# I'm sorry I don't speak French, only English, could you help me?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 30, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177 "2017-11-30T19:51:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177/61 "2017-12-05T00:22:04Z")

</div>

> [@MacLir](#):
>
> That is a literal translation of what you said, but takes on a different meaning due to word order.
> 
> Des singes de reddition qui manger le fromage says closer to what you meant.

Des singes de reddition qui mangent le fromage ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177/62 "2017-12-05T01:38:48Z")

</div>

> [@gigi](#):
>
> Des singes de reddition qui mangent le fromage ?

The monkeys of surrender who eat the cheese?

Nahh, it loses some zing in the translation.

Now maybe, monkeys of surrender who cut the cheese?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177/63 "2017-12-05T04:15:51Z")

</div>

Romanes eunt domus ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177/64 "2017-12-05T04:51:12Z")

</div>

Many, many years ago a couple of carloads of RPI students drove up to Montreal to meet some GIRLS. They were having none of my high school french and the six of them walked out. An hour later, two came back with more girlfriends. We were buying the drinks!

I speak passable kindergarten level Italian and lapse into that when in France. I have always found that more wine improves my French/Italian and their English.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177/65 "2017-12-05T14:54:30Z")

</div>

> [@gigi](#):
>
> Des singes de reddition qui mangent le fromage ?

You are right - I used the wrong verb tense. :smack:

As I said …

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-i-dont-speak-french-only-english-could-you-help-me/803177.md?page=3)