French question...

just me   Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:30 am GMT
" The meaning and the grammatical constructions are absolute parallel in French and modern German (except the position of the verb): "


Well, the position of the verb is completly different in German, how can you say that the gramatical constructions are absolute parrallel??

The meaning is not exactly the same either; "geschehen" seem to translate into "s'(est) passé". (except that it is not in the same person, if I translate directly it would be plural form of third person in french (se passent), which is quite different and does not accord to "l'accident")

If I translate word for word your sentence in french with the same construction it will give an complete incorrect sentence:

"Der Unfall ist nachts geschehen"
" Le accident est nuit se passé "

We should say: "l'accident s'est passé la nuit", but as you did it is better not using the exact translation of "geshehen" but the verb "arrivé" (gekommen).

well, finally I think that to express the same idea the constructions and syntax are for the least quite different.



" 'L'accident est arrivé pendant la nuit'
"Der Unfall ist während der Nacht geschehen" "
greg   Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:44 pm GMT
Paul : « More: "She slept ten hours last night too" ».

Hier soir aussi, elle a dormi dix heures.
Elle a dormi dix heures cette nuit aussi.
La nuit dernière, elle a encore dormi dix heures.
Elle a encore dormi dix heures la nuit passée.

Argot / familier :
Elle a encore pioncé dix plombes c'te nuit.
C'te nuit, pareil : elle a pioncé dix plombes.