July - September 2015 •
The Lion King
• 53
Language Corner |
Lifestyle
MAKING FRIENDS WITH FRENCH-SPEAKING PEOPLE IS SO SIMPLE!
Hello and welcome to another interesting edition of your
French Language Column. Last edition, we discovered how
easy it is to give a shout-out in French. This time we are going
to find out just how easy it is to make new friends in French-
By Jeremiah Afekpor
Sounds easy right? Let’s find out how well you have grasped
it. Say you are a Nigerian businessman. You met the CEO
of a company in France and engaged him in the following
conversation. Prove it was your conversation by translating
it into English.
CHIEF: Bonsoir Monsieur
CEO: Bonsoir …
CHIEF: Comment allez-vous ?
CEO: Je vais bien, et vous ?
CHIEF: Pas mal… Je m’appelle Philip et vous?
CEO: Je m’appelle Jonathan
CHIEF: Que faites-vous?
CEO: Je suis un homme d’affaires et je suis le DG de
Société Jonat et Fils
CHIEF: Moi aussi, je suis un homme d’affaires et je suis le DG
de Philip & Sons Company Limited
CEO: Enchanté de faire votre connaissance !
CHIEF: How are you?
UNCLE: Comment allez-vous? (a formal way of saying
‘comment ça va’)
CHIEF: I am fine, and you?
UNCLE: Je vais bien (a formal way of replying comment
allez-vous instead of saying ‘ça va bien’), et
vous?
CHIEF: Not bad
UNCLE: Pas mal
CHIEF: What is your name?
UNCLE: Comment vous appelez-vous? (say ‘Commoŋ
voo za-play voo’)
CHIEF: My Name Is Philip, and you?
UNCLE: Je m’appelle Philip et vous? (say ‘Jho ma-pell
Philip ay voo’)
CHIEF: Where do you live?
UNCLE: Où habitez-vous? (say ‘Ooh ah-bee-tay voo’)
CHIEF: I live in Lagos
UNCLE: J’habite à Lagos. (say ‘Jha-bit ah Lagos’)
CHIEF: Do you speak English?
UNCLE: Parlez-vous anglais? (say ‘Par-lay voo oŋgleh’)
CHIEF: Yes, I speak English
UNCLE: Oui, je parle anglais (say ‘Wee jho parl oŋgleh’)
CHIEF: What do you do?
UNCLE: Que faites-vous? (say ‘Ko fet voo’)
CHIEF: I am a banker (if my chief is a man)
UNCLE: (if my chief is a man) Je suis banquier (say ‘Jho
swee bonk- yee-ay’).
(if my chief is a woman) Je suis banquière (say
‘Jho swee bonk- year’)
CHIEF: I am the Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of…
UNCLE: (if my chief is a man) Je suis le Directeur Général
(DG) de… (say ‘jho swee le dee-rec-terr jhay-
nay-ral {day-jhay} do’)
speaking countries.
As usual, the interpretation will be between Chief and
Uncle. Remember, where a word looks like an English word,
the pronunciation is likely to be English.
(if my chief is a woman) Je suis la Directrice
Générale (DG) de…(say ‘jho swee la dee-
rectreece jhay-nay-ral {day-jhay} do’)
CHIEF: I am a businessman
UNCLE: Je suis un homme d’affaires (say ‘Jho swee
zomm daffair’)
CHIEF: I am a businesswoman
UNCLE: Je suis une femme d’affaires (say ‘Jho swee
fam daffair’)
CHIEF: How was the night?
UNCLE: Comment était la nuit (say ‘Commoŋ ay-tay la
noo-wee’)
CHIEF: Well spent
UNCLE: Bien passeé (say ‘Bee-yaŋ pass-say’)
CHIEF: How was the journey?
UNCLE: Comment était le voyage? (say ‘Commoŋ ay-
tay loo voo-wa-yajh’)
CHIEF: You are beautiful
UNCLE: Vous êtes belle (say ‘voo zet bell’)
CHIEF: You are handsome
UNCLE: Vous êtes beau (say ‘voo zet bo’)
CHIEF: Meet my friend, Paul
UNCLE: Voilà mon ami Paul (say ‘voo-ah-la mon am-ee
Paul’)
CHIEF: Meet my friend, Anne
UNCLE: Voilà mon amie Anne (say ‘voo-ah-la mon
am-ee Anne’)
CHIEF :
May I have your business card please?
UNCLE: Je peux avoir votre carte de visite s’il vous plaît?
(say ‘jho po ah-voo-wa votro cart doh visit seal
voo play’)
CHIEF: Delighted to meet you.
UNCLE: Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance. (say
‘oŋ-shoŋ-tay doh ferr votro con-ness-oŋs’. Add
‘e’ to enchanté if my chief is a female)
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