Chapter 23 Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs In This Chapter ᮣ Deciphering nuances ᮣ Recognizing false friends F rench has many ways a nonnative speaker can mix up verbs or use them incorrectly. The mix-ups are a result of these three problems: ߜ These verbs sound like or are spelled similarly to an English verb. An example is rester. This verb doesn’t mean to rest; it means to stay. ߜ These verbs have the same meaning in English but are used differently in French. For example, the verb visiter means (you guessed it) to visit, but you can’t use it to say that you’re visiting friends. (Refer to “Visiting a Place or Visiting a Person” in this chapter.) ߜ Other verbs change their meanings by changing the preposition that follows them. One common example is the verb jouer (to play). It can take the preposition à or de, depend- ing on what you’re playing. (Check out “Playing a Game or Playing an Instrument” later in this chapter for more info.) This chapter shows you how to use these verbs correctly and explains the nuances that they may entail. (Chapter 10 also looks at different types of verbs that nonnatives some- times mix up.) Visiting a Place or Visiting a Person French has two different verbs that mean to visit. One is visiter, which is a regular -er verb conjugated just like parler (to speak) — see Chapter 2 for more on regular -er verbs. Use the verb visiter to visit places, such as cities, countries, museums, and so on. Nous avons visité le Louvre l’année dernière. (We visited the Louvre last year.) Ils visiteront le Tibet au printemps. (They will visit Tibet in the spring.) To visit a person, use the verbal construction rendre visite à, which translates as to pay a visit to someone. You conjugate the verb rendre, which is a regular -re verb, and keep visite the way it is. Just remember to add the preposition à before the person or people you’re vis- iting. The person or people to whom you’re paying a visit are always the indirect object of this verb. Il rend visite à ses grands-parents chaque été. (He visits his grandparents every summer.) Est-ce que tu as rendu visite à tes amis hier? (Did you visit your friends yesterday?) 32_773883 ch23.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 249 Spending Time or Spending Money English doesn’t have a difference between spending time or spending money because both constructions use the same verb. In French, the verb to use when you spend time doing something is passer. Je passe mon temps à jardiner . (I spend my time gardening.) Les enfants ont passé leur été à jouer à la plage. (The children spent their summer playing at the beach. ) In addition to meaning to spend, you also use passer in the construction passer un examen, which means to take an exam, such as with Les étudiants ont passé cinq examens cette semaine (The students took five exams this week). In this context, the verb doesn’t actually tell you anything about whether the students passed the exam or not. To express spending money, use the verb dépenser. Elle a dépensé tout son salaire. (She spent her entire salary.) Nous dépensons beaucoup d’argent au centre commercial. (We spend a lot of money at the mall. ) Sometimes you use the verb dépenser to express other things that you spend (or use), such as gas, water, or electricity. La climatisation dépense beaucoup d’électricité. (Air conditioning uses a lot of electricity. ) Knowing People or Places or Knowing Something French has two different verbs that mean to know. You use one for people and places, and you use the other for facts and saying that you know how to do something. Use the verb connaître with people, places, and things. It expresses the idea that you’re acquainted with or have a familiarity with someone or something. You need to follow this verb with a direct object because it’s a transitive verb; it can’t be followed by a clause or by another verb. (Check out Chapter 1 for more on transitive verbs.) Je connais le PDG de l’entreprise. (I know the CEO of the company.) Connaissez-vous l’histoire de la France? (Do you know the history of France?) Nous connaissons le Quartier Latin. (We know the Latin Quarter.) On the other hand, the verb savoir means to know facts, such as dates, names, addresses, and telephone numbers, or to know something by heart, as well as to know how to do something. Il sait le numéro de téléphone de Céline. (He knows Celine’s telephone number.) Nous savons parler arabe. (We know how to speak Arabic.) Je sais quand il part. (I know when he’s leaving.) When you want to say, I know or I don’t know, you use the verb savoir. 250 Part VI: The Part of Tens 32_773883 ch23.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 250 Savez-vous quelle heure il est? (Do you know what time it is?) Je ne sais pas. (I don’t know.) Playing a Game or Playing an Instrument To play a game, a sport, or an instrument, use the verb jouer (to play), which is a reg- ular -er verb (check out Chapter 2). That’s not so confusing, but the preposition that follows this verb makes all the difference. Use jouer with the preposition à when play- ing sports or a game. Les enfants jouent au football le samedi. (The children play soccer on Saturdays.) Nous jouons aux échecs. (We play chess.) When playing a musical instrument, use jouer with the preposition de. Mes filles jouent du violon. (My daughters play violin.) Il aime jouer de la batterie. (He likes to play the drums.) Leaving or Leaving Something Behind The verbs partir, s’en aller, quitter, and laisser all mean to leave, but you use them differently. Partir and s’en aller are synonyms. When you want to say quite simply I am leaving or someone or something is leaving, use these verbs. Je m’en vais. (I’m leaving.) Il part. (He is leaving.) Le train part à dix heures. (The train leaves at 10 o’clock.) On the other hand, the verb quitter is always followed by a direct object. In other words, use this verb when you’re leaving a place or a person. When quitter is used with people, it usually means to abandon. Elle a quitté la salle. (She left the room.) Il a quitté sa femme. (He left his wife.) The verb laisser means that you’re leaving something behind. J’ai laissé mes clés dans la voiture. (I left my keys in the car.) Ils laissent leurs affaires partout. (They leave their things everywhere.) You also use the verb laisser to mean to allow or to let someone do something when it’s followed by an infinitive. Je laisse jouer les enfants. (I let the children play.) Il me laisse partir. (He’s letting me leave.) 251 Chapter 23: Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs 32_773883 ch23.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 251 Returning Home, Returning Something, or Just Returning French has four verbs that mean to return or to come back. They are retourner, rentrer, revenir, and rendre. You use retourner for coming back to a place other than home. Le chien retourne à son endroit favori. (The dog returns to his favorite spot.) Les étudiants retournent à l’école. (The students return to school.) You use the verb revenir (to come back) like the verb retourner (to return), but revenir implies to come back to the same place you set off from. The verbs retourner and revenir take the auxiliary être when used in a compound past tense like the passé composé. (See Chapter 12 for more on the passé composé.) Unlike revenir, retourner can be followed by a direct object, in which case it takes the auxiliary avoir. Je reviendrai dans un quart d’heure. (I’ll be back in 15 minutes.) You use the verb rentrer to mean to return home. Remember that this verb, like the verbs revenir and retourner, takes the auxiliary être when you use it in a compound past tense like the passé composé. Nous sommes rentrés tard hier soir. (We came back [home] late last night.) Elle rentre toujours à sept heures. (She always comes home at 7 o’clock.) You use rendre when you return something, usually a borrowed object, or when you give something back. Il a rendu les livres à la bibliothèque. (He returned the books to the library.) Le professeur rend les compositions. (The professor is giving back the compositions.) Leading, Bringing, or Taking Someone The verbs amener, ramener, emmener, and remmener are all compounds of the verb mener (to lead). Le Maire mène le défilé. (The Mayor is leading the parade.) Elle mène une vie privée. (She leads a private life.) Amener means to bring someone somewhere, and ramener means to bring someone back. Elle amène ses enfants à l’école. (She brings her children to school.) Elle ramène ses enfants de l’école. (She brings back her children from school.) Emmener means to take someone along, and remmener means to take someone back. Quand nous allons en vacances, nous emmenons notre fille. (When we go on vacation, we take our daughter along. ) Il doit remmener sa petite amie. (He has to take his girlfriend back.) 252 Part VI: The Part of Tens 32_773883 ch23.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 252 Carrying, Bringing, Taking, or Taking Back Something Apporter, rapporter, emporter, and remporter are compounds of porter (to wear). You can use these verbs with things. You also use the verb porter when you carry something. Nous portons notre sac à dos. (We are carrying our book bag.) Le petit chaperon rouge porte une corbeille. (Little Red Riding Hood is carrying a basket. ) The verb apporter means to bring something, and rapporter is to bring something back. Je vais apporter une bouteille de vin. (I am going to bring a bottle of wine.) Papa, rapporte des chocolats de Suisse. (Dad, bring some chocolates back from Switzerland. ) To take something along with you, use the verb emporter. Nous emportons des vêtements chauds pour notre voyage en Alaska. (We are taking warm clothes for our trip to Alaska. ) Also, use emporter when you take out or carry out food. Ce restaurant a des plats délicieux à emporter. (This restaurant has delicious meals to/for takeout. ) Remporter means to take back or to take away. Remportez le bifteck, ce n’est pas assez cuit. (Take back the steak; it’s not cooked enough. ) Les étudiants remportent leurs cahiers à la fin du semestre. (The students take back their notebooks at the end of the semester. ) Thinking or Thinking About In French, the verb penser (to think) is a regular -er verb. However, you can follow this verb with either the preposition à or the preposition de. How do you choose between these two prepositions? Well, if you want to say that you’re thinking about someone or something, use the preposition à. Il pense à ses enfants. (He’s thinking of/about his children.) Nous pensons à notre avenir. (We’re thinking about our future.) You use penser de to ask the question What do you think about someone or something? Qu’est-ce que tu penses de ton patron? (What do you think of your boss?) Que pensent-ils du film? (What do they think about the film?) 253 Chapter 23: Ten Most Frequently Mixed-Up Verbs 32_773883 ch23.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 253 Don’t use the preposition de to answer these questions. Instead, use penser que in your response. Qu’est-ce que tu penses de ton patron? (What do you think of your boss?) You answer: Je pense qu’il est gentil. (I think he is nice.) Waiting or Attending French has many false friends, or faux amis. These false friends are words that may look the same as a word in English but have a different meaning. This is the case with the verbs attendre and assister à. Keep in mind that attendre doesn’t mean to attend and assister à doesn’t mean to assist. In fact, assister à means to attend. Don’t forget to use the preposition à after this verb. Nous assisterons à la conference. (We will attend the lecture/conference.) Ils assistent au match. (They are attending the game.) Attendre means to wait for and is a transitive verb in French that’s followed by a direct object. (Refer to Chapter 1 for more on transitive verbs.) Elle attend ses amies. (She’s waiting for her friends.) J’attends les résultats. (I’m waiting for the results.) 254 Part VI: The Part of Tens 32_773883 ch23.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 254 . il part. (I know when he’s leaving.) When you want to say, I know or I don’t know, you use the verb savoir. 250 Part VI: The Part of Tens 32_773883 ch23.qxp 8/2/06 1:39 PM Page 250 Savez-vous. before the person or people you’re vis- iting. The person or people to whom you’re paying a visit are always the indirect object of this verb. Il rend visite à ses grands-parents chaque été. (He visits. on. Nous avons visité le Louvre l’année dernière. (We visited the Louvre last year.) Ils visiteront le Tibet au printemps. (They will visit Tibet in the spring.) To visit a person, use the verbal