FR: He was an angel

[Jeremy Sharpe]

Bonjour,

I know that in French you drop the 'un' or 'le' type thing when talking about being in some type of profession. For example you use "Je suis pilot" to mean "I am a pilot", but can you do the same thing when it's not a job you're talking about? For example, I wanted to say "He was an angel" (in the past), so I wrote "Il était ange", but I'm not sure if that's right.

Merci beaucoup!

EDIT: Oh, I just realized that "He was an angel" is an idiomatic expression. Any ideas of a similar expression in French?

EDIT 2: Sorry, for context: he's not ACTUALLY an angel, he's just a really nice person.

 

[Cath.S.]

Hi Jeremy,
in fact, we won't use il here, we'll say
"c'était un ange"
You have to keep the indefinite article.
In French we also use that expression.

 

[Jeremy Sharpe]

Thanks!

On a completely unrelated note, are "greenhouse gas emissions" in French "émissions au niveau"? I looked in the dictionary, but it wasn't completely clear.

 

[Cath.S.]

Thanks!

On a completely unrelated note, are "greenhouse gas emissions" in French "émissions au niveau"? I looked in the dictionary, but it wasn't completely clear.

Since you're new to the forum, I'll tell you something les habitués know: you must start a new thread for each new question. Thanks!

 

[le chat noir]

Hi Jeremy,
in fact, we won't use il here, we'll say
"c'était un ange"
You have to keep the indefinite article.
In French we also use that expression.

I guess the definite article is only used for actual human beings in French, contrary to English : "il était marin" for "he was a sailor", but "c'était un démon" for "he was a devil" .

If you don't put any article in French between two substantives it makes the second one sound like an adjective. It is only possible to express a comparison, something like "he was looking like/behaving like/reminding me of/ something".

for instance : "il était ange plus que démon" would mean "he looked more like an angel than a demon"

 

[DDT]

Since you're new to the forum, I'll tell you something les habitués know: you must start a new thread for each new question. Thanks!

Thanks egueule for pointing it out!

DDT

 

[DDT]

Thanks!

On a completely unrelated note, are "greenhouse gas emissions" in French "émissions au niveau"? I looked in the dictionary, but it wasn't completely clear.

I'd suggest "émissions de gas provoquant l'effet de serre"

DDT

 

[le chat noir]

I'd suggest "émissions de gas provoquant l'effet de serre"

DDT

That would be syntactically perfect but sound a bit heavy or unusual (like "emissions of gases causing greenhouse effect" instead of "greenhouse gas emuissions" ).
As far as I know, "émissions de gaz à effet de serre" is exactly the way to put it both in scientific speeches an in all-day language.

 

[jacque]

i cannot find the term "soileil" in the dictionary. can you please tell me the translation?
ta.

 

[Gil]

"Ange, Greenhouse, soileil", une chatte ne retrouverait pas ses petits dans ce fouillis...

 

[Gil]

i cannot find the term "soileil" in the dictionary. can you please tell me the translation?
ta.

Welcome Jacques,
It's your first time, and the moderator probably will give you some hints on how we operate.
I suspect that the word you are looking for is "soleil" which means "sun", as in "Cirque du soleil".
If I am wrong, add some context and I am sure somebody will figure out an answer.

 

[Cath.S.]

Chassé loin de la terre par les émissions de gaz à effets de serre, l'ange se rapprochait dangereusement du soleil.
Quant à la chatte, elle observait ce phénomène avec intérêt, et disait à ses petits
"Je vous ai retrouvés, mes chatons, malgré les prédictions du prophète canadien, mais vous voilà bien amaigris! Vous devez être affamés! Prenez patience, la dépouille de l'ange va bientêt réintégrer l'atmosphère - et vous verrez, c'est délicieux, l'ange cuit ! Bien meilleur que les fast food, et bien plus sain !"

 

[DDT]

i cannot find the term "soileil" in the dictionary. can you please tell me the translation?
ta.

Hi jaque,
Welcome to WR forums!

Let me please invite you to post different requests in new threads

Anyway, as Gil already guessed, I think the word you're after is "soleil" ("sun")

DDT

 

[Gil]

Chassé loin de la terre par les émissions de gaz à effets de serre, l'ange se rapprochait dangereusement du soleil.
Quant à la chatte, elle observait ce phénomène avec intérêt, et disait à ses petits
"Je vous ai retrouvés, mes chatons, malgré les prédictions du prophète canadien, mais vous voilà bien amaigris! Vous devez être affamés! Prenez patience, la dépouille de l'ange va bientêt réintégrer l'atmosphère - et vous verrez, c'est délicieux, l'ange cuit ! Bien meilleur que les fast food, et bien plus sain !"

Merci. J'ai vu la lumière et ne m'inquiéterai plus pour les chatons.

 

[le chat noir]

i cannot find the term "soileil" in the dictionary. can you please tell me the translation?
ta.

Before this question gets moved to an independent thread or whatever, "soileil" is most likely a misspelling of "soleil" (sun).

 

[sophievm]

"émissions de gas provoquant l'effet de serre" => "émissions de gaz à effet de serre"

 

[jacque]

Thanks.
and yes, i think it is the mispellling of 'sun'.

 

[charlie2]

Chassé loin de la terre par les émissions de gaz à effets de serre, l'ange se rapprochait dangereusement du soleil.
Quant à la chatte, elle observait ce phénomène avec intérêt, et disait à ses petits
"Je vous ai retrouvés, mes chatons, malgré les prédictions du prophète canadien, mais vous voilà bien amaigris! Vous devez être affamés! Prenez patience, la dépouille de l'ange va bientêt réintégrer l'atmosphère - et vous verrez, c'est délicieux, l'ange cuit ! Bien meilleur que les fast food, et bien plus sain !"

Nobody ever wonders what that is or everybody understands it except me? I mean I understand what it says but what is it? I'd better check how many lives I still have! As one of my former French teachers said, "Explain me, please!"

 

[le chat noir]

Driven far away from Earth by greenhouse gas emissions, the angel was dangerously nearing the Sun.
As for the cat, she watched this event keenly, and was saying to her cubs: "I found you back, my kittens, despite the forecasts of the Canadian prophet, but see how skinny you became! You must be starving! Be patient, the angel's corpse will soon reenter the atmosphere - and mark my words, cooked angel is a delight ! Much better than fast food, and much healthier!"
​

 

[charlie2]

Driven far away from Earth by greenhouse gas emissions, the angel was dangerously nearing the Sun.
As for the cat, she watched this event keenly, and was saying to her cubs: "I found you back, my kittens, despite the forecasts of the Canadian prophet, but see how skinny you became! You must be starving! Be patient, the angel's corpse will soon reenter the atmosphere - and mark my words, cooked angel is a delight ! Much better than fast food, and much healthier!"
​

How can I thank you, having done this for me (je suppose), le chat noir !? Tu est gentil. Trop.
Mais non, malheureusement, ce n'est pas ce que je voudrais! Le contexte, je voudrais savoir le contexte, comme on dit toujours sur ce forum.

 

[Cath.S.]

How can I thank you, having done this for me (je suppose), le chat noir !? Tu est gentil. Trop.
Mais non, malheureusement, ce n'est pas ce que je voudrais! Le contexte, je voudrais savoir le contexte, comme on dit toujours sur ce forum.

Le contexte, tu l'as sous les yeux, Charlie : ce petit délire m'a été inspiré par la réflexion de Gil concernant le désordre qui régnait/règne sur ce fil.

 

[charlie2]

Le contexte, tu l'as sous les yeux, Charlie : ce petit délire m'a été inspiré par la réflexion de Gil concernant le désordre qui régnait/règne sur ce fil.

I seem to have provided more of ce petit délire. My apologies, especially to le chat noir. (Boy, have I been confused when reading that thread!)
But that was some story, believe it or not.