In the first place
Discussing Cinco de mayo, I want to say "What were the French doing in Mexico in the first place'" or "at all". I can't even think what " in the first place" means in English much less how to say it in Spanish.
5 Answers
Thank you James. I had misunderstood but I took another look and am OK now.
James Santiago said:
Chris said:
Do you mean I could say "Que hacian los franceses en Mexico'" .In English I guess "in the first place" adds emphasis to the question of why the French. Is there a similar phrase in Spanish?
Chris, your question has already been answered, but for some reason you seem to have ignored its content. Was there something about the answer that you didn't understand'Other options:What were the French doing in Mexico in the first place'¿Qué hacían los franceses en México en primer lugar? (probably sounds a little unnatural)¿Qué motivaron a los franceses (al prinicipio) a estar en (o, ir a) México'"In the first place" as used here emphasizes that the speaker is not only concerned with subsequent actions (such as setting up a foreign emperor, killing Mexican citizens, etc.), but also with the very fact of the French presence. This is used when one action is followed by another, and the first action is questioned above any subsequent actions.
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Chris said:
Do you mean I could say "Que hacian los franceses en Mexico'" .In English I guess "in the first place" adds emphasis to the question of why the French. Is there a similar phrase in Spanish?
Chris, your question has already been answered, but for some reason you seem to have ignored its content. Was there something about the answer that you didn't understand?
Other options:
What were the French doing in Mexico in the first place?
¿Qué hacían los franceses en México en primer lugar? (probably sounds a little unnatural)
¿Qué motivaron a los franceses (al prinicipio) a estar en (o, ir a) México?
"In the first place" as used here emphasizes that the speaker is not only concerned with subsequent actions (such as setting up a foreign emperor, killing Mexican citizens, etc.), but also with the very fact of the French presence. This is used when one action is followed by another, and the first action is questioned above any subsequent actions.
Do you mean I could say "Que hacian los franceses en Mexico'" .In English I guess "in the first place" adds emphasis to the question of why the French. Is there a similar phrase in Spanish'
Chris:
Para empezar de hablar, ¿qué hacían......
Colloquial:
Qué narices hacían......
