Nous respondons a vos soiree? NRVS?!
June 3, 2008 7:03 AM Subscribe
RSVP means "respondez sil vous plait", but when I respond to an RSVP, is there a French acronym that acts as the "We are responding" counterpart to RSVP?
/pedant alert:
The correct spelling is:
Répondez s'il vous plaît.
/end pedant alert.
posted by ceri richard at 7:34 AM on June 3, 2008
The correct spelling is:
Répondez s'il vous plaît.
/end pedant alert.
posted by ceri richard at 7:34 AM on June 3, 2008
Response by poster: Well, if there isn't, is it proper to respond with the presumptive "Nous"?
posted by parmanparman at 7:35 AM on June 3, 2008
posted by parmanparman at 7:35 AM on June 3, 2008
Not that I'm aware of. But then I've not come across the "We are responding" reply in English.
And a small point of pedantry, there's no "s" in répondez - the verb is répondre.
on preview, it's a second point of pendantry
posted by jontyjago at 7:39 AM on June 3, 2008
And a small point of pedantry, there's no "s" in répondez - the verb is répondre.
on preview, it's a second point of pendantry
posted by jontyjago at 7:39 AM on June 3, 2008
Response by poster: yeah, I got it the first time, thanks.
posted by parmanparman at 8:09 AM on June 3, 2008
posted by parmanparman at 8:09 AM on June 3, 2008
ceri richard:
/pedant alert:
The correct spelling is:
Répondez s'il vous plaît.
/end pedant alert.
/super pedant alert
The "plaît" spelling was sorta deprecated by back in the 90's. More precisely, it isn't obligatory.
/end super pedant alert.
;)
posted by RavinDave at 8:25 AM on June 3, 2008 [3 favorites]
/pedant alert:
The correct spelling is:
Répondez s'il vous plaît.
/end pedant alert.
/super pedant alert
The "plaît" spelling was sorta deprecated by back in the 90's. More precisely, it isn't obligatory.
/end super pedant alert.
;)
posted by RavinDave at 8:25 AM on June 3, 2008 [3 favorites]
For your second question: "nous" isn't presumptive at all -- it's just the first person plural.
But presumption DOES comes into the equation with the distinction between "tu" and "vous" -- the question is phrased with the honorific/polite "vous" in the standard formulation, but "vous" doubles between the polite form of address (for your elders and superiors) and the second person plural.
So "vous" doubles as "y'all" and "polite you", and in an RSVP it's convenient because then you can use it for multiple people AND have the default of it just being polite if the invitation is going to a single respondent.
Replying with "nous" isn't presumptive at all; it just means you're replying for yourself and one or more other people. If you're replying on behalf of just you, "je" is more correct. If you use "nous" to refer to just yourself, people will think you are either (a) slightly weak on your pronouns or (b) Queen Victoria, but not presumptuous.
posted by Shepherd at 8:30 AM on June 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
But presumption DOES comes into the equation with the distinction between "tu" and "vous" -- the question is phrased with the honorific/polite "vous" in the standard formulation, but "vous" doubles between the polite form of address (for your elders and superiors) and the second person plural.
So "vous" doubles as "y'all" and "polite you", and in an RSVP it's convenient because then you can use it for multiple people AND have the default of it just being polite if the invitation is going to a single respondent.
Replying with "nous" isn't presumptive at all; it just means you're replying for yourself and one or more other people. If you're replying on behalf of just you, "je" is more correct. If you use "nous" to refer to just yourself, people will think you are either (a) slightly weak on your pronouns or (b) Queen Victoria, but not presumptuous.
posted by Shepherd at 8:30 AM on June 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
parmanparman, use French if it feels like a fun thing to do, but it's not necessary. It's proper to use "nous" in your French reply if you're speaking for two or more people, but if you're the one and only person replying, use "je" (unless you're the Queen, or a Presidential candidate, or if you have a mouse in your pocket).
So "Nous répondons à votre invitation" would be correct for a reply from two or more people, or "Je réponds à votre invitation" if you are the one and only person invited.
Note that "invitation" uses "votre" rather than your choice of "vos". The possessive pronoun should be singular if the noun it's associated with is singular.
posted by maudlin at 8:36 AM on June 3, 2008
So "Nous répondons à votre invitation" would be correct for a reply from two or more people, or "Je réponds à votre invitation" if you are the one and only person invited.
Note that "invitation" uses "votre" rather than your choice of "vos". The possessive pronoun should be singular if the noun it's associated with is singular.
posted by maudlin at 8:36 AM on June 3, 2008
In case the question is what you formally write on in your response, you should reply to the English words that form the actual invitation, rather than the RSVP which is just kind of a tarty reminder to actually reply, and not the invitation itself. "Mr. & Mrs. X accept with pleasure the invitation of Mr. & Mrs. Y for Date, Time." is along the lines of the reply to a formal invitation.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:56 AM on June 3, 2008
posted by jacquilynne at 8:56 AM on June 3, 2008
RavinDave, I salute you!
I dithered between the two versions and opted for the more "traditional" because using the phrase on an invitation is rather old-fashioned here in the 21st century.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it ;-)
posted by ceri richard at 9:11 AM on June 3, 2008
I dithered between the two versions and opted for the more "traditional" because using the phrase on an invitation is rather old-fashioned here in the 21st century.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it ;-)
posted by ceri richard at 9:11 AM on June 3, 2008
I learned it the hard way, ceri. I started subscribing to FrenchPod.com recently (a very nice site), called a native French speaker on his use of l'accent circonflexe ... and got a free attitude readjustment along with a supplemental vocabulary list I can't repeat here.
/My but they're touchy!
posted by RavinDave at 9:38 AM on June 3, 2008
/My but they're touchy!
posted by RavinDave at 9:38 AM on June 3, 2008
Response by poster: The last time I used French, I was told by a French woman that she'd never met an American who spoke French with a German accent.
posted by parmanparman at 9:43 AM on June 3, 2008
posted by parmanparman at 9:43 AM on June 3, 2008
The last time I used French conversationally (as opposed to asking for a packet of paractetamol) I was told I appeared to have time-travelled from the 18th century. I hope my school has finally thrown out those dog-eared vocabulary books...
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 9:49 AM on June 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 9:49 AM on June 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
(Hope the submitter for forgive one more little sidebar, but the question has been pretty well answered.)
My sister has a hysterical sense of humor that borders on cruel. She and her husband hosted a French foreign exchange student (from Paris, no less -- really uptight and reserved) and she did things like set out loaves of "Wonder Bread" because she heard that the French "... like to eat good bread with their meals." She surprised him with some of that neon-yellow American mustard "No, look at the label -- it says 'French's'! You guys eat this stuff all the time, don't you?" "No, no, no, no," he'd patiently explain, as if talking to a two-year-old. She also rented Jerry Lewis tapes, because everyone in France loves him. The expression on his face as he tied to keep his dignity and remain civil to this midwest bumpkin was priceless. It took him awhile, but he finally caught on. He laughed the loudest and really opened up after that -- which was, of course, her devious intent in the first place.
posted by RavinDave at 10:04 AM on June 3, 2008 [2 favorites]
My sister has a hysterical sense of humor that borders on cruel. She and her husband hosted a French foreign exchange student (from Paris, no less -- really uptight and reserved) and she did things like set out loaves of "Wonder Bread" because she heard that the French "... like to eat good bread with their meals." She surprised him with some of that neon-yellow American mustard "No, look at the label -- it says 'French's'! You guys eat this stuff all the time, don't you?" "No, no, no, no," he'd patiently explain, as if talking to a two-year-old. She also rented Jerry Lewis tapes, because everyone in France loves him. The expression on his face as he tied to keep his dignity and remain civil to this midwest bumpkin was priceless. It took him awhile, but he finally caught on. He laughed the loudest and really opened up after that -- which was, of course, her devious intent in the first place.
posted by RavinDave at 10:04 AM on June 3, 2008 [2 favorites]
The last time I used French, I was told by a French woman that she'd never met an American who spoke French with a German accent.
if you speak German.. my theory is your second language accent often carries to your third.. I used to speak (bad) Russian with a French accent. :)
Er.. I too am unaware of any formal response to an RSVP, by the way.
posted by citron at 10:34 AM on June 3, 2008
if you speak German.. my theory is your second language accent often carries to your third.. I used to speak (bad) Russian with a French accent. :)
Er.. I too am unaware of any formal response to an RSVP, by the way.
posted by citron at 10:34 AM on June 3, 2008
Best answer: You will want, of course to specify what your response is--i.e.
yes..
Je me ferais un plaisir d'être parmi vous le 5 juin.
or no...
Je regrette qu'il m'est impossible d'être des vôtres pour la soirée.
etc.
posted by MissSquare at 8:42 AM on June 4, 2008
yes..
Je me ferais un plaisir d'être parmi vous le 5 juin.
or no...
Je regrette qu'il m'est impossible d'être des vôtres pour la soirée.
etc.
posted by MissSquare at 8:42 AM on June 4, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 7:16 AM on June 3, 2008