Help your fluency in a nifty way

[Qwynegold]

私は論文を書いてる。めんどくさいなあ。でもすぐ完成するよ。
Watashi wa rombun wo kaite ru. Mendokusai naa. Demo sugu kansei suru yo.
I'm writing a thesis. What a pain. But I'm soon finished.

[finlay]

Pardon, j'ai présumé que 'la périphérie de Bruxelles' signifiait la région dedans la ville...

Sorry, I presumed 'Greater Brussels' meant the area inside the city...

でもね、特に上記の「周辺」って、都市の外でしょ
But especially the word 'periphery' means outside the city, does it not?

それで、英語でのグレイターというのも同じく、本当の都市以外の意味があるっしょ
furthermore, the english word greater also has that meaning, outside the actual city

[Znex]

Pardon, j'ai présumé que 'la périphérie de Bruxelles' signifiait la région dedans la ville...

Sorry, I presumed 'Greater Brussels' meant the area inside the city...

でもね、特に上記の「周辺」って、都市の外でしょ
But especially the word 'periphery' means outside the city, does it not?

それで、英語でのグレイターというのも同じく、本当の都市以外の意味があるっしょ
furthermore, the english word greater also has that meaning, outside the actual city

Iawn, mae hynny'n gwneud synnwyr. O'n i'n meddwl yr un peth, bod "greater" yn meddwl prif ran y ddinas.
Okay, that makes sense. I was thinking the same thing, that "greater" meant the main part of the city.

[Bumblebee]

今日漢字を勉強したり、新しい本を読んだりしました。午後さんぽをしました。
Today I studied some kanji and read a new book. In the afternoon I went for a walk.

[Qwynegold]

今日漢字を勉強したり、新しい本を読んだりしました。午後さんぽをしました。
Today I studied some kanji and read a new book. In the afternoon I went for a walk.

どの本？
Dono hon?
Which book?

私は論文を書いたほうがいいが、書きたくないなあ。
Watashi wa rombun wo kaita hō ga ii ga, kakitakunai naa.
I should write on my thesis, but I don't wanna.

[Bumblebee]

Les Trois Mousquetaires, フランス語で読みます、楽しいです。子供の時 読みましたが全部忘れました。
furansu go de yomimas, tanoshii desu. Kodomo no toki yomimashita ga zenbu wasuremashita.
. I'm reading it in French, it's fun. I read it when I was younger but have forgotten everything.

[hwhatting]

Brüssel war ursprunglich flämisch, wurde aber ist von Wallonen kolonisiert. Brüssel selbst ist per Gesetz zweisprachig, aber die Umgebung ist per Gesetz niederländisch-sprachig, obwohl einige Gemeinden viele französischsprachigen Einwohner haben.
Brussels was originally Flemish, but has been colonised by Walloons. Brussel itself is bilingual by law, but the surrounding areas are Dutch speaking by law, even though several municipalities have many french speakers.

Jeszcze jeden tydzień do urlopu.
Encore une semaine jusqu'au mes vacances.
Nog een week tot mijn vakanties.
One week left until my vacations.

[jal]

Nog een week tot mijn vakanties.

Urlaub ist immer gut. Gehst du noch irgendwo hin?
Holidays are always good. Are you going someplace?


JAL

[hwhatting]

Urlaub ist immer gut. Fährst du noch irgendwo hin?
Holidays are always good. Are you going someplace?

Do Vancouvera, gdzie studiuje moja córka.
À Vancouver, où ma fille fait ses études.
Naar Vancouver, waar mijn dochter studeert.

[Pole, the]

Do Vancouver, gdzie studiuje moja córka.

[Viktor77]

Encore une semaine jusqu'à mes vacances.

Profit bien de Vancouver! Je ne savais pas que tu as des enfants.

Enjoy Vancouver! I didn't know you had children!

[finlay]

Les Trois Mousquetaires, フランス語で読んでいて、楽しいです。子供の時は読みましたが全部忘れました。
I'm reading it in French, it's fun. I read it when I was younger but have forgotten everything.

present continuous

[Viktor77]

Gestern habe ich mich statisch aufgeladen. Immer wenn ich eine Metalloberfläche behrüht, bekam ich einen Schock. Am ungünstigsten war es, wenn ich eine metalische Türklinke behrüht habe und ich habe einen gigantischen Funke bekommen. Es war ohnehin so groß, dass ich es sehen konnte! So eine gigantischen Funke habe ich noch nie vorher gesehen und es lag dort zwischen meinem Finger und der Türklinke! Eigentlich tat das wirklich weh....

Yesterday I was all charged up with static electricity. Whenever I touched a metal surface I got a shock. The worst time was when I touched a metal door handle and got an enormous shock. It was so big that I could see it! It was the largest spark I've ever seen and it was right there between my finger and the door handle! Actually it really hurt....

Sorry Hwhatting...but that was actually quite fun to write.

[hwhatting]

Do Vancouver, gdzie studiuje moja córka.

Is the lack of a genitive ending due to the final vowel in a non-rhotic pronunciation, or would it be the same if I pronounce the final "r"?

Enjoy Vancouver! I didn't know you had children!

Właściwie tylko jedno dziecko.
Eh bien, seulement un enfant.
Wel ja, maar een kind.
Well, only one child.

Gestern habe ich mich statisch aufgeladen. Immer wenn ich eine Metalloberfläche behrührte*1), bekam ich einen Schock. Am schlimmsten war es, als*2) ich eine metallene*3) Türklinke behrührt habe und ich habe einen gigantischen Funken*4) bekommen. Er war ohnehin so groß, dass ich ihn sehen konnte! So einen gigantischen Funken habe ich noch nie vorher gesehen*5) und er war*6) dort zwischen meinem Finger und der Türklinke! Eigentlich tat das wirklich weh....

Yesterday I was all charged up with static electricity. Whenever I touched a metal surface I got a shock. The worst time was when I touched a metal door handle and got an enormous shock. It was so big that I could see it! It was the largest spark I've ever seen and it was right there between my finger and the door handle! Actually it really hurt....

*1) I'd use the perfect here, but the simple past isn't wrong.
*2) I assume you're talking about a one-time event. With the past tense, wenn can only refer to repeated events "every time when").
*3) Normally metallisch us used only in a transferred sense ("metal-like", e.g. eine metallische Stimme). The only combination where it would refer to actual metal would be in metallische Substanz, where it's actually about classification and not about materiell. In colloquial speech, but also in writing, it would be more natural to write eine Türklinke aus Metall than using an adjective.
*4) You're writing "shock" in the English version and Funke "spark" in German, but what you write makes more sense if you're indeed talking about sparks. Or is "shock" meaning "spark" some Americanism I didn't know?
*5) The actual translation of what you wrote in English would be Es war der größte Funke, den ich je gesehen habe
*6) liegen implies lying on surface, but I assume it was suspended or floating in the air?

Sorry Hwhatting...but that was actually quite fun to write.

Nie ma problemu.
Pas de problème.
Geen probleem.
No problem.

[jal]

Wel ja*, maar één** kind.

*I'm not sure how to translate "well" here (i.e. an expression of hesitation). "Welja" is I think written as a single word, but not idiomatic here.
**Obligatory accents aigu, otherwise you'd read "but a child".

Ich habe drei. Nur eine muss ganz ruhig sein (am besonderes wenn es in Vancouver wohnt).
I have three. Just one must be very quiet (especially when they live in Vancouver).


JAL

[hwhatting]

Ich habe drei. Mit nur einem muss es ziemlich ruhig sein (am besonderes, wenn es in Vancouver wohnt).
I have three. Just one must be very quiet (especially when they live in Vancouver).

Zbyt spokojnie teraz.
Trop calme maintenant.
Veel te rustig nu.
Too quiet now.

[Pole, the]

Do Vancouver, gdzie studiuje moja córka.

Is the lack of a genitive ending due to the final vowel in a non-rhotic pronunciation, or would it be the same if I pronounce the final "r"?

The Polish pronunciation is /vanˈkuvɛr/ or something like that. I think it just doesn't sound like a nativized noun (cf. „do Maryland”, „do Wellington”, „do Toronto”, but: „do Bostonu”, „do Swazilandu”). In general, masculine- and neuter-sounding English names are less prone to nativization.

If I wanted to use an ending, I'd say „do Vancouveru” (as opposed to „-a”), though. (Google registers a few Polish hits with „-u”, but this form is generally a Czech one.)

[hwhatting]

Thanks!

[Bumblebee]

Les Trois Mousquetaires, フランス語で読んでいて、楽しいです。子供の時は読みましたが全部忘れました。
I'm reading it in French, it's fun. I read it when I was younger but have forgotten everything.

present continuous

ありがとう !
Thanks!

[Viktor77]

Euh* bien, seulement un enfant.

*Euh is typical French for eh, um, etc.

Я думаю, что слeдую научиться русский, потому что посылаaю и получy многих почтовых карточки России. Cегодня я получил почтовых карточки Красноярскa и Aлтaйского Kрaя. Я получил также почтовых карточки Москвы и Pеспyблики Коoми. Я посылaл почтовых карточки Москвe, Орлy, и Хабaровску (и Беларyси!)...и эта только на данный момент.

I think I should learn Russian because I send and receive a lot of postcards to and from Russia. Today I received postcards from Krasnoyarsk and Altai Krai. I've also received postcards from Moscow and the Komi Republic. I've also sent postcards to Moscow, Oryol, and Khabarovsk (and Belarus!)...and that's just so far.

[hwhatting]

Euh* bien, seulement un enfant.

*Euh is typical French for eh, um, etc.

My dictionary has eh bien as a fixed expression, and it seems the French are using it.

Я думаю, что должен / надо / стоит *1) научиться русскому (языку)*2), потому что посылаaю и получаю*3) много*4) открыток в Россию и из России. Cегодня я получил открытки из*5) Красноярскa и Aлтaйского Kрaя. Я получил также открытки из Москвы и Pеспyблики Коoми. Я отправил открытки в Москву*6), Орел, и Хабaровску (и Беларyсь!)...и это только на данный момент.

I think I should learn Russian because I send and receive a lot of postcards to and from Russia. Today I received postcards from Krasnoyarsk and Altai Krai. I've also received postcards from Moscow and the Komi Republic. I've also sent postcards to Moscow, Oryol, and Khabarovsk (and Belarus!)...and that's just so far.

*1) должен = "should" as obligation / надо = "should" as necessity / стоит = "should" as a useful thing to do. What you had in mind is probably следует which literally means "follows" and is therefore often used when what should be done is a consequence of some circumstances or things that have been mentioned before. For me, it sounds a bit literary, but it would work as well, atlthough NB that like many Russian modal constructions it's impersonal, so it's always kept in the 3rd Sg. (and the logical subject, when mentioned, is expressed in the Dative case).
*2) It's more idiomatic to include язык.
*3) Imperfective aspect is asked for.
*4) or: многие "numerous"
*5) Without из it would mean "with views of Krasnoyarsk etc."
*6) The dative is only used for the recipient, for the place you're sending the post card to it's в plus accusative.
Mam nadzieję, że jeszcze będziesz otrymywał sporo kartek pocztowych.
J´espère que tu vas recevoir encore beaucoup des cartes postales.
Ik hoop dat jij nog veel briefkararten ontvangen zult.
I hope you'll receive a lot of postcards.

[jal]

Ik hoop dat jij* nog veel briefkararten** ontvangen zult***.

*Better: "je", lest someone thinks you emphasized "you" (as opposed to someone else).
**"postcards" in general is translated with "ansichtkaart", though depending on what Vik actually sends, "briefkaart" is fine too (it sounds a bit old-fashioned though, but then again, sending anything by snailmail sounds old-fashioned these days :)).
***For me "zult ontvangen" sounds better, but your mileage may vary. Also, the simple past is fine too ("ontvangt").

Vik, warum schreibst und erhaltest du Postkarte?
Vik, why are you writing and receiving postcards?


JAL

[hwhatting]

Vik, warum schreibst und erhältest*1) du Postkarten?
Vik, why are you writing and receiving postcards?

*1) erhältst is a bit official for a colloquial situation like this, I'd use bekommst here.

On uczestniczy w wymienie.
Il participe à un échange.
Hij doet aan een uitwisseling mee.
He participates in an exchange.

[jal]

Hij doet aan een uitwisseling mee.

I'd personally say "Hij doet mee aan een uitwisseling", but I have no reason to find anything wrong with the above.

Was für ein Austausch?
What kind of exchange?


JAL

[Aili Meilani]

On uczestniczy w wymianie.