Part VI The Part of Tens 30_773883 pt06.qxp 7/28/06 8:49 PM Page 243 In this part . . . T his part is similar to one in every other For Dummies book. Here I include some great information in a nut- shell that doesn’t necessarily fit anywhere else in this book. In this part, I include two chapters with fun informa- tion that you can quickly absorb. Chapter 22 looks at ten verbs that are used the French way. Chapter 23 looks at ten verbs that are often frequently mixed-up between French and English. 30_773883 pt06.qxp 7/28/06 8:49 PM Page 244 Chapter 22 Ten Verbs Used the French Way In This Chapter ᮣ Distinguishing transitive from intransitive verbs ᮣ Making sense of the prepositions I f you’ve ever tried to translate something from one language to another, you probably didn’t translate literally or word for word. If you did translate literally, you probably noticed something that didn’t quite jive in the translation. That’s because every language has a way of saying things that’s unique to that language and therefore different in other languages. French is no different. In this chapter, I help you avoid pitfalls regarding ten verbs that are used transitively in English but intransitively in French and vice versa. This means that some verbs are followed by a direct object in one language but not in the other, and some verbs take a preposition in one language but not in the other. Transitive verbs are followed by a direct object, whereas intransitive verbs aren’t. (Chapter 1 gives you the complete lowdown on the differences between transitive and intransitive verbs.) This chapter looks more closely at ten common verbs that you may use in everyday conversation. (Please know that this list isn’t exhaustive; I only list ten of the most common.) I start first with verbs that are transitive in French, but intransitive in English, and then move to the intransitive French verbs (and transitive English verbs). Attendre (To Wait For) The first French transitive verb that comes to mind is attendre (to wait for). (In English this verb is intransitive.) Think of the preposition for as being built into the verb itself and there- fore making any other preposition unnecessary. Nous attendons le train. (We are waiting for the train.) Ils attendent le professeur. (They are waiting for their professor.) Chercher (To Look For) The verb chercher (to look for) is another verb that’s transitive in French and intransitive in English. In French you say Je cherche les clés, which is literally I’m looking the keys, but in good English is I’m looking for the keys. The preposition for is built into the verb. You also use the verb chercher to mean to pick up someone. So don’t panic if someone says, Je vais chercher mes enfants à l’école. This statement doesn’t necessarily mean that I am going to look for my children in school in the sense that they are lost in the school — instead it means I’m picking them up. 31_773883 ch22.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 245 Écouter (To Listen To) Écouter (to listen to) is also transitive in French but intransitive in English. Notice that the following example doesn’t use a preposition between the verb écouter and the noun, unlike in English where you use the preposition to. Il écoute la radio. (He is listening to the radio.) Nous écoutons le president. (We are listening to the president.) Payer (To Pay) When you go shopping, how do you pay for your purchases? How do you pay for your movie ticket or even the grocery bill? In French, the verb payer (to pay) is transitive and doesn’t need a preposition (like for) after it like it does in English. Tu paies les provisions. (You are paying for the groceries.) Nous payons les billets d’avion. (We are paying for the plane tickets.) However, don’t use the verb payer to mean to pay a visit to someone; instead use the verb rendre visite à (see Chapter 23). Regarder (To Look At, To Watch) The last French transitive verb that I cover in this chapter is the verb regarder (to look at, to watch ). In French, this verb is always followed by the direct object, regardless of how you translate it in English. Il regarde les oiseaux. (He is looking at the birds.) Regarder also means to watch, and in that sense, it’s transitive in both English and French. Vous regardez le match. (You are watching the game.) Je regarde la télé. (I’m watching television.) Demander (To Ask) The first intransitive French verb (but transitive English verb) that I cover is demander (to ask). With this verb and the following four verbs in this chapter, you follow the verb with the preposition à in French. When you ask someone a question, use the verb demander à followed by the person. Les étudiants demandent au professeur d’expliquer la leçon. (The students ask the professor to explain the lesson. ) Elle demande à ses parents si elle peut sortir. (She asks her parents if she can go out. ) 246 Part VI: The Part of Tens 31_773883 ch22.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 246 However, don’t use the verb demander à when you want to ask a question; use the verb poser (to put, to ask) followed by the noun une question (a question). The person to whom you are asking the question is still indirect with this verb. The following examples clarify this construction. Il pose une question. (He is asking a question.) Il pose une question au directeur. (He is asking a question to the director.) Obéir (To Obey) You also add the preposition à to the verb obéir (to obey). In French, you must say to obey to someone, and therefore the person is the indirect object instead of the direct object. In English, the person is the direct object. The fact that you’re obeying some- thing rather than someone doesn’t change the structure of the verb. You still need the preposition à. Les enfants obéissent à leurs parents. (The children obey their parents.) Nous obéissons à la loi. (We obey the law.) Permettre (To Allow) The same rule applies to the verb permettre (to allow). That is to say that in French, you allow to someone to do something, and therefore you need the preposition à before the noun. This verb is intransitive in French but transitive in English. Le directeur permet aux employés de partir tôt. (The director allows the employees to leave early. ) Mme Meneau permet à sa fille de sortir avec Mathieu. (Mrs. Meneau allows her daughter to go out with Mathieu. ) Répondre (To Answer) Another verb that you use differently in French than in English is the verb répondre (to answer). In French, you answer to someone as well as to a question. Tu réponds à la question. (You answer the question.) Nous répondons à notre entraîneur. (We are answering our coach.) Téléphoner (To Telephone, To Call) When you call someone, you actually call to someone in French. This meaning is con- veyed by the verb téléphoner, followed by the preposition à, and then followed by either a person or a place. Je téléphone à mes amis. (I am calling my friends.) Ils téléphonent à leurs parents. (They call their parents.) Nous téléphonons au bureau. (We’re calling the office.) 247 Chapter 22: Ten Verbs Used the French Way 31_773883 ch22.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 247 248 Part VI: The Part of Tens 31_773883 ch22.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 248 . (They call their parents.) Nous téléphonons au bureau. (We’re calling the office.) 247 Chapter 22: Ten Verbs Used the French Way 31_773883 ch22.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 247 248 Part VI: The Part. instead of the direct object. In English, the person is the direct object. The fact that you’re obeying some- thing rather than someone doesn’t change the structure of the verb. You still need the preposition à. Les. Part VI The Part of Tens 30_773883 pt06.qxp 7/28/06 8:49 PM Page 243 In this part . . . T his part is similar to one in every other For Dummies book. Here I include