Learn how to use the French sentence “”Je t’appelle ce soir ?”” (Should I call you tonight?) by discussing it with the ForumLanguage community.
Forum>Topic: French>”Je t’appelle ce soir ?”
“Je t’appelle ce soir ?”Translation:Should I call you tonight?October 12, 2018
October 12, 2018
52 CommentsKosta949739725I wrote “can I call you tonight” which was marked wrong. The meaning is essentially the same in English. March 24, 2019Tom692084976agreed. The literal has neither “can” nor “should” inherentJune 21, 2019DanielPers200180944Please, I’m calling you tonight? Is this correct or not? Thank you. I still have trouble using the future so is logical in these casesAugust 9, 2021kolakemet343err..no… can/should is accepted. it’s hard to explain. we’re using a conditional, “can/should” for a future event but without using a future verb.
the gerund verb just wouldn’t work in this sentenceAugust 16, 2021–Roody–1259The real problem is “tonight”. It should be “this evening”.October 18, 2019Billfrenchregrettably “ce soir” is one of those tricky little phrases in french that does mean “tonight.” i kept getting burned on this one and looked it up.June 23, 2020kolakemet343u were two years too early. it’s accepted now lolAugust 16, 2021Sandib67Plus1468The verb does not indicate “should “or “can”….i dont understand March 15, 2019lulularosa2104Read the notes for this section, all will be revealed.May 17, 2019Swankyncute313There are no tips for a few days now and I don’t know why.June 30, 2020AshokKanetThat’s right, the light bulb for Tips has disappeared and replaced with a key that prompts you to jump a level after a successful test run.July 1, 2020kolakemet343don’t know why u got a thumbs down when the tips section explains it all. August 16, 2021kolakemet343read the tips before u start a task. it explains it all there…August 16, 2021Ted331567Plus1371When I was young and single I asked, “May i call you this evening?” Not, “Should I call you this evening.”August 24, 2019kolakemet343you’re very polite. usual speech would be can i call u tonight. August 16, 2021AshokKanetThe French sentence gives no hint as to whether “can or should “be used to start this question.
In this same thread, both “can and should” have been used to convert a simple statement into a question.
In the context of this exercise, both “can” and “should” be accepted by DL.October 5, 2019lineid-mikeyinoz539so if you are talking to a lady and say “Je t’appelle ce soir ”
how is she going to know if you are telling her that you will call, or should you call?
if you are asking “should I call?” and she doesnt say yes or no thinking you are saying “I will/am calling you”, that would be a huge misunderstanding wouldnt it???January 18, 2021lulularosa2104If you say “Je t’appelle ce soir”, you are making a statement. If you say “Je t’appelle se soir ?” you are asking a question. There really is no confusion. April 7, 2021lineid-mikeyinoz539Well, if it’s spoken you cant see a question mark can you?
Unless it’s the subtle raising of the end bit that people refer to but is not used in duolingo audio April 7, 2021lulularosa2104If you press the audio button at the top of this page, you will hear the question.April 7, 2021kolakemet343u just answered your own question lool. along with body language and facial expression it should be clear whether it’s a question or otherwise.
there is a raising tone at the end of the sentence. i listened to just the audio and it’s quite clear it’s a question not statement form.August 16, 2021kolakemet343don’t forget the tone to distinguish between a statement and a questionAugust 16, 2021kolakemet343can is accepted nowAugust 16, 2021Bekir978479995Shall can also be used.February 23, 2020ProfessorMMMLiterally “I am calling you tonight?” It seems like this could mean “should I call you” or “can/may I call you”, depending on context.May 16, 2019Tom692084976There is neither “can” nor “should” in the French, one more than the other.June 21, 2019Simina44762Sorry, but “can I call you…?” should be acceptable. And yes, I have read the previous comments, and I do know that technically “should” is better, but I can still show you plenty of up-to-date textbooks for English as a Second Language (from serious publishing houses like macmillan and such) that accept “can” as a way of asking permission to do something. July 30, 2019TraceyCook6Plus283If the answer is going to involve a level of French Politiness (i.e. should) shouldn’t the verb choice be there?October 2, 2019NimMcCoanPlus402Why is “I’ll call you this evening?” marked as incorrect? It was correct for the same question in the previous level.January 4, 2021Ken138609763Your “Am I calling you….” is absurd. Shouldn’t the speaker know?October 12, 2018stevenAndr426278Should or Can, can is wrong. Can anybody explain definitely one or the other. ThanksNovember 26, 2018Will-J-Crawford”Can” is asking whether it will be possible, and the other person can say “no”.
“Should” is asking whether one “ought” to call, i.e. whether the other person is expecting you to. Sometimes the subtext is really “should I not call you?”, i.e. whether they other person has a strong desire that you not call them, or they’re out / busy.
“Shall” is the most quintessentially English, and eliminates all the vague variables, allowing the other person complete latitude to decide (and woe betide you if you fail to follow through :o)). It’s also arguable that it’s nonsensical unless the other person can see the future :·DDecember 9, 2018Roey639925848How can I be expected to know whether to say ‘should’ or ‘can’? The other person can answer ‘no’ to both queries!January 9, 2019Robert636175Plus1626I will call you tonight should be acceptedOctober 10, 2019Freya93344Plus996It is accepted now because that is what I wrote and it was marked correct. The tips suggested to me that the future tense was not required when it was implied in the context of the sentence. I suppose because of the question mark shall or should would have been a better translation.September 4, 2021GavinGreigI wrote I’ll call you tonight. Why is it wrong?July 27, 2020lulularosa2104… because there is a question mark at the end of the French phrase.July 27, 2020NEaeUuboThis means could I call you !!!!!!!!!!!!November 25, 2020Alanmcewan157why not ” shall I call you tonight”December 3, 2020Angela470035678Should I ring you this evening…Refused. Reported. December 14, 2020profesora56804This is confused !!! I underline each words of the sentence and was’nt SHOULD
I THINK YOU HAVE TO ADD IT IF YOU WANT THIS ANSWERJanuary 5, 2021pat.stuart”Will I call you this evening” Wrong? Really? Why?January 29, 2021Will-J-CrawfordBecause the friend is, perhaps, no precog? ;)May 19, 2021JohnHart8367412has ‘this evening’ gone out of fashion? I thought soir=evening and nuit=nightMarch 5, 2021Rob99519354What’s wrong with “will I call you?”June 26, 2021moi955042Plus676this voice is very hard to understand.July 2, 2021cR41mOptions with the word bank only offered “Should”— not “Can”. They have different meanings in Southern California. ‘Should’ means “do you want / need me to call you”. ‘Can’ means “is it ok if I call you”. Totally different meanings. Not sure how that is handled in French. August 5, 2021Stephanie111835Plus520Why can’t I use “shall”?January 18, 2022JimCassels185Consistency is needed Duo. You have said that “can” and “should” are both acceptable in statement questions.August 13, 2019Jeanne448353Plus1061Duo’s English translation is a mismatch with the French sentence. “Je t’appelle ce soir?” =” I call you this evening?” Duo’s correct solution “Should I call you this evening?” = “Dois-je t’appelle ce soir?” What gives Duo??November 18, 2019bdocili49″I should call you this evening?” was marked wrong. May 14, 2019Hector2906974″T’appelle je ce soir” also works, right? July 3, 2019
52 Comments
Kosta949739725I wrote “can I call you tonight” which was marked wrong. The meaning is essentially the same in English. March 24, 2019Tom692084976agreed. The literal has neither “can” nor “should” inherentJune 21, 2019DanielPers200180944Please, I’m calling you tonight? Is this correct or not? Thank you. I still have trouble using the future so is logical in these casesAugust 9, 2021kolakemet343err..no… can/should is accepted. it’s hard to explain. we’re using a conditional, “can/should” for a future event but without using a future verb.
the gerund verb just wouldn’t work in this sentenceAugust 16, 2021–Roody–1259The real problem is “tonight”. It should be “this evening”.October 18, 2019Billfrenchregrettably “ce soir” is one of those tricky little phrases in french that does mean “tonight.” i kept getting burned on this one and looked it up.June 23, 2020kolakemet343u were two years too early. it’s accepted now lolAugust 16, 2021Sandib67Plus1468The verb does not indicate “should “or “can”….i dont understand March 15, 2019lulularosa2104Read the notes for this section, all will be revealed.May 17, 2019Swankyncute313There are no tips for a few days now and I don’t know why.June 30, 2020AshokKanetThat’s right, the light bulb for Tips has disappeared and replaced with a key that prompts you to jump a level after a successful test run.July 1, 2020kolakemet343don’t know why u got a thumbs down when the tips section explains it all. August 16, 2021kolakemet343read the tips before u start a task. it explains it all there…August 16, 2021Ted331567Plus1371When I was young and single I asked, “May i call you this evening?” Not, “Should I call you this evening.”August 24, 2019kolakemet343you’re very polite. usual speech would be can i call u tonight. August 16, 2021AshokKanetThe French sentence gives no hint as to whether “can or should “be used to start this question.
In this same thread, both “can and should” have been used to convert a simple statement into a question.
In the context of this exercise, both “can” and “should” be accepted by DL.October 5, 2019lineid-mikeyinoz539so if you are talking to a lady and say “Je t’appelle ce soir ”
how is she going to know if you are telling her that you will call, or should you call?
if you are asking “should I call?” and she doesnt say yes or no thinking you are saying “I will/am calling you”, that would be a huge misunderstanding wouldnt it???January 18, 2021lulularosa2104If you say “Je t’appelle ce soir”, you are making a statement. If you say “Je t’appelle se soir ?” you are asking a question. There really is no confusion. April 7, 2021lineid-mikeyinoz539Well, if it’s spoken you cant see a question mark can you?
Unless it’s the subtle raising of the end bit that people refer to but is not used in duolingo audio April 7, 2021lulularosa2104If you press the audio button at the top of this page, you will hear the question.April 7, 2021kolakemet343u just answered your own question lool. along with body language and facial expression it should be clear whether it’s a question or otherwise.
there is a raising tone at the end of the sentence. i listened to just the audio and it’s quite clear it’s a question not statement form.August 16, 2021kolakemet343don’t forget the tone to distinguish between a statement and a questionAugust 16, 2021kolakemet343can is accepted nowAugust 16, 2021Bekir978479995Shall can also be used.February 23, 2020ProfessorMMMLiterally “I am calling you tonight?” It seems like this could mean “should I call you” or “can/may I call you”, depending on context.May 16, 2019Tom692084976There is neither “can” nor “should” in the French, one more than the other.June 21, 2019Simina44762Sorry, but “can I call you…?” should be acceptable. And yes, I have read the previous comments, and I do know that technically “should” is better, but I can still show you plenty of up-to-date textbooks for English as a Second Language (from serious publishing houses like macmillan and such) that accept “can” as a way of asking permission to do something. July 30, 2019TraceyCook6Plus283If the answer is going to involve a level of French Politiness (i.e. should) shouldn’t the verb choice be there?October 2, 2019NimMcCoanPlus402Why is “I’ll call you this evening?” marked as incorrect? It was correct for the same question in the previous level.January 4, 2021Ken138609763Your “Am I calling you….” is absurd. Shouldn’t the speaker know?October 12, 2018stevenAndr426278Should or Can, can is wrong. Can anybody explain definitely one or the other. ThanksNovember 26, 2018Will-J-Crawford”Can” is asking whether it will be possible, and the other person can say “no”.
“Should” is asking whether one “ought” to call, i.e. whether the other person is expecting you to. Sometimes the subtext is really “should I not call you?”, i.e. whether they other person has a strong desire that you not call them, or they’re out / busy.
“Shall” is the most quintessentially English, and eliminates all the vague variables, allowing the other person complete latitude to decide (and woe betide you if you fail to follow through :o)). It’s also arguable that it’s nonsensical unless the other person can see the future :·DDecember 9, 2018Roey639925848How can I be expected to know whether to say ‘should’ or ‘can’? The other person can answer ‘no’ to both queries!January 9, 2019Robert636175Plus1626I will call you tonight should be acceptedOctober 10, 2019Freya93344Plus996It is accepted now because that is what I wrote and it was marked correct. The tips suggested to me that the future tense was not required when it was implied in the context of the sentence. I suppose because of the question mark shall or should would have been a better translation.September 4, 2021GavinGreigI wrote I’ll call you tonight. Why is it wrong?July 27, 2020lulularosa2104… because there is a question mark at the end of the French phrase.July 27, 2020NEaeUuboThis means could I call you !!!!!!!!!!!!November 25, 2020Alanmcewan157why not ” shall I call you tonight”December 3, 2020Angela470035678Should I ring you this evening…Refused. Reported. December 14, 2020profesora56804This is confused !!! I underline each words of the sentence and was’nt SHOULD
I THINK YOU HAVE TO ADD IT IF YOU WANT THIS ANSWERJanuary 5, 2021pat.stuart”Will I call you this evening” Wrong? Really? Why?January 29, 2021Will-J-CrawfordBecause the friend is, perhaps, no precog? ;)May 19, 2021JohnHart8367412has ‘this evening’ gone out of fashion? I thought soir=evening and nuit=nightMarch 5, 2021Rob99519354What’s wrong with “will I call you?”June 26, 2021moi955042Plus676this voice is very hard to understand.July 2, 2021cR41mOptions with the word bank only offered “Should”— not “Can”. They have different meanings in Southern California. ‘Should’ means “do you want / need me to call you”. ‘Can’ means “is it ok if I call you”. Totally different meanings. Not sure how that is handled in French. August 5, 2021Stephanie111835Plus520Why can’t I use “shall”?January 18, 2022JimCassels185Consistency is needed Duo. You have said that “can” and “should” are both acceptable in statement questions.August 13, 2019Jeanne448353Plus1061Duo’s English translation is a mismatch with the French sentence. “Je t’appelle ce soir?” =” I call you this evening?” Duo’s correct solution “Should I call you this evening?” = “Dois-je t’appelle ce soir?” What gives Duo??November 18, 2019bdocili49″I should call you this evening?” was marked wrong. May 14, 2019Hector2906974″T’appelle je ce soir” also works, right? July 3, 2019
Kosta949739725I wrote “can I call you tonight” which was marked wrong. The meaning is essentially the same in English. March 24, 2019
Kosta949739725
I wrote “can I call you tonight” which was marked wrong. The meaning is essentially the same in English. March 24, 2019
I wrote “can I call you tonight” which was marked wrong. The meaning is essentially the same in English.
March 24, 2019
March 24, 2019
Tom692084976agreed. The literal has neither “can” nor “should” inherentJune 21, 2019
agreed. The literal has neither “can” nor “should” inherent
June 21, 2019
June 21, 2019
DanielPers200180944Please, I’m calling you tonight? Is this correct or not? Thank you. I still have trouble using the future so is logical in these casesAugust 9, 2021
Please, I’m calling you tonight? Is this correct or not? Thank you. I still have trouble using the future so is logical in these cases
August 9, 2021
August 9, 2021
kolakemet343err..no… can/should is accepted. it’s hard to explain. we’re using a conditional, “can/should” for a future event but without using a future verb.
the gerund verb just wouldn’t work in this sentenceAugust 16, 2021
err..no… can/should is accepted. it’s hard to explain. we’re using a conditional, “can/should” for a future event but without using a future verb.
the gerund verb just wouldn’t work in this sentence
August 16, 2021
August 16, 2021
–Roody–1259The real problem is “tonight”. It should be “this evening”.October 18, 2019
The real problem is “tonight”. It should be “this evening”.
October 18, 2019
October 18, 2019
Billfrenchregrettably “ce soir” is one of those tricky little phrases in french that does mean “tonight.” i kept getting burned on this one and looked it up.June 23, 2020
regrettably “ce soir” is one of those tricky little phrases in french that does mean “tonight.” i kept getting burned on this one and looked it up.
June 23, 2020
June 23, 2020
kolakemet343u were two years too early. it’s accepted now lolAugust 16, 2021
u were two years too early. it’s accepted now lol
August 16, 2021
August 16, 2021
Sandib67Plus1468The verb does not indicate “should “or “can”….i dont understand March 15, 2019
The verb does not indicate “should “or “can”….i dont understand
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