word usage

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on May 30, 2020 at 1:56pm

"agiter le mélange pour dissoudre le sel"  

explain "agiter" versus "secouer" versus "remuer" 

> here agiter = secouer = remuer. All are ok. As "faire dissoudre le sel dans l'eau" "mélanger le sel avec l'eau" ....

C’est a deux pas – right around the corner

i know "c'est a deux pas d'ici" to mean it's nearby.  if u drop the "d'ici" is it "right around the corner"? 

"C'est à deux pas" = "c'est à deux pas d'ici" (in the former, "d'ici" is implied)

Une infraction versus délit versus violation 

often theses words are used without distinction, but there is a distinction.

une violation is when someone doesn't respect a law, it's the action of this transgression. It's when someone come in somewhere he is not allowed.

un délit = in french law there are 3 levels (3 groups) of "infractions" : 1 - une contravention (less severe). 2 - un délit (medium). 3 - un crime.

implementer versus mettre en œuvre

implémenter is used in computing system, I didn't hear "implémenter" in other situations.

mettre en oeuvre is for all projets.

signaler versus montrer

signaler = montrer but in an idea to draw attention to something

doter de versus fournir de 

doter = fournir, but they are used in different contexts.

doter = to give money, to give benefits, advantages, or thing, when we speak about public administrations, or official offices, like schools, hospitals, ....

fournir is used too in the same way, but doter is more sustained

a l’épreuve du feu versus réfractaire

these two expressions have nothing in common.

a l'épreuve du feu = is used when someone is sent in a complicate situation. 

réfractaire = someone who is in opposition to do something., who doesn't want to cooperate. Il est réfractaire au travail.

cela paraissait versus semblait .

paraissait = semblait

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on May 31, 2020 at 6:59pm

"C’est a deux pas (d'ici)"

"right around the corner" means it's at a 90 degree angle from the spot.  "nearby" means it's a short distance on the same street.  so in english, they are two different indications of the location.  how do i differentiate one from the other?    

"It's when someone come in somewhere he is not allowed."

better: it's when someone GOES INTO a place he's not allowed.  

better still: it's when someone ENTERS 

u seem to b saying signaler is more intense.  and yet montrer is also drawing attention to qch. 

i learned fournir to mean physical things.  ur definition means hospitals/schools are given $ to spend on certain things.  but if a hospital received an MRI, would that b fournir or doter? 

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on May 31, 2020 at 8:40pm

"right around the corner" means it's at a 90 degree angle from the spot. "nearby" means it's a short distance on the same street. so in english, they are two different indications of the location. how do i differentiate one from the other?

'à deux pas d'ici' means "nearby". = "tout près d'ici".

right around the corner could be "au coin de la rue" = from the spot, at the nearest point of the street where two streets instersect.

"at a 90 degree angle from the spot" have no sense in France, because here there are no standards about streets, no 90 degree angle.

yes. Signaler is more intense.

i learned fournir to mean physical things. ur definition means hospitals/schools are given $ to spend on certain things. but if a hospital received an MRI, would that b fournir or doter?

yes, it's "doter" for material equipments too.

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on June 2, 2020 at 3:01pm

so 'à deux pas d'ici'  is the same as "à deux pas" i guess.  makes sense.  and yet i saw it defined as  "around the corner."  

yes, interesting and i forgot that corners are not 90 degree angles in france whereas in the US, it's rare that they are not.  

my correction below to what u wrote: 

"at a 90 degree angle from the spot" have no sense in France, because here there are no standards about streets, no 90 degree angle.

me: "has no meaning in france" or "makes no sense in france".  "no 90 degree ANGLES."  (singular if u say "it's at a 90 degree angle")  

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