Missing word?

G B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Missing word?

Line 2:

Oh, mes rhumatismes me dérangent un peu......

Is the 'me' before dérangent missing? I've listened several times but can't hear it.

Asked 2 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi G,

I agree with you that in  'rhumatismes' the end of the word sounds a bit swallowed up because of the silent 'e' but I can hear the important 'm' sound.

I am afraid that this is the way people speak in France and as this is a B2 exercise, we would expect listeners to cope with this.

Bonne continuation !

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

I can hear it quite clearly. Might be technical issue. There is some ‘running together’ of the end of ‘rheumatismes’ and ‘me’, as occurs more markedly in fast everyday speech. 

G B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I thought it may be the 'running together' of 'rhumatismes' and 'me' but even taking that into consideration I still can't hear it. Must be too quick for my brain to process!

CécileKwiziq team member

Hi G, 

I have checked and the 'me' is there and detached from 'dérangent'. I suspect that the 'old lady' voice probably threw you ...

Bonne Continuation !

G B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Sorry to go on about this but it's really bothering me.....

Should I be hearing 2 'me' sounds before dérangent - as in "mes rhumatismes me dérangent ?

Paul F.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi G. I too can only hear the "me" sound once in "rhumatismes me dérangent", and I played it numerous times, but I wouldn't be too worried about trying to hear two. I think in conversation they would usually run the two "me" (or similar) sounds together like this, for ease of pronunciation (otherwise it would sound a bit like a stutter). In the spoken language I have found that there are often unsounded words or sounds, just like the missing "ne" in negative sentences which is almost universally dropped. Or the 'il" in "il y a" or "il faut" for example.

G B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Thanks everyone, I'm not losing sleep over it :-) and I do understand it's all part of french pronunciation. I was more concerned that I couldn't hear what everyone else was hearing. Thanks to Paul I now know I'm not alone!! I've decided to cancel my hearing test for another year.......LOL

Brian E.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

To my (amateur) ear the “me” is completely missing, and so Paul’s explanation seems quite convincing.

Richard M.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

The first time I transcribed it, I put in the me because I knew it should be there.  But after listening for several times, I concluded she was speaking some kind of slang and omitting the me.  So, I took it out and found I was wrong.  I guess it's something like "I didn't know" in English.  Sometimes the nt gets swallowed and the listener has to say "did or did not?" for clarification.  

Missing word?

Line 2:

Oh, mes rhumatismes me dérangent un peu......

Is the 'me' before dérangent missing? I've listened several times but can't hear it.

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