french question

chibibecci · (#1 (**permalink**))

Hi, can someone help me with this please..
If you are going to say "I had a rabbit" would it be
"J'avais un lapin" or J'eu un lapin"
Thankyou

clairebear · (#2 (**permalink**))

I think both mean the same thing so you could pick either one D:
but dont listen to me, i suck at french. >_<

noodle · (#3 (**permalink**))

Lets ask nanobyte, he's a genius at languages and he's been studying french for 5 years. lol.....

btw, its j'ai eu un lapin... you can't say "j'eu"

and as claire said, they are both correct... to explain the difference is rather difficult!!! but they are not exactly the same, but i'll try anyway...

when you use "j'ai eu", you should generally say when. "qaund", so basically specify a time!!!. where as the other one, j'avais, its not necesary to state a time!!

hope that helps... ask your teacher for the exact reason why they are different!! If you don't have teacher, check out the difference between passe compose and Imparfait..

lucagalbu · (#4 (**permalink**))

The correct translation is "j'avais un lapin" because, as noodle also said, you're not specifing the moment in the past.

DAMB · (#5 (**permalink**))

Not true. It depends on the context, but if there's none, it's "j'ai eu un lapin".

noodle · (#6 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAMB

Not true. It depends on the context, but if there's none, it's "j'ai eu un lapin".

and why do you say that?

Zer0 · (#7 (**permalink**))

I thought Je was I in french

DAMB · (#8 (**permalink**))

"J'ai eu un lapin" is in the past, cut off from the present. "J'avais un lapin" is in the past, but is linked to the present and therefore requires a follow-up.

Zer0, le "j" in "j'ai" and in "j'avais" is your "je".

noodle · (#9 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAMB

"J'ai eu un lapin" is in the past, cut off from the present. "J'avais un lapin" is in the past, but is linked to the present and therefore requires a follow-up.

right!, to make sure, i asked 3 french people and a french, french teacher! They all said that what you said is wrong... They said that in both cases the action is finished, but with "j'ai eu...." it generally needs a follow-up of either a time or a description of somesort like "who gave it to you"....

So, they both are correct, they both are very similar. but with "j'ai eu..." you are almost obligated to have a follow-up!!!!

DAMB · (#10 (**permalink**))

To make sense, they both need a little context, of course.
Same in English: "I had a rabbit"... yeah so?

And no, I'm most definitely not wrong, I'm right, but believe whomever you choose to believe.