se décliner à l'infini

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EducatorPermalink Reply by George Hunt on June 4, 2013 at 3:27pm

I didn't know this usage but "se décliner dans" seems to mean "to be available in" or "to come in" (colours ,shapes, sizes...).

The phrase "Le tofu se décline à l'infini." seems to be a variant of this usage (without the "dans")  and ,as it seems to me is being used in a light hearted ,jokey exaggerated way -a bit like you might hear in a television commercial.

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on June 5, 2013 at 5:51am

"le tofu se décline à l'infini" ne veut pas seulement dire qu'il y a des choix sans fin mais aussi "qu'il y a tellement de possibilités qu'on n'a pas encore tout exploité"

"le tofu se décline." = non. Je ne trouve pas d'exemple ou se décliner est utilisé sans complément. Je ne l'ai jamais vu utilisé sans complément.

> ... se décline en 2 versions. ... se décline en 100 couleurs. ... se décline à l'infini.

"se décline polyvalent" ? non. Polyvalent  n'a pas du tout ce sens là.  "polyvalent" veut dire "qui peut servir à plusieurs chose" ou "qui sait faire plusieurs choses"

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on June 5, 2013 at 2:38pm

thank you, chantal.  actually, i didn't intend to suggest using "se décline polyvalent" but rather using "polyvalent" alone -- "le tofu est polyvalent."  I think that would work.  i can see using using "se décline à l'infini" in food advertising because the possibilities can be endless since what might seem a bad way to prepare a food to one person might appeal to another and there remain undiscovered possibilities.  But even after your explanation clarifying that the possibilities need not be endless, i can see preferring to say something is "polyvalent" if it merely has a few ways to be used.          

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on June 5, 2013 at 4:00pm

pour polyvalent, dans ce cas je dirais plutôt "le tofu est un aliment polyvalent"

mais ca ne veut pas exactement dire qu'il se décline à l'infini, ni qu'il existe sous différentes formes. Ca veut dire qu'il a plusieurs fonctions, qu'on peut l'utiliser de différentes façons (cuit, cru, ...).

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on June 5, 2013 at 7:47pm

i hope i'm not talking in circles or being redundant.  a week or so ago we established the most common usage of  "se décliner" -- a product is available in style/color/shape  X .  the dictionary also has the meaning of something being versatile/multi-purpose, and then cites the usage "se décliner à l'infini" giving the example sentence about tofu.  it's translated as "tofu can be used in an infinite number of ways."  i'm not sure you're aware that i'm translating it with regard to its use rather than its form (the first meaning the dictionary gives).    

because tofu is very versatile and with food you can find new ways to use something, i can see saying that tofu is "un aliment polyvalent" (versatile) as you indicate.  i don't think it comes in too many forms, so if i say "tofu se décline à l'infini" it should be obvious i'm referring to how it's used.  i'm thinking that it's preferable to say something is "polyvalent" if it merely has a few uses since "se décliner à l'infini" would be an exaggeration and you've indicated that you can't just say that something "se décline" -- it has to be followed by something.             

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on June 9, 2013 at 5:55pm

Chantal, i just looked at "se décliner" at "translationexamples.com" and found this example at the bottom of the page:   

Quand il est question d’environnement, investissement et ambition se déclinent, doivent se décliner sur le long terme

In matters of the environment, investment and ambition come in a variety of forms, and indeed must come in a variety of forms in the long term

 

 

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