Questions tagged [noms]
Classe de mots servant à désigner les êtres, les choses et les concepts.
97
questions
1
vote
3answers
75 views
Why is it “maîtresse de maison” instead of “maîtresse de la maison”?
Excuse the basic question, but why is de instead of de la being used in "maîtresse de maison"?
2
votes
1answer
123 views
Conveying the idea of “he or she” with “il ou elle” [closed]
I am trying to convey the following paragraph for a tutorial.
The reader will know how to work with finite combinations of numbers, but what is less likely is that he or she will be familiar with ...
1
vote
1answer
37 views
Conveying the sentence “The force can be seen physically as a push or a pull.”
The force can be seen physically as a push or a pull.
Deepl translates this sentence as
La force peut être considérée physiquement comme une poussée ou une traction.
I am wondering if there is a ...
6
votes
5answers
114 views
Le mot mazette et son emploi
Pourquoi le substantif mazette (selon wiki) est considéré désuet ? Il y a aussi l'interjection mazette exprimant la surprise, l'étonnement, etc. Cette interjection est-elle répandue partout en France ?...
1
vote
1answer
57 views
What's the name of the shoe covers one must use when walking into some parts of a hospital?
Some time ago, when my third kid was about to be born, I noticed that in Spanish the shoe covers you must use when walking into the zone where babies are born for hygiene purposes are called "papis" ...
8
votes
2answers
147 views
On an apparent “masstermization” phenomenon in contemporary informal French: “il y a de la jolie nana par ici”
I have noticed a tendency to "masstermize" nouns (so to say) in contemporary informal French.
What I call "masstermize" a noun is to use a countable noun in the following way :
verb + partitive ...
1
vote
3answers
62 views
Confused about when a compound noun needs an article or not [duplicate]
I keep tripping up on this and it's super frustrating, just when I think I get it, I seemingly don't get it.
Some examples:
Une tasse de sagesse
Une tasse de vin
Le blanc de la sagesse
La tasse de ...
3
votes
2answers
109 views
Quel est l'équivalent de « peer » en français?
Je travaille en informatique et nous utilisons souvent le terme anglais « peer ».
Par exemple, « each peer communicates its information through the channel ».
Quelle serait la traduction exacte en ...
2
votes
4answers
475 views
Est-ce un(e) « suprémaciste » ou un(e) « suprématiste » (le nom commun) ?
Comment orthographie-t-on le nom commun suprémaciste/suprématiste (comme dans « suprémaciste blanc ») pour signifier le « partisan du suprémacisme », (de suprématie ; l'« idéologie raciste qui ...
2
votes
2answers
107 views
Is “malheureuse” in this sentence a noun?
The little girl smurf is made of an explosive composition so Gargamel is afraid of her. So, is it a noun?
1
vote
2answers
222 views
« Être à disposition » ou « Être disponible »
Sachant qu'« Être à disposition » signifie « Être disponible » dont l'origine est la suivante d'après linternaute:
Raccourci de la locution "être mise à disposition" ("être
disponible"), cette ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
L'influence de la sémantique du « clip » sur la familiarité de la juxtaposition de « choc » avec « vidéo » ?
Dans un article sur la soirée des Grammy Awards, je lis ce qui suit au sujet d'un artiste et de son œuvre :
Sa vidéo choc dénonçant le règne des armes à feu et du racisme aux
États-Unis, vue par ...
0
votes
2answers
57 views
How to translate “series” (computers)?
I wonder about the right French word to use to translate "series" (Computer context).
For instance, the
IBM 700/7000 series
Wikipedia (fr) uses "série" in this case, but that doesn't sound right ...
2
votes
1answer
89 views
L’Amérique ou les Amériques ?
J'ai récemment lu "Les Amériques".
Mais Amérique étant (à ma connaissance) un nom propre je me suis demandé pourquoi prenait-il ici la marque au pluriel. La signification est-elle différente ?
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Ellipse de l'épithète dans les composés constituant un terme défini
L'ellipse de l'épithète se fait couramment lorsque l'épithète résulte d'une construction libre.
C'est une nouvelle compagnie aérienne ; le personnel est mal payé en raison de difficultés financières ...
2
votes
1answer
67 views
Searching for French noun with very specific criteria [closed]
I am writing a book of humor and I would be happy to send a free copy to the person who sends the best response. I am looking for a French feminine noun that has one acute accent. The word cannot ...
1
vote
2answers
82 views
Is “des” not needed after “de”?
In the following sentence:
Tu sais combien de secondes ça fait?
I thought "des" is needed before plural nouns (secondes), so at first I thought the following is correct:
Tu sais combien de des ...
2
votes
2answers
72 views
« Je veux quelque chose de simple »
Please consider the following sentence: « Je veux quelque chose de simple »
I do not know why the preposition de follows the word quelque chose (or equivalently precedes the word simple). What ...
1
vote
2answers
138 views
Gender agreement between subject and attribute/modifier when the latter is a noun?
The gender for the word liche(for the undead sorcerer) is seemingly feminine(une) and therefore you have:
La liche (f) est un type de sorcier (m). Ce sorcier (m) est une liche (f) : sauve qui peut !...
2
votes
2answers
623 views
What are the rules to form nouns from verbs?
I am a French learner in an intermediate stage and I want to know, what are the rules of morphing French verbs into nouns? Especially "intangible nouns", Or is there no pattern and are they irregular?
...
6
votes
2answers
254 views
Différence entre l'origine des mots terminant en « -aison » et « -ation »
Cf. terminaison, pendaison, raison, saison, comparaison, maison
Pour autant que je sache, ces mots sont tous issus d'une transformation de la terminaison latine « -atiō », comme par exemple ratiō > ...
3
votes
2answers
386 views
Quelle est la signification du mot québécois « vingnenne » ?
Il y a une chanson de Plume Latraverse (chanteur, auteur, compositeur, etc.) dont un mot des paroles est « vingnenne ». Le titre de la chanson c'est La p'tite vingnenne pis l'gros torrieu. Le contexte ...
4
votes
1answer
102 views
Juxtaposition des noms (substantif plus substantif)
Are there any rules of thumb that dictate the noun+noun construction, that is, without an intervening preposition?
E.g. why
projet recherche, responsable qualité, débat marathon, la stratégie ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
What is the French word for scientific calculator and what does 'la formule de calcul' mean ?
What is the French word for 'scientific calculator'?
Also, what does 'la formule de calcul' mean?
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-french/calculator
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Infinitif vs nom
Y a-t-il des différerces entre
La joie de vivre.
et
La joie de la vie.
?
De même
La joie d'aimer.
et
La joie de l'amour.
2
votes
1answer
37 views
How does one say olive oil eardrops in French?
How does one say 'olive oil eardrops' in French? I think it is 'les gouttes d'huile d'olive pour les oreilles.' Is that correct? It seems far too long.
1
vote
2answers
108 views
“Quelque chose d'aussi gros si près de notre planète”: Does this entire phrase work as a nominal phrase?
We were talking about swarms of meteorites orbiting the Earth, and I said:
Quelque chose d'aussi gros si près de notre planète pourrait ...
On second thoughts, I'm not sure the entire phrase "(pro)...
5
votes
1answer
93 views
What's the adjectif in the phrase “Lui-même, pauvres naїfs!”?
I'm trying to analyze which one is the adjective but I can't find the answer due to my limit understanding of French i think. is it both adjectif? or "pauvres" is the adjectif and "naïfs" is the noun? ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
Noms composés de deux verbes
Un laissez-passer et un laisser-aller.
Quelle logique dicte la construction de noms composés de deux verbes ?
Par exemple, pourquoi la différence que l'on rencontre ici ? (à savoir 2e personne plus ...
1
vote
2answers
119 views
Are there other words like “gratuité” that are nouns in French but not in English?
On the provincial student loans brochures that I am reading, the French version says "Gratuité des frais de scolarité pour les étudiantes et étudiants admissible", and the English version says "Free ...
3
votes
5answers
2k views
How does one say “it would be my pleasure” in French?
I'm trying to figure out how to say “it would be my pleasure”, is it “ce serait mon plaisir” or “il serait mon plaisir” or is it neither? If so, what is the French equivalent?
6
votes
6answers
6k views
How do you say in French “if you don't mind my asking”?
I'm trying to figure out how to say “if you don't mind my asking” in French, not “if you don't mind me asking”. The question that will follow will be formal.
I came up with “si cela ne vous dérange ...
2
votes
1answer
346 views
How is the indefinite adjective “quelconque” used?
I understand that the idea surrounding quelconque(s) when it is placed after a noun is similar to n'importe quel i.e. the noun "doesn't matter".
For example,
Choisissez n’importe quel stylo que ...
4
votes
1answer
53 views
A question on the changing of “tel” to “si” when the corresponding noun is modified by another adjective
My understanding of tel is that it can act as an indefinite adjective as well as a qualifying adjective*.
Example of tel acting as an indefinite adjective:
Une telle faiblesse est en fait votre ...
1
vote
4answers
255 views
Why the infinitive in “Je te remercie pour m'aider”?
Je te remercie pour m'aider. = I thank you for helping me.
I don't understand why aider is in the infinitive. Shouldn't it be “Je te remercie pour m'aide”?
2
votes
2answers
130 views
How do you say “bathroom door”, “toilet door” and the like?
I'm trying to immerse myself in French. Consequently, I need to know the following nouns so that I can place post-it notes on those objects. I believe this would be helpful to many learners and this ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
What is the meaning of “d'” in “d'accord”?
I understand the meaning of accord in French but I don't understand the presence of d' in the expression “d'accord”.
Why does d' appear in “d'accord”?
3
votes
2answers
109 views
Is “Risque potentiel” a pleonasm?
I wonder if saying "il y a un risque potentiel à utiliser cette solution" is a pleonasm. As a matter of fact, isn't the very notion of risk describing something that could potentially happen?
Thank ...
7
votes
4answers
329 views
“No-brainer” as a noun in French
There are several ways of translating into French the idea conveyed by “no-brainer”, as in:
It seems like a no-brainer to improve standards.
Améliorer les standards ? Ça va de soi or ...
0
votes
3answers
1k views
word gender - why masculine or feminine?
I find it totally non-intuitive that each noun has its own gender in French, and other European languages. No one French I query knows why something is designated either masculine or feminine, and I ...
1
vote
2answers
184 views
Are nouns derived from verbs (e.g. devoir) always masculine?
I assume that le devoir is derived from the verb devoir, as opposed to the other way around. Are there many other nouns derived from verbs, such that the noun is identical to the verb? Are these nouns ...
8
votes
1answer
199 views
Usage de « gare » comme une préposition
Lorsqu'un complément de lieu est une gare, on peut des fois l'exprimer de plusieurs manières :
Je vais à la gare d'Austerlitz. (description)
Je vais à Gare d'Austerlitz. (nom propre (de la ...
4
votes
1answer
4k views
Un mot pour un anniversaire chaque mois au lieu de chaque année
Existe-t-il une version mensuelle du mot "anniversaire"?
"anniversaire" est formé des mots latins "annus" (année) et "versus" (revenir).
Comme le mot "mois" vient de "mensis", je me demande s'il ...
11
votes
2answers
3k views
How do French people turn nouns into adjectives (of a sort)?
I learn French and I enjoy learning about its intricacies, much like English.
I was wondering the other day - how do French people turn nouns into adjectives (when I say adjectives, they're not ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Feminine/plural for “enfant” and “parent”
Quand j'étais enfant, j'aimais ...
If the person is female, should we use enfante? Similarly, in
Quand nous étions enfant, nous aimions ...
should we use enfant(e)s? Enfant is a noun that behaves ...
4
votes
2answers
306 views
La boîte de conserve
I know that “la boîte de conserve” is translated to “tin can”, however, that seems like a bit of a mouthful, so according to my dictionary it get's shortened to “la boîte de qqc” to refer to a “tin of ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Quel est le substantif associé à l'adjectif « désabusé » ?
Je cherche le nom commun décrivant le fait d'être désabusé.
Le nom pour le verbe abuser est abus, mais peut-on parler de désabus ?
Un synonyme est blasé, mais je cherche vraiment celui-là.
0
votes
0answers
43 views
Rules for using à, de as “linking” prepositions between two nouns? [duplicate]
I'd like to have a better understanding of the rules for linking two nouns together with à or de. For example:
l'homme aux yeux bleus
la femme au parapluie
une tasse de café
une chemise à ...
1
vote
0answers
66 views
What is an appropriate translation for “Gentlemen Weavers”? [closed]
I've come up with: Messieurs Tisseurs or Messieurs Tisserand. Suggestions?
Thanks.
2
votes
1answer
57 views
What is the syntactic structure of “Béatrix enfant”
The question is on the highlighted bit in this passage from La Porte étroite by André Gide.
Je ne puis décrire un visage ; les traits m’échappent, et jusqu’à la couleur des yeux ; je ne revois que ...
