2010-11-19 [windowframe]: Question: so all singular 'you's are automatically informal, and all plurals automatically formal? Do you use the plural 'you' even to refer to singular if you're being polite? And is there an informal 'you' plural?

2010-11-19 [Akayume]: The plural form of <<vous>> is completely separate from it being also the formal version of <<tu>>.

So you could say, <<Avez-vous un stylo ?>> (Do you have a pen?) And that would be the sing. form. version of it. You could also say <<As-tu un stylo ?>> And it'd be the same thing minus the formal part.

So you can use vous as a sing. form. version, OR you can use it in what I'd call the "ya'll" sense (that's how all my profs have explained it. ^-^'') It would be used for instance if a teacher was asking her whole class something (or addressing the whole class). Par exemple, <<Asseyez-vous !>> (Sit down!). (:

Does that help at all? DX

2010-11-19 [windowframe]: Cool, same as German. I thought so. :) But your table makes it look like it's only for plural use, since it's only listed on the plural side. :) (remembar, in British English, there is no 'y'all', so the 'y'all/you' there reads to me just like American/British terms for the same thing - you pl. :P)

2010-11-19 [Akayume]: Ah, I see I see. I understand that. I used that table because it's the one most commonly used when showing the conjugation of verbs (So you'd have je - ai for example, so on and so forth).

I really can't think of any other quick way to explain it than ya'll. XP My old high school Spanish teacher used it too, but I can't remember a lick of Spanish. :(

2010-11-19 [windowframe]: Yes, it's used here too. (I would rather suspect it's used *everywhar*) But we just write 'You plural' (or pl.) in our books. :P

I've studied Greek, Latin and German, you don't need to explain a conjugation table to me. :P

2010-11-19 [Akayume]: Pardon moi. XP Calme toi calme toi.

Ancient or Modern Greek? I want to get into Ancient (and perhaps even Latin) someday.

2010-11-19 [windowframe]: Ancient. (I'm doing an MA in Classics, Ancient is far more useful to me than modern :P) Most people start with Latin, then move on to Greek. Latin is felt to be the easier one to start with. Not that it really matters, if you're more interested in Greek material than Latin then it makes more sense to do Greek, obviously. :P

2010-11-19 [Akayume]: That's awesome.(: I'm getting a minor in CNEA (Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology), and if they weren't phasing out the major I would have gone for that, and it requires four semesters of Latin, Greek, or Hebrew. (:

For me the problem is trying to fit it all into my schedule. X.x I prefer Greek to Latin, but maybe one day both? I am adventurous when it comes to languages. (:

2010-11-19 [windowframe]: I think that's a common problem for most people who love to learn. :P At the moment I take Greek and German, next semester it will be Latin and German. Hopefully next year it will be all three. (I still read Latin outside the classes, but, y'know... classes are useful for grammar, syntax and scansion.)

2010-11-19 [Akayume]: I understand. I would try and teach myself some Greek, but for some reason it's really hard for me to teach myself things. I can get the basics, but I feel as if I don't know as much. :/

I'm sort of thinking along the lines of me not graduating in for years now. XP I want to take so many classes! And then grad school for sure.

I got really interesting in Greek because of Linear B. I think I'm the only person in my CNES 1002 World of Greece class who actually gets anything out of it. DX

2010-11-19 [windowframe]: I find teaching myself almost easier than learning in class. Some things I just don't get, and definitely need someone to help me with (scansion. *headdesk**headdesk**headdesk*) but in terms of learning vocab and verb/noun etc tables, I tend to do better without classes. Though the classes provide useful motivation, of course.

2010-11-19 [windowframe]: Addition: I think it probably depends a lot on the books you have to teach yourself with. Some are definitely better than others.

2010-11-19 [Akayume]: I think that's my problem too: motivation. I mean, I want to do all these things, but there are so many and I can't balance them all. DX Ahhh. The atrocities.
So I almost need a class to make me do the work I need to do. X3

2010-11-19 [Akayume]: I would agree with that.