Learning French
The following is a story from earlier this autumn...
P was working on her piano.
I was trying to help.
She was getting frustrated.
"Tu m'énerve!*" she said.
C was horrified.
"You can't say that to her! P! That's like saying that to MOM!!!"
P looked worried.
I asked what it meant, exactly.
(I seemed to sort of remember something about the... and the context...and it sort of sounds like...
OK, yeah, I wasn't sure.)
C tried to explain. Repeatedly. However, she sensed that I wasn't quite getting the gist of what she was trying to tell me.
She walked out of the room, and P looked at me sideways, a look of fear in her eyes.
I was handed a large, heavy English-French dictionary. This one is about 7 times bigger than any we have, and is considered the "Petit Larousse."
It was open to the page.
I looked at the definition. Then, I looked at P.
She looked scared.
"C'est d'accord, P. Quelquefois, tu m'énerve aussi."**
*Tu m'énerve. You irritate me. (drive me nuts, bother)
**C'est d'accord..." That's OK, P. Sometimes, you irritate me, too.
3 Comments:
I love this phrase. Depending on the context, it can range from "you're annoying me" to "you're pissing me off".
I would never say it to my boss, however ;)
I would be just as horrified that she used the "tu" form. My children were always to use "Vous" while speaking to their teachers and sitters.
Hi Mrs. B! I can't remember how I found your blog, but I was a nanny in Paris after high school and your writing is bringing back so many memories. Thanks!
"Tu m'enerve" is one of the first phrases I learned from my five year old charge. I also learned "tu es moche" and "tu es ridicule, et je ne te parle plus."
Ok, maybe nannying wasn't the greatest part of my stay, but I adore Paris!!
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