Did you already know this expression? Here’s proof that the natives really do say…. “to put the flea in the ear.”
Listening suggestion: Listen to this 8 to 10 times, then test yourself: can you follow the recording without looking at the text?
You can listen to the whole interview here: Cécile, a member of the parents’ association “Autisme 75”
Hi David
I’m thinking about taking a subscription. You’re teaching materials are very good!
Can you answer one question: What’s the current status with the ‘ne..pas’?
It seems that modern French, at least in its spoken version, is largely abandoning the ‘ne’ part and just leaving the ‘pas’ – indicating that ‘pas’ is enough and the ‘ne’ is understood and can therefore be omitted.
Truthfully, I think that ‘ne’ is a bit of an obstacle – like a bone in one’s throat.
What do you say?
A bientot!
Mike
Hello Mike,
Thank you for writing. I am glad you are enjoying the recordings in the newsletter.
You are correct, the ne is usually dropped. The “pas” is enough. However, when you drop the “ne”, you have at least one follow-on problem: not being able to hear the difference between plus (more) and ne…plus (no more.) The French get around this by pronouncing the S in plus if they mean ‘more’ and leaving it silent when they mean ‘no more.’
Best regards,
David
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