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19/05/2008, 11:09 Monika Joined on 23/08/2004 Dorset/Suisse Normande/Switzerland Posts 626 French a difficult language? For all those with trouble learning French something to cheer you up. I have just read that the verb "aider " has thirty- six possible endings. Do the French know all these endings by heart, have we ever got a chance to learn all these? (This could be a question for Frenchie and Jimmy taktak?). I think I stick to talking in the "present tense"!    Report

19/05/2008, 11:17 Maricopa Joined on 01/10/2007 Hérault Posts 166 Re: French a difficult language? Hi Monika I would suggest you buy a copy of  Bescherelle's " Complete guide to cojugating 12000 French verbs", and you will see that all verbs technically have many more forms than that, probably in the order of 100!    Report

19/05/2008, 11:28 Monika Joined on 23/08/2004 Dorset/Suisse Normande/Switzerland Posts 626 Re: French a difficult language? Maricopa, it's a good idea to get one of these, but is this Bescherelle guide a huge book or just a little one I can take everywhere, I am looking for a small handy one with all the most important verbs? Any advice?    Report

19/05/2008, 11:40 cooperlola Joined on 05/05/2006 72 - Sarthe - home of les 24 heures du Mans Posts 6,381 Re: French a difficult language? I like the Larousse de Poche, "Le Pratique du Francais" as a general grammar and verb guide.  Available HERE Healthcare Issues Site    Report

19/05/2008, 11:43 Clair Joined on 23/08/2004 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot (46) Posts 6,427 Re: French a difficult language?  Monika wrote: For all those with trouble learning French something to cheer you up. I have just read that the verb "aider " has thirty- six possible endings. Do the French know all these endings by heart, have we ever got a chance to learn all these? (This could be a question for Frenchie and Jimmy taktak?). I think I stick to talking in the "present tense"! I suspect that Frenchie, like me, had to learn all these by heart at school, and not just for the simple verbs like aider (1er groupe) or finir (2ème groupe), but also those from the 3rd group like paraître, vaincre and moudre... Do I use all the tenses? No not all of them, but some of them are part of everyday conversation: présent du sbujonctif, futur antérieur, conditionel passé... but without thinking about it, it's just instinctive. Clair, a Real Virtual French Person Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour    Report

19/05/2008, 11:44 Maricopa Joined on 01/10/2007 Hérault Posts 166 Re: French a difficult language? Hi again Its about 140mm x 200mm x 10mm (about A5 size).  Big pocket size, but be aware there is a version with grammar in as well, that is much thicker and heavier! Sorry, can't remember the cost.    Report

19/05/2008, 12:18 Juswundrin Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 208 Re: French a difficult language? " I am looking for a small handy one with all the most important verbs? Any advice?" Larousse do a series of small grammar guides including one called "Mini Verificateur: Conjugaison", which I highly recommend; just about every tense / ending for 8000 verbs. It's about 3" x 4", so easy to carry around if you need to. We got ours from Leclerc, cost just €3.32.    Report

19/05/2008, 16:58 Cathy Joined on 07/03/2006 Mostly near Bordeaux; Sometimes near Bristol Posts 1,688 Re: French a difficult language? This is the book for verbs.  So popular it is in its 5th edition. http://www.amazon.co.uk/501-French-Verbs-Verb/dp/0764124293 Cathy ----- Your children won't remember you ironing their pyjamas but they will remember you reading them a bedside story.    Report

20/05/2008, 9:54 J.R's gone native Joined on 16/07/2006 Picardie, Sussex Posts 1,728 Re: French a difficult language? I have it too Cathy and find it is better for a begnner as it has descriptions and examples in English, however it is hardly portable which the OP wants, mine sat in the bureau and the Bescherelle travelled with me. I dont carry anything now and prefer to wing it, writing the above made me reflect that I actually stopped taking my E-F F-E dictionary around with me very quickly whereas the Bescherelle I carried for over a year. So to comment on the question in the subject line, I would say that for me the conjugation and tenses were, and still are the hardest.    Report

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