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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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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.
@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 :)
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…
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.
@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.
@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.
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.
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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