Help! Need a french speaker...

Vermilion

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Jul 21, 2006
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How do you say "Like my mother"

as in... you look at yourself in your mirror and realise you look like her.

Please help :)

x
V
 
Ah well Christabelll was quicker off the mark but I look forward to reading the story when it is published here. Good luck with finishing it...
 
It's going to be a Valentine's Day Contest entry, so keep an eye out for it after the 20th january!
x
V <already fishing for votes ;)>
 
Je ressemble à ma mère = I look like my mother

J'ai ressemblé à ma mère = I looked like my mother

Je ressemblais à ma mère = I was looking like my mother

J'ai vu ma mère dans moi = I saw my mother in me

Là, dans le miroir, mon visage de mères a regardé fixement en arrière moi. =
There, in the mirror, my mothers face stared back at me.


Sorry I couldn't resist playing with it a little :)
 
Je ressemble à ma mère = I look like my mother

J'ai ressemblé à ma mère = I looked like my mother

Je ressemblais à ma mère = I was looking like my mother

J'ai vu ma mère dans moi = I saw my mother in me

Là, dans le miroir, mon visage de mères a regardé fixement en arrière moi. =
There, in the mirror, my mothers face stared back at me.


Sorry I couldn't resist playing with it a little :)


Thanks, if I decide to mess with it I'll use your suggestions :)

x
V
 
Je ressemble à ma mère = I look like my mother

J'ai ressemblé à ma mère = I looked like my mother

Je ressemblais à ma mère = I was looking like my mother

J'ai vu ma mère dans moi = I saw my mother in me

Là, dans le miroir, mon visage de mères a regardé fixement en arrière moi. =
There, in the mirror, my mothers face stared back at me.


Sorry I couldn't resist playing with it a little :)

I don't mean to be a bitch but it's not quite right.:(

J'ai ressemblé à ma mère = I looked like my mother: This one doesn't exist in French, I mean nobody would ever say "J'ai ressemblé à ma mère".

Je ressemblais à ma mère = I was looking like my mother: This one is: I looked like my mother.

J'ai vu ma mère dans moi = I saw my mother in me: It should be J'ai vu ma mère en moi.

Là, dans le miroir, mon visage de mères a regardé fixement en arrière moi. =
There, in the mirror, my mother's face stared back at me.: This one should be: Là, dans le miroir, le visage de ma mère me regardait fixement.
 
I don't mean to be a bitch but it's not quite right.:(

J'ai ressemblé à ma mère = I looked like my mother: This one doesn't exist in French, I mean nobody would ever say "J'ai ressemblé à ma mère".

Je ressemblais à ma mère = I was looking like my mother: This one is: I looked like my mother.

J'ai vu ma mère dans moi = I saw my mother in me: It should be J'ai vu ma mère en moi.

Là, dans le miroir, mon visage de mères a regardé fixement en arrière moi. =
There, in the mirror, my mother's face stared back at me.: This one should be: Là, dans le miroir, le visage de ma mère me regardait fixement.

but "comme ma mère" is fine...?

x
V
 
but "comme ma mère" is fine...?

x
V


It depends on your sentence. French is a very tricky language and everything depends on what else is in the sentence and what exactly you're trying to say.

Let me give you an example. If you were saying 'I looked like my mother', then in French it would be 'Je ressemblais à ma mère'.

But, if you were saying "I make apple tarts like my mother', then it would be "Je fais les tartes au pommes comme ma mère."

You see, everything is in what you are saying and what is contained in your sentence.
 
But, if you were saying "I make apple tarts like my mother', then it would be "Je fais les tartes au pommes comme ma mère."

You see, everything is in what you are saying and what is contained in your sentence.

But, if you were saying "Je fais les tartes au pommes comme ma belle-mère." then you would be a paragon.

Og
 
OK. for utmost clarification i will post the pertinent sentences...
When she had finished she barely recognised herself. She looked… glamorous.
“Comme ma mère,” she said, smiling sadly.


x
V
 
I go with Lady C – isn’t she always right?

‘I am like my mother (habits)’ – Je suis semblable à ma mère

‘I look like my mother’ – Je ressemble à ma mère

‘I looked like my mother’ – Je ressemblait à ma mère

‘Like mother, like daughter’ – telle mère, telle fille.

A bit like the nice Surrey girl was saying to Selena about English, your phrase doesn’t sound quite right in a Frenchwoman’s mouth. I think I would say, “Tout comme ma mere!” (Just like my mother!) to stress the point. ‘Comme’ alone seems a bit weak as an expletive.

Just MHO.
 
I think I would say, “Tout comme ma mere!” (Just like my mother!) to stress the point. ‘Comme’ alone seems a bit weak as an expletive.

Just MHO.

Maybe if she were angry, but in the context, I think "comme ma mère" works better. At least that's how I'd say it.
 
I go with Lady C – isn’t she always right?

‘I am like my mother (habits)’ – Je suis semblable à ma mère

‘I look like my mother’ – Je ressemble à ma mère

‘I looked like my mother’ – Je ressemblait à ma mère

‘Like mother, like daughter’ – telle mère, telle fille.

A bit like the nice Surrey girl was saying to Selena about English, your phrase doesn’t sound quite right in a Frenchwoman’s mouth. I think I would say, “Tout comme ma mere!” (Just like my mother!) to stress the point. ‘Comme’ alone seems a bit weak as an expletive.

Just MHO.

it's not expletive, it's just a sad little comment that she mutters to her own reflection... i want to downplay it really...

Anyhow, since I have this thread going and it's full of my little femmes francais I will be back to ask for more translations *and* to find beta readers for the final product :D
hee hee

thanks for volunteering yourselves ;)

x
V
 
I go with Lady C – isn’t she always right?

‘I am like my mother (habits)’ – Je suis semblable à ma mère

‘I look like my mother’ – Je ressemble à ma mère

‘I looked like my mother’ – Je ressemblait à ma mère

‘Like mother, like daughter’ – telle mère, telle fille.

A bit like the nice Surrey girl was saying to Selena about English, your phrase doesn’t sound quite right in a Frenchwoman’s mouth. I think I would say, “Tout comme ma mere!” (Just like my mother!) to stress the point. ‘Comme’ alone seems a bit weak as an expletive.

Just MHO.

Elfin is absolutely right......and no, I'm not always right.:eek:
 
OK... I want this translated please, but I'd like it just *slightly* off... as if it was being said by an English person with fluent French, but there was just enough 'wrong' to show them up to a native french speaker... got that?

“Ah shit, why did I agree to do this? All these bloody women – why am I wasting my time here? Bloody amateurs.”

x
V

ps- thanks ladies
 
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