October - December 2015 •
The Lion King
• 51
Language Corner |
Lifestyle
MAKING REQUESTS AND GIVING ORDERS IN FRENCH LANGUAGE
Hello again! In the last edition of the French language series
Language Column, we discovered how easy it is to make
friends in Francophone countries. This time, we shall find
out how easy it is to make requests and say so many other
things in French.
By Jeremiah Afekpor
Now, imagine you have to call your subordinate in Burkina
Faso whose name is Traoré and the following dialogue
ensues in French. Try saying each sentence in French, let’s
see well you will fare.
CHIEF: Good afternoon Traore. How are you?
TRAORE: I am fine, and you?
CHIEF: I’m good.
TRAORE: How may I be of help Sir?
CHIEF: I am waiting for your reply. Please send me the file!
TRAORE: I shall revert to you quickly Sir.
CHIEF: Alright.
CHIEF: Come!
UNCLE: Venez (say ‘Voo-nay’)
CHIEF: Go!
UNCLE: Allez-y! (say ‘Ah-lazy’)
CHIEF: Look!
UNCLE: Regardez (say ‘Ro-gar-day! ’)
CHIEF: Take!
UNCLE: Prenez! (say ‘Pro-nay’)
CHIEF: Wait!
UNCLE: Attendez (say ‘Ah-toŋ-day’)
CHIEF: Sit down!
UNCLE: Asseyez-vous! (say ‘Ah-say-yay voo’)
CHIEF: Speak!
UNCLE: Parlez (say ‘Par-lay!’)
CHIEF: Let’s go!
UNCLE: Allons-y! (say ‘Ah-loŋ-zee’)
CHIEF: Come and eat (Dinner/Lunch/breakfast is
ready)
UNCLE: À table (say ‘Ah tah-bloo’)
CHIEF: No, thanks, that’s kind of you.
UNCLE: Non, merci, c’est gentil. (say ‘Noŋ mercy, seh
jhoŋ-tea-yee’)
CHIEF: Have a nice meal
UNCLE: Bon appétit (say ‘Bonn ah-pay-tea’)
CHIEF: Thank you very much!
UNCLE: Merci beaucoup (say ‘Mercy bo-koo’)
CHIEF: All right!
UNCLE: D’accord! (say ‘Daccor’. You can also say
“Bon!”)
CHIEF: How may I help you?
As usual, you are ‘Chief’ and I am ‘Uncle’. Remember,
where a pronunciation looks like an English word, just pro-
nounce it like one.
UNCLE: Que puis-je pour vous? (say ‘ko pweejh poo
voo’)
CHIEF: Sorry.
UNCLE: Pardon. (say ‘Par-doŋ’)
CHIEF: Speak slowly please
UNCLE: Parlez lentement s’il vous plaît (say ‘Par-lay lont-
moŋ seal voo play’)
CHIEF: Excuse me
UNCLE: Excusez-moi (say ‘Excuzay-moo-wah). You can
also say “pardon”
CHIEF: I am waiting for your reply!
UNCLE: J’attends votre retour! (say ‘jhatoŋ votro ro-
too’)
CHIEF: I shall get back to you.
UNCLE: Je vous reviens. (say ‘jho voo ro-vee-yaŋ)
CHIEF: Give me the money
UNCLE: Donnez-moi l’argent (say ‘don-nay moo lar-
jhoŋ’)
CHIEF: Send me the file
UNCLE: Envoyez-moi le dossier (say ‘oŋ-voo-wa-yay
moo-wah loo doss-yay’
CHIEF: Drive carefully
UNCLE: Conduisez prudemment (say ‘cond-wee-zay
prew-dam-moŋ ’)
CHIEF: Quickly
UNCLE: Rapidement (say ‘rapid-moŋ)
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