French language Q&A Forum

An example gave "vous vous etes bien amuses?"

Whereas the correct answer in the quick Test was "Vous vous etes cache"

example showing vous is plural

test question showing vous is singular

Female professor would not use the title professeuse?

Hi Aurélie: Maybe you could put some clarification in the lessons re. the above le/du question. Unfortunately, it falls in the middle of the partitive and the definite article lessons. As your examples above, I had always seen that the definite article was used for general cases, the classic being “J’aime le thé”. But to me, “Je bois le thé” seems just as general (and same meaning). As would “Je mange le pain”. But it seems that for verbs involving consumption of the item that the partitive should be used; as in one of the lesson questions “Je bois du jus d’orange au petit-déjeuner.” That sure seems general to me. Would “I like tea at breakfast” now be “du thé” ? Thank you.

I am surprised that is listed without a black label warning...........................

Chatte is "pussy" in English with the same in your face sexual connotation attached to both. In polite conversation with a proper Frenchman your female cat is always a but when using a pronoun. Educated (et éduqués, i.e. properly brought up, another matter entirely) middle-class Frenchman never use , unless for some reason they wish to be vulgar. 

To wit: when I visit a French friend (male or female) and ask where her female cat is, I say , and she answers has gone the way on PUSSY in English, which admittedly may refer to any cat, a distinction without present consequence IMO. "Pussy" and are best left in the locker room, my friends. I never use either and get along just fine in locker rooms and drawing rooms. While I'm at it, there is not word in English for a female cat - you're female cat is, well, just a female cat. Mine is whining just now over imagined wrongs, so I'll get off whilst I'm ahead. Ciao!

Without being specific, would one say “j’ai une chienne” or “j’ai un chien” when the dog in question is female?