Help with French, please--The French pronunciation thread

[Peppersnoodles93]

Hi!

The kids borrowed my mic, so I will try phonetics:
Nous = new like in New York
sommes = sum (same sound, but a bit long on the "u")
si = see
heureux = I don't know how to write that, but basically you need the "u" of "dumb", then an "r", then another "u" like in dumb. The "h" and "x" are silent.
de = the "e" is again like the "u" of "dumb"
vous = voo
avoir = ah-voo-ahr
ici = ee-see
chere = like the singer Cher

I hope this helps but let me know if you need a recording. It might be a couple of days.

This will work! Thanks a bunch!

[gypsygirl]

Hi!

The kids borrowed my mic, so I will try phonetics:
Nous = new like in New York
sommes = sum (same sound, but a bit long on the "u")
si = see
heureux = I don't know how to write that, but basically you need the "u" of "dumb", then an "r", then another "u" like in dumb. The "h" and "x" are silent.
de = the "e" is again like the "u" of "dumb"
vous = voo
avoir = ah-voo-ahr
ici = ee-see
chere = like the singer Cher

I hope this helps but let me know if you need a recording. It might be a couple of days.

This will work! Thanks a bunch!

To clarify, since new can be pronounced a couple of different ways, nous is new as in "noo", not new as in "nyoo" (ie, nous and vous rhyme).

[tovarisch]

Hi!

The kids borrowed my mic, so I will try phonetics:
Nous = new like in New York
sommes = sum (same sound, but a bit long on the "u")
si = see
heureux = I don't know how to write that, but basically you need the "u" of "dumb", then an "r", then another "u" like in dumb. The "h" and "x" are silent.
de = the "e" is again like the "u" of "dumb"
vous = voo
avoir = ah-voo-ahr

..with the exception that since 'avoir' starts with a vowel, 's' in 'vous' will sound as a 'z' "vous avoir" == "vOOz-ah-vwAhr"..
Also try https://translate.google.com/#auto/fr/Nous%20sommes%20si%20heureux%20de%20vous%20avoir%20ici%2C%20chere%20Aunt%20Maria

ici = ee-see
chere = like the singer Cher

I hope this helps but let me know if you need a recording. It might be a couple of days.

[Peppersnoodles93]

Ok. Thanks guys. I got it recorded already and I looked up the hard looking ones.

[Gavenport]

Me, too, needs help or advice

I read a german text, but now there is a phrase in french i can't speak:

»Bah! on trouve des mots quand on monte à l'assaut;
Oui, j'ai un certain esprit facile et militaire;«

maybe someone could send me this as a soundfile and I insert this in my reading - please tell me then how to mention your help.

or someone could tell me how to spell it and maybe I can reproduce this in an understandable way

thanks a lot in advance!

[tovarisch]

...

»Bah! on trouve des mots quand on monte à l'assaut;
Oui, j'ai un certain esprit facile et militaire;«

...

Something like
BAH ohn(g)-TRUHV deh-MOH kahnt-OHN(g) mohn-tah-lassOH
woo-EE zhee-uehn(g) seh-r-TEN ess-PRIH fah-SILL eh mill-ee-TEHr

(if you go to Google Translate, they have some pronunciation symbol in the lower right corner of each window -- try it after pasting your text in)

Good luck!

[Gavenport]

thanks - that is helpful. now I have to exercise to speak fluently...

[tony123]

thanks - that is helpful. now I have to exercise to speak fluently...

Hi Gavenport,

Just in case you'd like a little help with your rehearsing... Not perfection.. but it should help.

https://librivox.org/uploads/xx-nonproject/for_Gavenport.mp3

Best,

Tony

[Gavenport]

thanks a lot!

[mlcui]

Some help please, I have never tried to speak French before,
and I need to read these sentences for a book.

"Il arrive souvent que des choses se presentent plus achevees a notre
esprit qu'il ne les pourroit faire avec beaucoup d'art."

"yeux verdatres - sorciere aux yeux allechants?"

"Seule, elle peut mon mal guerir"

"Il vout mieux se taire que de dire hors de temps des choses
trop tendres."

Thanks for your help

[ezwa]

Hello mlcui,

Here's an audio file of the few sentences read as such: http://uploads.librivox.org/ezwa/frenchformlcui_20141209.mp3 (full speed, more or less word by word and slowlier than the first time).
Below is the text with accents and modern conjugation's spelling. I added underscores ("_") to show the words are linked, that is to say it's as if you added a "z" between them.

"Il arrive souvent que des choses se présentent plus_achevées_à notre
esprit qu'il ne les pourrait faire avec beaucoup d'art."

"yeux verdâtres - sorcière aux_yeux_alléchants?"

"Seule, elle peut mon mal guérir"

"Il vaut mieux se taire que de dire hors de temps des choses
trop tendres."

[mlcui]

Hello mlcui,

Here's an audio file of the few sentences read as such: http://uploads.librivox.org/ezwa/frenchformlcui_20141209.mp3 (full speed, more or less word by word and slowlier than the first time).
Below is the text with accents and modern conjugation's spelling. I added underscores ("_") to show the words are linked, that is to say it's as if you added a "z" between them.

"Il arrive souvent que des choses se présentent plus_achevées_à notre
esprit qu'il ne les pourrait faire avec beaucoup d'art."

"yeux verdâtres - sorcière aux_yeux_alléchants?"

"Seule, elle peut mon mal guérir"

"Il vaut mieux se taire que de dire hors de temps des choses
trop tendres."

Thank you so much, this is a great help!

[icequeen]

Could I get some French pronunciation help?


J'etais la, telle chose m'advint.


Thank you!

[tovarisch]

I'd say it as

zh-oe-teh LAH , tel-SHOhZ mud-VUn'

'oe' is like the 'i' in sir. The n' is nasal, the 'L's in LAH and 'tel' are softer than the English equivalents.

Good luck!

ETA: meant to point out that 'u' in my transcription are the English closed 'u'. Both stems in m'advint sound like "mud" or "cut" or "bun". Also, you could use Google Translate to get an approximate pronunciation (use the speaker button at the bottom of the text window).

[ezwa]

Hi Ann,

Here's "J'étais là, telle chose m'advint" (normal speed - slowly - normal speed): https://librivox.org/uploads/ezwa/french4icequeen_20141230.mp3 .