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Poll: Do you speak French?

Bain marie, mon ami. Bain marie.

PARLEZ-VOUS FRANÇAIS?

We’ve been hearing snippets of French over the past few weeks during the tense French presidential election, where incumbent Emmanuel Macron is chasing after an elusive second term in the Élysée Palace.

As Ireland doesn’t have a very high proportion of the population who can speak more than one foreign language, and as the second and final round of voting in the French election is underway today, we’re wondering: do you speak French?


Poll Results:

I can speak a bit of what I learned in school (9097)
No, the best I can do is Del Boy French (5460)
Oui, I'm fluent (2278)

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84 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
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    Mute Joe Kennedy
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:52 AM

    Le disc-jockey Sash est de retour….Encore une fois!

    293
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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:24 PM

    @Joe Kennedy: Some tune that.

    80
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    Mute DJ François
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    Apr 24th 2022, 2:03 PM

    @Kevin O’Brien: merde more like!

    30
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    Mute Declan Moran
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    Apr 24th 2022, 4:20 PM

    @Joe Kennedy: Dario G & Carnaval de Paris all the way for me :)

    8
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    Mute Jonathan
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    Apr 24th 2022, 4:26 PM

    @Joe Kennedy: great tune

    8
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    Mute David peate
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:35 AM

    we

    114
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    Mute Bri Lyons
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:40 AM

    @David peate: may we

    68
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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:23 PM

    @Bri Lyons: You may

    39
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    Mute Peter O Donnell
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:25 PM

    @Kevin O’Brien: merci

    19
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    Mute Aurelio Na Fodhla
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:52 PM

    @Peter O Donnell: no mercy….

    19
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    Mute Bri Lyons
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:31 PM

    @Aurelio Na Fodhla: mercy bo coo

    24
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    Mute Sue O'Neill
    Favourite Sue O'Neill
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:48 AM

    I speak French like Del boy. Mangetout Mangetout.

    106
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:50 PM

    @Sue O’Neill: Crudités à la plat!

    32
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    Mute Sean May
    Favourite Sean May
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    Apr 24th 2022, 2:45 PM

    @Sue O’Neill: Me too – and with the accent of the fake French policeman in “Allo! Allo!”, to further confuse things, lol.

    https://i.imgflip.com/4znkk6.jpg

    29
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    Mute Simone Rapple
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:21 PM

    Missing an option between school and fluent of: ‘yes, can get by but grammar not great’

    66
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    Mute Niall Ó Dochartaigh
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:50 AM

    “Mange tout Rodney, mange tout!”

    67
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:19 PM

    @Niall Ó Dochartaigh: Au contraire Rodney, au contraire.

    52
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    Mute Sequoia
    Favourite Sequoia
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:58 PM

    Someone I know thought that Mongetout was pronounced “Man Get Out” and I want that to be my new band name now.

    34
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    Mute Sequoia
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:59 PM

    Mangetout

    Predictive text is my enema.

    29
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    Mute Jules
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:49 AM

    Why were comments closed on yesterday’s poll?

    57
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    Mute Tim Clifford
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:54 PM

    @Jules: Je ne sais pas

    104
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    Mute Ken Loughman
    Favourite Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:12 PM

    My French is better than school-level but not quite fluent. I remember my mother teaching me to count in French when I was about 4 or 5 years old.

    51
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    Mute Colm de Cleir
    Favourite Colm de Cleir
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    Apr 24th 2022, 6:12 PM

    Où est le Centre de Georges Pompidou?

    35
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    Mute murt de murty
    Favourite murt de murty
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:00 PM

    Deux baguettes s’il vous plait.

    37
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    Mute James Kerins
    Favourite James Kerins
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:57 PM

    Ou est la vache?

    31
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    Mute Jason O Flynn
    Favourite Jason O Flynn
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:36 PM

    non je ne parle pas français

    28
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    Mute ⚡ Seánie ⚡
    Favourite ⚡ Seánie ⚡
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:49 AM

    Learning French with Monsieur Del Boy –

    https://youtu.be/g93RycMBaYM

    27
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    Mute Dave Barrett
    Favourite Dave Barrett
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:42 AM

    Que!

    22
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:51 PM

    @Dave Barrett: Wrong language!

    25
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    Mute Jas
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    Apr 25th 2022, 7:32 AM

    @Dave Barrett: ¡Que!

    2
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 25th 2022, 10:16 AM

    @Jas: it should be “¿Qué?” :)

    1
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:27 PM

    Bonne bouche, who’d have thunk it that 30 percent of English words (in an 80,000 word dictionary) are of French origin.

    19
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    Mute DJ François
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    Apr 24th 2022, 2:04 PM

    @Pat Barry: due in large part to 1066

    22
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    Mute Hotirish
    Favourite Hotirish
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    Apr 24th 2022, 4:20 PM

    Only learnt it a bit but it’s definitely been more useful in life than my Irish.

    27
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    Mute John Johnes
    Favourite John Johnes
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:39 PM

    omelette du fromage

    26
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:56 PM

    @John Johnes: Dexter’s Laboratory – I love that cartoon!

    5
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:48 PM
    3
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    Mute John Johnes
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    Apr 24th 2022, 6:20 PM

    @Ken Loughman: one of my favourites. Loved justice friends and samurai jack as well.

    1
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 7:41 PM

    @John Johnes: Justice Friends was hilarious. I’m also a huge Samurai Jack fan as well.

    1
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    Mute John Johnes
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    Apr 24th 2022, 7:43 PM

    @Ken Loughman: a true man of culture! Cheers Ken.

    1
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 25th 2022, 10:23 AM

    @John Johnes: No problem, John :)

    1
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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Apr 24th 2022, 6:33 PM

    Je suis un rockstar. J’avais une residence. Je habite lá, par le South of France. Voulez vous partir with me and come and restez la, with me in France.

    15
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 25th 2022, 10:27 AM

    @Anna Carr: I remember that song!

    https://youtu.be/RXVH_oqIxvo

    1
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    Mute Wayne Scales
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:10 PM

    Ja

    12
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    Mute marian
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:56 PM

    Croissant

    11
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 2:02 PM

    @marian: For me, nothing beats an almond croissant in the morning ;)

    8
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    Mute UK Hurling Bloke
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    Apr 24th 2022, 12:00 PM

    Once learned some French from a bucktoothed girl in Luxembourg
    J’en ai Marre & Mort ici

    16
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:54 PM

    @UK Hurling Bloke: “I’m fed up” and “dead here”.

    5
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    Mute K-dog
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    Apr 24th 2022, 2:03 PM

    @UK Hurling Bloke: Johnny Marr !

    7
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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Apr 24th 2022, 7:51 PM

    @K-dog: and Morrissey.

    3
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    Mute Loughlin Moore
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    Apr 24th 2022, 8:55 PM

    Chateauneuf du Pape

    11
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    Mute Alan McArdle
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:44 AM

    bonnet de douche

    27
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    Mute Mrs Doyle
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    Apr 24th 2022, 6:35 PM

    I can get by in north France and Paris with my pigeon French – But when visiting southern France, no one understands what I’m saying!

    11
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 25th 2022, 10:30 AM

    @Mrs Doyle: That will earn you some brownie points with the Parisians at least. From what I have heard they will give you the cold shoulder unless you make the effort to communicate with them in French :)

    1
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    Mute Con Cussed
    Favourite Con Cussed
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    Apr 24th 2022, 2:56 PM

    C’est difficile à dire…

    10
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    Mute Michael Carolan
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:52 AM
    8
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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Apr 24th 2022, 8:01 PM

    Is cainteoir Fraincise ó dhúchas mé.

    8
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    Mute Leo Sharkey
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    Apr 24th 2022, 10:11 PM

    I would suggest that the data about Irish people speaking foreign languages is not correct, Ms Ni Aodha might take note, Ireland has a huge number of fluent English speakers, and as Irish is our national language I would suggest this data on Ireland is not compiled properly. With regard to other European languages, I have used three languages in the last two days, my daughter and ex-wife both speak four languages, I know many, many fellow Irish people who can speak second and even third languages…

    7
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:18 PM

    @Leo Sharkey: Irish isn’t our national language as it isn’t spoken by a large part of the population of the country.

    6
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    Mute Declan Moran
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    Apr 24th 2022, 4:18 PM

    No, yo hablo español :)

    6
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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Apr 24th 2022, 7:55 PM

    @Declan Moran: ¿Que? Basil Fawlty to Mrs Richards: I. Am. The. Manager!!! Manuel: ¡he manaher!

    6
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    Mute Carrington MacG
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:50 PM

    le singe est sur la branche

    7
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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Apr 24th 2022, 7:48 PM

    La plume de ma tante. Garçon un petit pois. Boeuf à la mode as the French say. Woman, to Del Boy: de quelle partie de la France êtes-vous? Del Boy: Ah oui, je t’aime, je t’adore, sur le pont d’Avignon.

    6
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    Mute Nollaig Kelly
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    Apr 24th 2022, 7:32 PM

    Our est the center de George pompadau?

    5
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    Mute Trish O'Leary-Dunne
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    Apr 24th 2022, 3:59 PM

    I let the funky music do the talking.

    6
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    Mute Stealth
    Favourite Stealth
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    Apr 24th 2022, 9:39 PM

    Je parle un peu Francais

    3
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    Mute Margaret Doyle
    Favourite Margaret Doyle
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:40 PM

    Je nes comprenez pas

    3
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    Mute Elaine Malone
    Favourite Elaine Malone
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    Apr 24th 2022, 1:51 PM

    @Margaret Doyle: what language is that??!!!

    12
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Apr 24th 2022, 2:03 PM

    @Elaine Malone: I think it’s all good bar the “s” in “nes”.

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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 24th 2022, 5:44 PM

    @Pat Barry: Nope. It’s “Je ne comprends pas”.

    6
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Apr 24th 2022, 6:05 PM

    @Ken Loughman: Comprendre and comprenez both mean to understand.

    2
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Apr 24th 2022, 6:06 PM

    @Pat Barry: Comprenez must be plural right.

    4
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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Apr 24th 2022, 9:46 PM

    @Pat Barry: comprenez goes with the subject pronoun vous (you) .vous comprenez?

    2
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 25th 2022, 11:04 AM

    @Pat Barry: They’re different forms of the same verb. “Comprendre” is the infinitive form literally meaning “to understand”. “Comprenez” is the second person plural form. It is also the second person singular formal form. It would be used as “vous comprenez” meaning “you understand” where more than one person is being addressed or a single person is being addressed formally.

    1
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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 25th 2022, 11:09 AM

    @Ken Loughman: I forgot to add that “comprenez” is also the formal imperative form of the verb where you’re giving someone an order to understand something.

    1
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    Mute alan scott
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    Apr 24th 2022, 4:23 PM

    Merde ce

    2
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    Mute Robc
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    Apr 24th 2022, 6:05 PM

    non, je ne parle pas français

    2
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    Mute Gerry from the Block
    Favourite Gerry from the Block
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    Apr 24th 2022, 3:29 PM

    Fabrique Belgique

    2
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    Mute Dave Phelan
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    Apr 24th 2022, 4:43 PM
    1
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    Mute Martin Doyle
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    Apr 24th 2022, 11:17 PM

    Vous etes la plus belle femme que je ne jamais vu. God bless ads

    1
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    Mute Eileesh Buckley
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    Apr 25th 2022, 12:04 PM

    A french housemate in college once said the Irish are fluent in french once they’d a couple of drinks onboard to give them the confidence to speak it. I’ve always been willing to use french even though my grammar is atrocious and the effort is usually appreciated by french speakers.

    1
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    Mute Rob Adamson
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    Apr 24th 2022, 4:06 PM

    Ca Plane Pour Moi

    1
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    Mute Fred spins kdb
    Favourite Fred spins kdb
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    Apr 25th 2022, 10:49 AM

    No, i tend to let the funky music do the talking.

    1
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    Mute Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown
    Favourite Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown
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    Apr 25th 2022, 9:36 AM

    Learned by heart when I was 12 :)

    Sous moi donc cette troupe s’avance,
    Et porte sur le front une mâle assurance.
    Nous partîmes cinq cents ; mais par un prompt renfort
    Nous nous vîmes trois mille en arrivant au port,
    Tant, à nous voir marcher avec un tel visage,
    Les plus épouvantés reprenaient de courage !
    J’en cache les deux tiers, aussitôt qu’arrivés,
    Dans le fond des vaisseaux qui lors furent trouvés ;
    Le reste, dont le nombre augmentait à toute heure,
    Brûlant d’impatience, autour de moi demeure,
    Se couche contre terre, et sans faire aucun bruit
    Passe une bonne part d’une si belle nuit.
    Par mon commandement la garde en fait de même,
    Et se tenant cachée, aide à mon stratagème ;
    Et je feins hardiment d’avoir reçu de vous
    L’ordre qu’on me voit suivre et que je donne à tous.
    Cette obscure clarté qui tombe des étoiles
    Enfin avec le flux nous fait voir trente voiles ;
    L’onde s’enfle dessous, et d’un commun effort
    Les Maures et la mer montent jusques au port.
    On les laisse passer ; tout leur parait tranquille ;
    Point de soldats au port, point aux murs de la ville.
    Notre profond silence abusant leurs esprits,
    Ils n’osent plus douter de nous avoir surpris ;
    Ils abordent sans peur, ils ancrent, ils descendent,
    Et courent se livrer aux maisn qui les attendent.
    Nous nous levons alors, et tous en même temps
    Poussons jusques au ciel mille cris éclatants.
    Les nôtres, à ces cris, de nos vaisseaux répondent ;
    Ils paraissent armés, les Maures se confondent,
    L’épouvante les prend à demi descendus ;
    Avant que de combattre ils s’estiment perdus. Ils couraient au pillage, et rencontrent la guerre ;
    Nous les pressons sur l’eau, nous les pressons sur terre,
    Et nous faisons courir des ruisseaux de leur sang,
    Avant qu’aucun résiste ou reprenne son rang.
    Mais bientôt, malgré nous, leurs princes les rallient,
    Leur courage renait, et leurs terreurs s’oublient :
    La honte de mourir sans avoir combattu
    Arrête leur désordre, et leur rend leur vertu.
    Contre nous de pied ferme ils tirent leurs alfanges ;
    De notre sang au leur font d’horribles mélanges.
    Et la terre, et le fleuve, et leur flotte, et le port,
    Sont des champs de carnage où triomphe la mort.
    Ô combien d’actions, combien d’exploits célèbres
    Sont demeurés sans gloire au milieu des ténèbres,
    Où chacun, seul témoin des grands coups qu’il donnait,
    Ne pouvait discerner où le sort inclinait !
    J’allais de tous côtés encourager les nôtres,
    Faire avancer les uns et soutenir les autres,
    Ranger ceux qui venaient, les pousser à leur tour,
    Et ne l’ai pu savoir jusques au point du jour.
    Mais enfin sa clarté montre notre avantage ;
    Le Maure voit sa perte, et perd soudain courage :
    Et voyant un renfort qui nous vient secourir,
    L’ardeur de vaincre cède à la peur de mourir.
    Ils gagnent leurs vaisseaux, ils en coupent les câbles,
    Poussent jusques aux cieux des cris épouvantables,
    Font retraite en tumulte, et sans considérer
    Si leurs rois avec eux peuvent se retirer.
    Pour souffrir ce devoir leur frayeur est trop forte ;
    Le flux les apporta, le reflux les remporte ;
    Cependant que leurs rois, engagés parmi nous,
    Et quelque peu des leurs, tous percés de nos coups,
    Disputent vaillamment et vendent bien leur vie.
    À se rendre moi-même en vain je les convie :
    Le cimeterre au poing ils ne m’écoutent pas ;
    Mais voyant à leurs pieds tomber tous leurs soldats,
    Et que seuls désormais en vain ils se défendent,
    Ils demandent le chef ; je me nomme, ils se rendent.
    Je vous les envoyai tous deux en même temps ;
    Et le combat cessa faute de combattants…

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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Apr 25th 2022, 11:25 AM

    @Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown: That has got to be the longest Journal comment that I’ve ever read!

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