Classe de mots servant à désigner les êtres, les choses et les concepts.
1
vote
1answer
71 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
33 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.
0
votes
1answer
30 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.
4
votes
1answer
67 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
45 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
103 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
306 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
3k 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
66 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
41 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
106 views
I need help with “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. ?
Thanks.
0
votes
2answers
72 views
How do you say the following… (Immersion help)
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 ...
0
votes
1answer
244 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”?
2
votes
2answers
84 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
253 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 ...
1
vote
3answers
403 views
word gender - why male or female?
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 male or female, and I often ...
1
vote
2answers
91 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
161 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
960 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 ...
10
votes
2answers
2k 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
633 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
244 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
940 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
37 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
57 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
56 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 ...
2
votes
3answers
404 views
Why is “une information” correct in French, but not its English equivalent?
In English, information is uncountable, so an information is incorrect, but I often see the French equivalent une information (as in donner une information).
Why is this correct? Should I prefer the ...
3
votes
3answers
533 views
The present infinitive as a noun
The present infinitive forms of some verbs are listed as a noun in dictionaries. For example, être and repentir are masculine nouns. See here and here.
Questions
Can you use the present infinitive ...
4
votes
2answers
248 views
Dans quel(s) cas choisir le nom masculin « allié » ou féminin « alliée » ?
Bonjour.
Je suis prise d'un énorme doute sur le choix du mot « allié » en tant que nom au masculin ou au féminin dans l'accroche qui suit:
Faites de l'information votre allié stratégique
Le mot « ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
How to say “protective cover”?
Salut, I'm trying to say "Cover joints must be cleaned before replacing cover".
However, I don't know the word for "cover"; I've tried looking up the word on wordreference and several forums but none ...
3
votes
4answers
161 views
Interpretation de « connaissance de base réseau »
J'ai un problème d’interprétation pour l'expression suivante (et plus généralement des constructions similaires).
Connaissance de base réseau
Est-ce que je dois interpréter la phrase comme: « ...
3
votes
2answers
787 views
How exactly do you say “a wireless computer mouse” in French?
Is une souris d'ordinateur sans fil how you would say it? les souris d'ordinateur sans fil would be the plural form?
I know that many of you would probably say that une souris sans fil is already ...
1
vote
0answers
34 views
Are the adjectives always placed behind nouns? [duplicate]
I am a ground beginner. So, sorry for any misunderstanding.
I have come across the sentence: "Elle a une robe rouge"
So, is it always that adjectives are placed behind nouns, or are there special ...
5
votes
4answers
272 views
Using “de” vs an adjective
It seems that in French there are a few ways to provide extra attributes to a noun.
With de, e.g. salle de bains
With an adjective, e.g. chapeau rouge
Is there some rule outside of common ...
6
votes
1answer
9k views
How to construct noun forms of verbs?
In English a noun form of the doer of a verb is usually formed by '-er' sound, e.g. run - runner, teach - teacher, sell - seller. Then the noun form of the action of the verb is usually the '-ing' ...
0
votes
2answers
151 views
Gender of the noun form of “locale”?
What is the gender of the (rare) noun form of "locale" in French, meaning "place or locality, especially with reference to events or circumstances connected with it"?
I'm aware that this is much more ...
4
votes
1answer
441 views
Grammatical analysis of “les pronoms personnels sujets”
Consider the following sentence fragment:
les pronoms personnels sujets
I'm a beginning French student. So, my question is probably going to sound very simple to you. It's actually about super ...
4
votes
2answers
220 views
Correct diminutive of “génie”?
I am wondering what the correct diminutive of the word “génie” would be in French. Wikipedia lists several rules for forming the diminutive in French, but as “génie” is a masculine noun, the rules ...
7
votes
4answers
534 views
Un nom pour parler du caractère borné d'un objet : “bornitude” ?
En mathématiques, on a souvent besoin de dire que quelque chose est "borné" (au sens que la chose a des bornes, des délimitations). On a en fait même souvent besoin d'un nom qui correspondrait à l'...
1
vote
2answers
212 views
Do we have to say “une monster” or “un monster” while talking about the energy drink?
I am searching for the grammatical gender of the brand "Monster Energy" when we are talking in French.
Is it "un monster" or "une monster"?
5
votes
2answers
142 views
Université des finances près le gouvernement russe
Il semble que l'Université des finances du gouvernement russe ait choisi pour nom français (un exemple ici) :
Université des finances près le gouvernement russe
Cette aberration grammaticale me ...
2
votes
3answers
147 views
Un nom général pour désigner une structure juridique
Entreprise, association, organisation, boutique, entité commerciale ou administrative à but lucratif ou pas… etc.
Je cherche un nom court et générique qui peut remplacer toutes ces formes d'...
3
votes
1answer
179 views
Why is “dont la plupart est…” wrong?
When I gave my French speaking grandmother this sentence -
À Stratford, il y a beaucoup de restaurants, dont la plupart est delicieux.
Intending to say:
In Stratford, there are lots of ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Est-ce qu'un pronom ou un verbe peuvent être noyau du groupe nominal?
Je rencontre des définitions différentes du noyau du groupe de nom. Dans certaines sources on dit que le noyau doit être absolument un nom, dans d'autres on dit qu'un pronom peut l'être, dans les ...
2
votes
1answer
81 views
Attaching “gauche” (or “droite”) to a noun
I'm trying to translate the following English mathematical sentence into French.
''Let G be a locally compact group, where u is the left Haar measure on G.''
For the first part, it has already been ...
3
votes
2answers
191 views
La différence entre « agissement » et « action », et d'autres cas similaires
En français, il y a plusieurs moyens de façonner un verbe pour qu’il devienne un substantif. On connait par exemple :
agissement, action
fléchissement, flexion
Malgré la longueur des mots à gauche,...
15
votes
5answers
13k views
What are the origins of classifying nouns into masculine and feminine?
Why are nouns in French classified into masculine and feminine and what laws do classification depend on?
2
votes
1answer
21k views
Pourquoi le pluriel « allers-retours » est-il controversé ?
Le nom composé « aller-retour » est composé de deux noms et son pluriel est sémantiquement le pluriel des deux composantes. Il serait donc logique que son pluriel consiste à mettre les deux ...
2
votes
2answers
436 views
Le genre du nom « gens » en présence d'un adjectif
Ceci est issu de la page 34 de Schaum's Outline of French Grammar :
When the adjective precedes the noun gens, it is feminine. When it follows, it is masculine.
les bonnes gens (good people)...
1
vote
2answers
296 views
What does the “-met” in “gourmet” mean?
"Gourmet" means "connoisseur in eating and drinking". "Gour-" means "food". So what does the "-met" mean?
