quand - anytime ( no matter when )
In bracket I have given the literal translation.
Pierre a l'habitude de déranger sa mère ,n'importe quand.
Peter has the habit of disturbing his mother anytime.
Elle mange n'importe quand .
She eats anytime.
2. Tout à l'heure - in an instant , a little while ago ,just now
Remember this adverbial phrase can be used both for past and future.
Tout à l'heure , on sortira.
Shortly , we will leave.
Tout à l'heure , elle est sortie.
She left a little while ago.
3. Tout de suite - in an instant, shortly , immediately
Tout de suite , Céline Dion va chanter .
Shortly, Celine Dion is going to sing.
4. sur-le-champs - straightaway ,immediately
Elle rencontre cet écrivain . Sur-le-champs, elle tombe amoureuse de l'lui.
She meets that writer. Straightaway , she falls in love with him.
On m'offre un poste de professeur de mathématiques . Je l'accepte , sur- le- champs.
I am offered the post of a maths teacher. I accepted it immediately.
5.de temps en temps - from time to time
De temps en temps, elle va à Delhi .
From time to time, she goes to Delhi.
De temps en temps , Martin envoie de l'argent à sa mère .
From time to time, Martin sends money to his mother.
We shall continue in the next post.
Sayee Jayaraman
01/03/2015
I don't mean telling time by the clock .That is too elementary . Here we deal with expressions relating to time in French . We have a very rich crop of words and expressions. If you learn them thoroughly ,you can write better French . Let us take five expressions for each note and learn how we can use them. Perhaps , I may require about ten notes for completing this topic. If anyone has suggestions, he or she is free to make them.
1. N' importe quand - anytime ( no matter when )
In bracket I have given the literal translation.
Pierre a l'habitude de déranger sa mère ,n'importe quand.
Peter has the habit of disturbing his mother anytime.
Elle mange n'importe quand .
She eats anytime.
2. Tout à l'heure - in an instant , a little while ago ,just now
Remember this adverbial phrase can be used both for past and future.
Tout à l'heure , on sortira.
Shortly , we will leave.
Tout à l'heure , elle est sortie.
She left a little while ago.
3. Tout de suite - in an instant, shortly , immediately
Tout de suite , Céline Dion va chanter .
Shortly, Celine Dion is going to sing.
4. sur-le-champs - straightaway ,immediately
Elle rencontre cet écrivain . Sur-le-champs, elle tombe amoureuse de l'lui.
She meets that writer. Straightaway , she falls in love with him.
On m'offre un poste de professeur de mathématiques . Je l'accepte , sur- le- champs.
I am offered the post of a maths teacher. I accepted it immediately.
5.de temps en temps - from time to time
De temps en temps, elle va à Delhi .
From time to time, she goes to Delhi.
De temps en temps , Martin envoie de l'argent à sa mère .
From time to time, Martin sends money to his mother.
We shall continue in the next post.
Sayee Jayaraman
01/03/2015
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