3

"I have as much fear as you"

J'ai autant de peur que vous.

J'ai autant peur que vous.

J'ai aussi peur que vous.

Which of the above works as a translation for the sentence, or is there a better translation? Since we are quantifying peur, I think the first one is correct.

4
  • Can you be more precise about the enlgish meaning please ? Does it suggest "fear" is countable (snakes, spiders, altitude...) ? Or is it a level of fear (if you're in front of a spider, you are meaning you hate spiders as much as I do) ?
    – Random
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 16:04
  • 2
    I'm as frightened as you are. I'm as scared as you are. I'm as fearful as you. So....have fear is not great.
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 16:08
  • 2
    I have as much time as you (do). I wonder: what is your native language?
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 16:11
  • Well, as OP uses "much", I guess that "fear" is uncountable... I have to admit that even the original sentence in English doesn't sound familiar to me, but I'm not a native speaker... Anyway, I would translate the idea with the two last propositions. I feel that the last one is more informal, but sounds good. As Lambie proposed with English variations, I would translate with "Je suis aussi/autant effrayé que vous".
    – Manu310
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 16:14

1 Answer 1

2

You could say:

J'ai aussi peur que vous.

or:

J'ai peur autant que vous.

J'ai autant peur que vous.

But

J'ai autant de peur que vous.

doesn't quite work for me.

"Quantification of fear" might not quite work with "peur". You can say:

J'ai autant de soucis que vous.

But that is not "fear" anymore, it's much milder ("worries").

Je suis aussi effrayé que vous.

Could work.

Even if the English read I have as many fears as you do, I don't think peur is quantifiable in the same way in French. Quoique, you could say:

J'ai autant de peurs que vous.

(plural). It would be grammatical correct, but maybe not very common.

6
  • 1
    No one says: I have fear or fears. One might say: My fear was that etc. Or; Their fear were that, etc. But never in the plural.
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 22:39
  • Lambie - can you guess who wrote: _When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, ... _
    – Frank
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 22:41
  • 1
    Many things are written and it sure does sound like Shakespeare to my EAR. That said, the OP was not writing old English, poetic English or unusual English, just bad English.
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 22:44
  • It's Keats. I guess Keats is "no one".
    – Frank
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 22:49
  • Jesus do you two start arguing under every question on this site? Are you married IRL? What is with this, it's so annoying. Commented Feb 16, 2017 at 4:58

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.