146 Answered Questions for the topic usage

03/28/19

What is the correct method to write measurements in English?
Should it be: **1KG** or **1 KG**? **1M** or **1 M**? **1PM** or **1 PM**? **1GB** or **1 GB**? **1Kmph** or **1 Kmph**? **1Kbps** or **1 Kbps**? or anything else?
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03/27/19

Difference between responding to "danke" with "bitte" versus "gerne"?
I hear native German speakers respond to a *danke* with *bitte* as often as with *gerne*.Is there a semantic difference between the two of them? Or a usage rule behind the choice? Is one more... more
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03/27/19

Pourquoi : À la une ?
Pourquoi dit-on, en parlant de la première page du journal:> À la une.et non pas> À l'uneAlors que l'on dit : > À l'unité.> À l'une ou à l'autre.> ...
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03/27/19

Using a comma before 'ma'?
English uses a comma before _but_ if, and only if, it introduces an independent sentence. Is it the same in Italian?> - Essere sinceri è importante ma non troppo.> - Andrei in vacanza il... more
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03/26/19

Dois-je utiliser «on» ou «nous»?
Dans les situations où on doit utiliser « vous » à la place de « tu », doit-on aussi utiliser « nous » à la place de « on » ?
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03/26/19

Function of the sentence final particle こと in this sentence?
I am wondering what is the correct way to interpret the こと in this sentence: >どこかへお花見に行きませんこと。 It is an example sentence found in the book "All About Particles" (page 120). It's described as... more
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03/26/19

Pourquoi les animaux ont-ils des noms différents dans l'assiette ?
Je pense notamment à *cochon* et *porc* et *cabillaud* et *morue*. En général on ne mange pas du cochon, mais du porc, et on ne pêche pas de la morue mais du cabillaud.Y a-t-il d'autres animaux, ou... more
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Usage French

03/26/19

If "Je t'aime" means "I love you", how do you say "I like you" in French while still addressing the other person as "tu"?
There doesn't seem to be a way to indicate that one only *likes* a person with whom one is friends, rather than *loves* them. Is there a way to indicate this while still referring to the friend as... more
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03/26/19

ねば in 食べねば; relation between ねば and なければ?
I would like to know a bit more about the "ねば" grammatical construction. Every now and then, I hear people say sentences like > 東京に行かねばならぬ > 粘々丼を食べねば倒れる > なんとかせねばいい It's quite clear... more
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03/26/19

Origin of the word "trombone" in the sense of "paperclip"?
With school around the corner, I got a package of paperclips and I notice the French translation for *paperclip* is the word *trombone*. What does this have to do with the instrument? They look... more
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03/25/19

Should we use the second "tu" in Québec?
Quebecers often add something like a second “*tu*” when asking a question. For example:> T'as tu un crayon ?I just don't know how to use it, like in what kind of expressions/sentences/questions?... more
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03/23/19

Does Italian always use the infinitive where English uses the gerund?
A phrase like "**asking** questions is a sign of a curious mind" is translated in Italian as _**fare** domande è segno di una mente curiosa_; the difference is clearly that English uses the gerund... more
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03/22/19

Is it ever appropriate to hyphenate a verb phrase in French which is used like a single word?
In French, there are many verb phrases which are used like single words, and are not to be interpreted along with the grammar of the surrounding sentence, eg. ‘mise à jour’, ‘mise en jeu’, ‘garde à... more
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03/22/19

Doit-on dire « accro à » ou « accro de » ?
En français, dit-on « accro à » ou « accro de » ?Je viens d'entendre aux informations> Les Français sont accros de leurs animaux.
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03/22/19

What is the difference between "excuse me" and "forgive me"?
I am hesitated when I use the sentence "forgive my fault, please." instead of "excuse me, please." because the word "forgive" has a religious theme and probably carries some additional meanings.... more
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03/22/19

What is the correct method to write measurements in English?
Should it be: **1KG** or **1 KG**? **1M** or **1 M**? **1PM** or **1 PM**? **1GB** or **1 GB**? **1Kmph** or **1 Kmph**? **1Kbps** or **1 Kbps**? or anything else?
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03/21/19

L'usage de « ne » sans un mot associé ?
Généralement, quand on voit *ne* dans une phrase, ce mot est associé avec un autre mot, pour modifier une verbe ; par exemple :> il ne parle pas…> il ne parle plus…> il ne parle que…Mais... more
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03/21/19

Choosing Between Intonation/Est-ce que/Inversion Question Forms?
Bonjour à tous!I'm a bit confused when it comes to choosing how to word a question in French. Like most, if not all of you, I learned that there are 3 ways to ask questions: 1. Intonation: just... more
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03/20/19

Quand utiliser « à tout à l'heure », « à plus tard », « à la prochaine », « à bientôt » ?
On peut traduire «à plus tard», «à la prochaine», «à bientôt» littéralement, en anglais, par «*see you later*», «*see you next time*», «*see you soon*». Cependant, on peut dire «*see you soon*» à... more
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03/20/19

Accord du champ nationalité dans les documents administratifs?
Lorsque l'on doit remplir des documents administratifs, il est souvent demandé notre nationalité. Comment devons nous remplir l'information lorsque l'on est un homme français ?> Nationalité :... more
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03/20/19

Quand dire « Bonjour » et quand dire « Bonsoir » ?
Par exemple, lorsque l'on rencontre des voisins dans un immeuble ou une résidence, par politesse on les salue en disant « Bonjour » ou « Bonsoir » en fonction de l'heure de la journée.Cependant, je... more
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03/20/19

Couldn't we use "du coup" in written French?
I ever heard from my French teacher that "du coup" is used only for spoken usage, but I'm not sure about it.
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03/20/19

Use of “femme” to mean “girlfriend”?
Can *femme* mean *girlfriend*? I just saw a French comedy film in which the main character, a chef, used the term “*ma femme*” and it was always translated in the subtitles as “*my girlfriend*”.... more
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03/19/19

“Bonsoir” or “Bonne soirée”?
I have a small doubt regarding the usage of *Bon soir* and *Bonne soirée*. As far as my understanding goes or you can blindly say what I have been doing till now is: *Bon soir*, when you meet... more
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03/19/19

Difference between "нет" and "не"?
What is the difference between «нет» and «не»? They both seem to mean "no". When should each one be used? Are they interchangeable?
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