# FR: It's too bad that we were not able to talk



## lovenotregret

Bonjour à tous!

I would like to say: _"It's too bad that we were not able to talk yesterday,"_ but the construction proves complicated for me.  I'd really appreciate it if someone can verify if my attempt worked, or suggest corrections! Thank you in advance!!

my attempt: C'est dommage que nous nous n'ayons pas pu parler hier.


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## itka

> _C'est dommage que nous _nous_ n'ayons pas pu (nous) parler hier._


I think it's fine !


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## lovenotregret

so I need three 'nous' in one sentence?!


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## Tim~!

Nope.  I think itka missed that there were two together, side by side


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## lovenotregret

Thanks so much!! Really appreciate your help.


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## itka

What did I miss, Tim ? _(hello Tim ! )_ What do you mean ?
.............................
oh... just a moment ! I said your sentence was fine... it was not ! Sorry !

So, you said : _"It's too bad that we were not able to talk yesterday,"_
_C'est dommage que *nous nous* n'ayons pas pu parler hier.
_
The right translation is : _C'est dommage que *nous* n'ayons pas pu (*nous*) parler._
I think the second "nous" can be omitted because your sentence in English could mean "we were not able to talk" as well as "we were not able to talk *together*" _(one to the other one)_.

OK, Capello ! Heureusement, tu es là ! Je suis fatiguée !


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## Maître Capello

Tim~! said:


> Nope.  I think itka missed that there were two together, side by side


She didn't miss it because the 2 side-by-side _nous_ are incorrect and you only need 1 or 2 _nous_'s, not 3…

_C'est dommage que *nous **nous* n'ayons pas pu parler hier._ 

_C'est dommage que *nous nous *n'ayons pas pu *nous *parler hier._ 

_C'est dommage que *nous *n'ayons pas pu parler hier._ 
_
C'est dommage que *nous *n'ayons pas pu *nous *parler hier._


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## lovenotregret

Unfortunately I sent the (grammatically incorrect) message already but I will now definitely remember next time! Thank you all!


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## brian

The inclusion or exclusion of the second _nous_ is just like in English:

_It's a shame we weren't able to talk *to each other* yesterday.
It's a shame we weren't able to talk yesterday._

Both are correct, but most people would probably say the second one since the subject _we _already implies that the talking concerns us alone. If not, you'd have to specify, e.g. _It's a shame we weren't able to talk *to John/to her/with them* yesterday._


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## Tim~!

Maître Capello said:


> She didn't miss it because the 2 side-by-side _nous_ are incorrect and you only need 1 or 2 _nous_'s, not 3…


Which is exactly what I was saying.  

I meant that itka, when rendering her amended sentence, hadn't noticed that the thread-starter had incorrectly placed two _nous_ side by side in the original, not that the third one was a repeat of the second, so that she had posted a translation which had three in (two + the one she'd added) 

I'm 100% sure that itka didn't free type (she would have copied/pasted or quoted), and that's why the two _nous_ found themselves together in her answer, to which she added another _nous_ (in her mind the second, but in actuality the third) to represent the optional "parler (à nous)".

My point was that she'd submitted a response which had something added but not taken out, and I meant that that was because she hadn't noticed that the two _nous_ were running together (and, if she had, she would have removed one to leave two, with her added one in the correct place).

Sorry, I've just re-read my post and admit it could come across as "itka added that one because she hadn't noticed that you'd already included it", which isn't what I meant.


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## itka

> I'm 100% sure that itka didn't free type (she would have copied/pasted or quoted)


And you are 100% right ! 
Sorry, sorry, sorry, for not having seen the two "nous" together !


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## Tim~!

It happens all the time.  My boss often writes _the the_ in English when he's changing things, and they only get caught at the last minute if I'm being particularly attentive, since the two together get ackonwledged by the brain automatically as one.

No problem of course, and I should have explained better what I meant anyway


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## Leslie319

Je sais bien que c'est un vieux fil, mais j'ai une question au même sujet. 

Si je veux dire la même chose au présent, serait-il «C'est dommage que nous ne puissions pas parler aujourd'hui.»? 

Meaning, "It's too bad that we can't chat/talk today."

Merci!


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## Chimel

Leslie319 said:


> Si je veux dire la même chose au présent, serait-il «C'est dommage que nous ne puissions pas parler aujourd'hui.»?


Yes, fine ! 

Alternatively, as Itka suggested, "... que nous ne puissions pas nous parler".


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