# FR: Leaving the house was tricky this morning



## jnschaub

I was trying to tell my French mommy friend that I was sorry for being late to meet her and her daughter at the park. I also wanted to say “Leaving the house was very tricky/difficult/challenging this morning” (my kids kept needing their diapers changed and wanted to keep playing at home instead of leaving). 

  Would/could I say:
  “Desolée que nous sommes en retard. Partant (en partant?) de chez nous était trés embêtant/difficile ce matin.”

  Is there an equivalent to the “-ing” tense in French? 

  In another example, if I wanted to say “Trying to leave the house was difficult this morning” would I say “essayant de partir de chez nous était trés embêtant/difficile ce matin.”

  I’d appreciate any help with this. 

  Thanks-


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## sunsail

Salut,
you can make in this way,
essay +er = essayant
passer = passant 
manger=mangant

it should be
“essayant de partir  la maison  était trés embêtant/difficile ce matin."





jnschaub said:


> I was trying to tell my French mommy friend that I was sorry for being late to meet her and her daughter at the park. I also wanted to say “Leaving the house was very tricky/difficult/challenging this morning” (my kids kept needing their diapers changed and wanted to keep playing at home instead of leaving).
> 
> Would/could I say:
> “Desolée que nous sommes en retard. Partant (en partant?) de chez nous était trés embêtant/difficile ce matin.”
> 
> Is there an equivalent to the “-ing” tense in French?
> 
> In another example, if I wanted to say “Trying to leave the house was difficult this morning” would I say “essayant de partir de chez nous était trés embêtant/difficile ce matin.”
> 
> I’d appreciate any help with this.
> 
> Thanks-


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## tilt

sunsail said:


> Salut,
> you can make in this way,
> essay +er = essayant
> passer = passant
> manger=*mangeant*
> 
> it should be
> “essayant de partir *de* la maison  était trés embêtant/difficile ce matin."


I'm sorry but this is incorrect; these forms don't work here.

The English present participle (the _-ing_ form) is sometimes equivalent to the French _participe présent_, but most of the times, including the opening sentence, it corresponds to an French infinitive.
_Désolée d'être en retard. [Partir de chez nous / Quitter la maison] a été très pénible/difficile ce matin._


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## sunsail

tilt,
"leaving house have been very difficult" according to your sentence

but here
"quitter la maison _était __très pénible/difficile ce matin"
"leaving house was very difficult"
is that correct?

"partir de chez nous" is it "leaving us" something?
_
merci


tilt said:


> I'm sorry but this is incorrect; these forms don't work here.
> 
> The English present participle (the _-ing_ form) is sometimes equivalent to the French _participe présent_, but most of the times, including the opening sentence, it corresponds to an French infinitive.
> _Désolée d'être en retard. [Partir de chez nous / Quitter la maison] a été très pénible/difficile ce matin._


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## tilt

sunsail said:


> tilt,
> "leaving house have been very difficult" according to your sentence
> 
> but here
> "quitter la maison _était __très pénible/difficile ce matin"
> "leaving house was very difficult"
> is that correct?_


There's no strict equivalence between English and French tenses : you can't say that _passé composé _always translates to _present perfect _and _simple past _to _imparfait_.
Here, _was_ can translate in both _était _or _a été_, and even to _fut _(_passé simple_, more formal), but I personally feel like preferring _passé composé _to refer to a single punctual action like leaving home.


sunsail said:


> _ "partir de chez nous" is it "leaving us" something?
> _


_Chez nous_ and _la maison_ are both idioms to mean _home_.


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## dasubergeek

I would have said _j'ai eu du mal à quitter la maison ce matin_.


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## itka

dasubergeek said:


> I would have said _j'ai eu du mal à quitter la maison ce matin_.


Yes.  or "Ça a été dur/ça a été difficile de quitter la maison, ce matin"



> Desolée que nous sommes en retard.


"Désolée d'être en retard !" : the same person is "désolée" and is "en retard" ---> infinitive


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## jnschaub

itka said:


> Yes.  or "Ça a été dur/ça a été difficile de quitter la maison, ce matin"
> 
> "Désolée d'être en retard !" : the same person is "désolée" and is "en retard" ---> infinitive




Thanks for everyone's help with this. 

I have a question for itka about using the infinitive this case: "Désolée d'être en retard !" Does it translate as "Sorry *to be* late" vs. "Sorry *we are* late"? Can you explain further about why it matters that it's the same person who is "désolée" and is "en retard" and why you use the infinitive in that case.

Thanks


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## tilt

I'm not Itka but here are my two cents anyway...

If I'm sorry because someone else is late, I'd say _Désolé qu'il soit en retard_. The sentence needs a subclause with a verb set to subjunctive.
If the subjects of both clauses are the same, such a composition is incorrect in French. _Désolé que je sois en retard _sounds very odd. The sentence requires an infinitive verb in such a case: _Désolé d'être en retard_.

I'd say such a thing exists in English.
_Désolé(e) d'être en retard_ translates _Sorry for being late_, whereas _Désolé qu'il soit en retard _translates_ I'm sorry he is late_ (using the _-ing_ form is impossible in this latter case).


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## Lépido

Chapeau, tilt! Very good explanation. I fully agree.


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## itka

I'd never explain better than Tilt !


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## Fred_C

tilt said:


> I'm sorry but this is incorrect; these forms don't work here.
> 
> The English present participle (the _-ing_ form) is sometimes equivalent to the French _participe présent_, but most of the times, including the opening sentence, it corresponds to an French infinitive.
> _Désolée d'être en retard. [Partir de chez nous / Quitter la maison] a été très pénible/difficile ce matin._


 
Hi,
this is because the -ing form can be two very different things in English :

 1- :  The present participle (For example, the -ing form of "to walk" can be an adjective meaning "which is in the process of walking", if it is a present participle.)

2- : The gerund. (For example, the -ing form of "to walk" can mean "the process of walking" if it is a gerund)

The present participle corresponds to the french "Participe présent", but the gerund just does not exist in French.

An example : in "You are walking", walking is a present participle, because it means "you are in the process of walking". And "tu es marchant" is a French equivalent. (You never say it like that, but it makes sense).

But in the sentence "Walking is good to stay fit", "walking" is the gerund, and you cannot say "Marchant est bon pour la santé", it is absolutely meaningless.


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## Lépido

To complete Fred C's good explanation:

"tu es marchant": you would say "tu es _en train de_ marcher"
"marchant est bon pour la santé" you would say "_marcher_ est bon pour la santé.
(but you can also say "to walk is good for your health, can't you?)


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## tilt

Fred_C said:


> The present participle corresponds to the french "Participe présent", but the gerund just does not exist in French.


Exactly, and English gerund often translates to a French infinitive, hence the comparision I made.


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## Nicomon

I'm sorry for this late answer, but I think gerund can often be translated as a simple noun.

It may not work in this specific context (as it could lead to false interpretation), but if the sentence was :_Leaving the house was not easy after so many years..._ 
a possible translation (I'm not saying it is the best solution) would be: _Le départ de la maison n'a pas été facile après tant d'année. _

_Walking is good for your health : la marche est bonne pour la santé_
_Sorry for being late : désolé(e) du retard_ (familiar)


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## dasubergeek

Lépido said:


> (but you can also say "to walk is good for your health, can't you?)



You could, but it sounds stilted.  99.9% of native English speakers (regardless of country of origin) would say "Walking is good for your health."


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