Can you please translate and explain this sentences? Thanks! I actually have 2 questions 1.) I'm reading a book called "Le petit nicolas" and I cant understand "se passait" I think that it's a reflexive verb but I have no idea what it means. Le seul qui est resté, c'est Rufus. Avec son sac, il ne voyait pas ce qui SE PASSAIT et il a continué à crier: , et c'est la maitresse qui lui a enleve le sac. Another example: S'ils etaient venus tous habiles comme moi. I dont know what "s'ils etaient venus" supposed to mean. 2.) I'm confused how the french tenses work maybe because I compare it to english but I'll give you an example: "Elle allait pousser beaucoup" I've came across that sentence on a youtube video and I'm confused because according to the translation to that video it means "She was going to grow a lot" (it's a video with english and french subtitle) and I'm really confused because that sentence would be an error in english, so can you guys explain to me. Thanks in advance!

Question

Can you please translate and explain this sentences? Thanks!
I actually have 2 questions

1.) I'm reading a book called "Le petit nicolas" and I cant understand "se passait" I think that it's a reflexive verb but I have no idea what it means.

Le seul qui est resté, c'est Rufus. Avec son sac, il ne voyait pas ce qui SE PASSAIT et il a continué à crier: <> , et c'est la maitresse qui lui a enleve le sac.

Another example:  S'ils etaient venus tous habiles comme moi.
I dont know what "s'ils etaient venus" supposed to mean.

2.) I'm confused how the french tenses work maybe because I compare it to english but I'll give you an example:
"Elle allait pousser beaucoup"

I've came across that sentence on a youtube video and I'm confused because according to the translation to that video it means "She was going to grow a lot" (it's a video with english and french subtitle) and I'm really confused because that sentence would be an error in english, so can you guys explain to me.

Thanks in advance!

Answer

se passer =  to happen - it is a reflexive verb - these are quite common on French and other Romance languages

pousser - to grow - there is nothing wrong with "elle allait pousser" - elle allait pousser des fleurs, des legumes...she was going to grow flours, vegetables ...."au jardin de sa nouvelle maison mais la terre etait trop pauvre...but the soil/ground was  too poor.

Answer

As said "Se passer" can be translate by "to happen" so it would be "he couldn't see what was going on and kept yelling"

"S'ils etaient venus tous habiles comme moi." = "if they had come dressed like me"

The last sentence sounds false to me, i'm not sure what it's supposed to mean. If it's "grow" in the sense "getting older", "elle allait grandir" would be more accurate. If it's in the sense "grow vegetables" it would be "elle allait faire pousser"

Answer

I'm still learning too.. but from what I understand:
"il ne voyait pas ce qui se passer" is "he didn't see what happened".
"allait" is imperfect past tense.. so "She had grown a lot" (not "was going to grow").

I think "s'ils etaient venus" is "if they came" ("s'ils" being a merger of "si + ils")? ...but maybe slightly different in this context..