Useful French Phrases
#346
Re: Useful French Phrases
OH never used the expression - I had to find out what it means, and its origin. I always thought it meant the opposite, e.g. a wishy-washy introvert, so I'm glad I've never used it!!
Another translation to be wary of::
"Hope" ="espoir ", but = "espérance" in the sense of expectancy/expectation. e.g. Cape of Good Hope isn't Cap de Bon Espoir. as proposed by a machine translation, but de Bonne Espérance!!
Another translation to be wary of::
"Hope" ="espoir ", but = "espérance" in the sense of expectancy/expectation. e.g. Cape of Good Hope isn't Cap de Bon Espoir. as proposed by a machine translation, but de Bonne Espérance!!
#347
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,890
#348
Re: Useful French Phrases
OH never used the expression - I had to find out what it means, and its origin. I always thought it meant the opposite, e.g. a wishy-washy introvert, so I'm glad I've never used it!!
Another translation to be wary of::
"Hope" ="espoir ", but = "espérance" in the sense of expectancy/expectation. e.g. Cape of Good Hope isn't Cap de Bon Espoir. as proposed by a machine translation, but de Bonne Espérance!!
Another translation to be wary of::
"Hope" ="espoir ", but = "espérance" in the sense of expectancy/expectation. e.g. Cape of Good Hope isn't Cap de Bon Espoir. as proposed by a machine translation, but de Bonne Espérance!!
Last edited by Novocastrian; Mar 29th 2020 at 11:55 am.
#349
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,890
#350
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,890
Re: Useful French Phrases
Can any one suggest a French equivalent to "complacent"? I'd say that "complaisant" is a faux ami, and, IMO, "suffisant" or "content de soi" are too arrogant or smug for that particular state of mind,..
Maybe I've got the wrong word in English (another Senior Moment) - I mean, when you've accepted/are resigned to your lot, without making an effort to get out of the resulting "comfort zone"....
Any one?
Maybe I've got the wrong word in English (another Senior Moment) - I mean, when you've accepted/are resigned to your lot, without making an effort to get out of the resulting "comfort zone"....
Any one?
#351
Re: Useful French Phrases
Can any one suggest a French equivalent to "complacent"? I'd say that "complaisant" is a faux ami, and, IMO, "suffisant" or "content de soi" are too arrogant or smug for that particular state of mind,..
Maybe I've got the wrong word in English (another Senior Moment) - I mean, when you've accepted/are resigned to your lot, without making an effort to get out of the resulting "comfort zone"....
Any one?
Maybe I've got the wrong word in English (another Senior Moment) - I mean, when you've accepted/are resigned to your lot, without making an effort to get out of the resulting "comfort zone"....
Any one?
Good question. Not that I remember being in a situation requiring the use of that term, if push came to shove I would likely go for "acceptant", delivered in a broad Buckinghamshire accent. If that didn't work, I'd likely have to add on "et je m'en fi***".
Does this mean that complacency does not have a toehold in l'Hexagone?
#352
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,890
Re: Useful French Phrases
Dans un mot, non.
Good question. Not that I remember being in a situation requiring the use of that term, if push came to shove I would likely go for "acceptant", delivered in a broad Buckinghamshire accent. If that didn't work, I'd likely have to add on "et je m'en fi***".
Does this mean that complacency does not have a toehold in l'Hexagone?
Good question. Not that I remember being in a situation requiring the use of that term, if push came to shove I would likely go for "acceptant", delivered in a broad Buckinghamshire accent. If that didn't work, I'd likely have to add on "et je m'en fi***".
Does this mean that complacency does not have a toehold in l'Hexagone?
#353
Re: Useful French Phrases
#354
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Joined: Apr 2008
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Posts: 8,890
Re: Useful French Phrases
"Suffisante" is the best I've found in French, but I still think it's too arrogant, in the sense of a smug know-all. Whereas I want to get over the idea of willingly accepting/being resigned to a unpleasant situation, without preparing for the risk of it worsening. According to Webster, "complacent" seems to correspond, but that doesn't help with the French equivalent. As said, the concept probably doesn't exist here, rather like "crises de foie" don't exist in English!
#355
Re: Useful French Phrases
"Suffisante" is the best I've found in French, but I still think it's too arrogant, in the sense of a smug know-all. Whereas I want to get over the idea of willingly accepting/being resigned to a unpleasant situation, without preparing for the risk of it worsening. According to Webster, "complacent" seems to correspond, but that doesn't help with the French equivalent. As said, the concept probably doesn't exist here, rather like "crises de foie" don't exist in English!
#356
Re: Useful French Phrases
Salut mes amis!
A question; having recently had my eyes opened to an English term (noun to be precise) that I had previously considered to be relatively inoffensive, but not, according to some others ...
This one (spoilered below) I also consider as inoffensive - despite what some of those "all knowing 'murcan" websites would have one believe.
To me, this expression (very likely accompanied by "the shoulder shrug") is just saying "everyone has their own troubles" and nothing more.
Or did I have a mis-spent middle-age in Suisse Romande?
A question; having recently had my eyes opened to an English term (noun to be precise) that I had previously considered to be relatively inoffensive, but not, according to some others ...
This one (spoilered below) I also consider as inoffensive - despite what some of those "all knowing 'murcan" websites would have one believe.
Spoiler:
To me, this expression (very likely accompanied by "the shoulder shrug") is just saying "everyone has their own troubles" and nothing more.
Or did I have a mis-spent middle-age in Suisse Romande?