vocab - French Language2024-03-28T09:19:38Zhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/forum/topics/vocab-6?commentId=3179028%3AComment%3A1436842&feed=yes&xn_auth=noSe donner l'air = to give an…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2021-02-19:3179028:Comment:14368502021-02-19T11:51:27.543ZChantal Savignathttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/ChantalSavignat
<p>Se donner l'air = to give an impression of being rich, but there are details that sound false.</p>
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<p>Se donner l'air = to give an impression of being rich, but there are details that sound false.</p>
<p></p> To pretend
I recently saw “El…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2021-02-19:3179028:Comment:14368422021-02-19T11:30:25.925ZChantal Savignathttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/ChantalSavignat
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>To pretend</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>I recently saw “Elle se donne l’aire d’une femme riche” -- She pretends to b rich</strong></p>
<p><strong>I had earlier learned “pretend” to b “faire semblant.” I’m thinking that maybe the English translation is wrong, that she’s giving the impression of being rich, but it’s not clear that she’s not. </strong></p>
<p><strong>> Elle se donne l’air = she wants to give an impression of being rich but…</strong></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>To pretend</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>I recently saw “Elle se donne l’aire d’une femme riche” -- She pretends to b rich</strong></p>
<p><strong>I had earlier learned “pretend” to b “faire semblant.” I’m thinking that maybe the English translation is wrong, that she’s giving the impression of being rich, but it’s not clear that she’s not. </strong></p>
<p><strong>> Elle se donne l’air = she wants to give an impression of being rich but I am pretty sure she’s not. If there is a doubt about she’s rich, I rather say “elle a l’air d’une personne riche”.</strong></p>
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<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> Allure</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>It’s used in English in fashion to mean attractive or fascinating. I checked the definition and I like the usage given – gold or jewelry have no allure to some people. only an educated person would use it and I would use it that way. </strong></p>
<p><strong>In English we’d refer to someone having a certain “look” – menacing, threatening, innocent, etc. – whereas I think the French would use “allure.” The dictionary gave the example « avoir une drole allure ». it also gave “avoir de l’allure” but in English we’d say “she has great style” “she has a great sense of style” “she’s very stylish” or “she dresses very elegantly.” </strong></p>
<p><strong>> French use “look” too. In the meaning of “Allure” = apparence<br/></strong></p>
<p><strong>Allure is used to refer to the appareance, the behaviour, the look, the outside picture, the perception by others.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Style is used to refer to an own way to dress or to behave in a sum of details that make a special package.</strong></p>
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<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Promener</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>I never heard it used this way:</strong></p>
<p><strong>She carries her purse everywhere -- Elle promene son sac partout :</strong></p>
<p><strong>> oh yes it’s right. And it’s used with emotions too.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elle promène sa peine. Elle promène sa joie.</strong></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Are the below 2 correct?</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Serrer a droite – (keep to the right = I don’t know what that means) : “Serrer à droite” means driving a car, to be closer to the right you can be.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ce pantalon me serre trop - these pants are too tight => yes</strong></p>
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<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>S’avérer v se révéler</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>I learned the former to mean “to turn out to b” – s’avérer facile (par example). I recently came across se révéler. Are they used interchangeably? Yes they are synonyms but (first but)…. in a conversation, se révéler is hardier to say with the following word “facile”.</strong> <strong>“S’avérer” is easier.</strong> <strong>But (second but) in some ways, « se révéler » is easier to say : “se révéler plus facile” (with a word in the middle) “s’est révélé facile” (au passé compose).</strong></p>