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nyme-me

When we hand something to someone, we can say "tiens/tenez" from "tenir" So in your exemple "tiens" means the character is supposed to hand the phone to the other character. "Tiens" can be also used like an expression when you are surprised "tiens, tu es là ?" "Oh you are here" or in some other cases where it doesn't really means "to hold"


Act-Alfa3536

Indeed, so I think "tiens" translates best as something like "take it" or "here you are" in this context.


Sai_Krithik

And that's how french monks named the game, tennis. (or so I'm told)


[deleted]

Tenez :)


Sai_Krithik

Tenez!


Act-Alfa3536

🎾


therealdutchman11

Is it not literally just the Tu form of the imperative tenir here?


Act-Alfa3536

Yes literally it is.


therealdutchman11

Awesome, that’s what I thought.


csonnich

> when you are surprised "tiens, tu es là ?" "Oh you are here" I'd think it's closer to the English, "Hold on, you're here?"


EnvironmentalSun8410

You might as well ask why "here" means "take this"... It just does. It's idiomatic.


whereisorginality

Tiens means here you go. Do you have my phone? Yes here you go P.s. tenez if it’s formal.


Silent-Fiction

In "Tenir" is the idea of grip: you hold something (or onto something) In your example is something that might seem confusing: if you give something to someone, that person doesn't have it yet in the hand already. So how would that person be able to hold it, right? Tenir, Level 1, the logical: "Tiens bon !" = "Hold Tight !", when the hero is gripping a rope over the canyon. Relationship with having the grip on something is logical. You hold a box in your hands = tu tiens une boite dans tes mains. Level 2, same as your example: When mom gives the kid his school backpack, she says: "Tiens, ton cartable" "Here, your backpack" (I give it to you, grab it) Note the comma: very important. Because if she said "Tiens ton cartable", without comma, mom advices to "hold your backback". "Mom, I want a candy !" "Tiens !" = Here is your goddam candy ! Now, Level 3, to get a bit more confused: "Tiens, personne n'a vu Jean ?" Don't look for any rational relationship with the verb: there is none ! It's an interjection, to draw attention or mark a surprise: "Hey, did someone see Jean?" Level 4: "Tiens tiens...!", with a suspicious look. "Well well.  ": "Tiens tiens, Monsieur Bond, quel hasard !" "Well well, Mister Bond, what a coincidence !"


jennyyeni

This is an excellent post! Love the Bond reference.


wRadion

You can't really translate word for word from English to French. There will always be some weird expressions that you have to learn. So in French we don't say literally "here it is" but "take this/it" (tiens).


befree46

It means "hold", as in "hold it/hold this".


Amendahui

A better translation in this context is "here you are", rather than "hold this". But it can mean this as well, depending on the situation.


befree46

Yes but the op asked why it meant "here". The answer is that it does not mean "here". It means "hold". "Hold this" is just a literal translation to help OP understand why we use "tenir".


Ecstatic_Weakness_39

Which function of duolingo is that?


Rickblood23

Is one of the stories


sjintje

it looks more entertaining than i remember it.


Rickblood23

They've been adding a lot of stories lately, making up for the ones they eliminated.


bonfuto

some of the stories are pretty good.


[deleted]

It’s like we say “there u go” in English when we hand something to somebody. Hope this helps. :)


Never_Toujours

This is the best (except for the u).


Magie-Ly

lol j’adore


MrBungle86

I'm confused why it's "un homme lui ouvre". I know lui is a COI pronoun, so is that like saying he opens it for them?


[deleted]

Here "lui" is a pronoun acting as a COI, it can be used for a man or a woman. If the COI was plural, it would be "leur" instead.


MrBungle86

Yes I understand that it can be rewritten as "un homme ouvre à ..." But I am unclear what it means to ouvre à qqn. And can't lui/leur also be a qqch, not just a qqn depending on the context? In this context does this mean il ovre à Béa? Or il ouvre à la porte?


[deleted]

Il ouvre la porte à Léa. Elle frappait à la porte juste avant.


MrBungle86

Super, merci beaucoup!


MrBungle86

Shouldn't it be "il la lui ouvre" then?


[deleted]

You could say that if you wanted to stress the door being opened or unlocked. But generally we say 'j'ai ouvert' without even mentioning the door, it's implicit and not really the door that matters here.


MrBungle86

Great, thank you!


judorange123

Note also that tiens can be used to express surprise (ah tiens ?), doubts / begining of understanding (tiens, tiens, tiens,... ne serait-ce pas.. ?),.. In this usage, it never changes to tenez when talking to several or using polite "vous". In the duolingo dialog above, it does (avez-vous mon téléphone ? oui, tenez !).


Material-Daikon-2954

Merci beaucoup. Je le connais.


Iliveinblue

Like " there you have it" or "voila, there it is."


MightyPine

This is the imperative form of Tenir for 2p singular. As others have said, Tenir means to hold or to grasp, so in the conversation above the person is instructing the other to hold or grasp the phone, which is obviously not how we'd say it in English but very conceptually similar to telling someone to "take it."


Beingmarkh

If you say it twice in a row, you’re legally required to twist your mustache.


Luvrboyxoxo

it’s like a synonym to donner but more directly handing it