What does the French expression par contre mean - and is it ok to use it? Click to learn all about this expression and the great par contre debate, and then come back here to share your thoughts.
More: French expressions |Common French phrases
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Comments
Regarding the following, which appears in your entry on “par contre”:
Tu ne dois pas venir avec nous. Par contre —> Mais est-ce que tu sais où sont mes clés ?
You don’t have to come with us. But do you know where my keys are?
Doesn’t “te ne dois pas venir…” actually mean “you shoud NOT come with us”, rather than “you don’t HAVE to come with us” ?
Bonjour Diane –
No, “you should not” = tu ne devrais pas.
Thanks Laura,
Another good article.
As you will know, it’s a phrase which slips into conversation every 2 minutes.
Wow … was very interesting article. Thanks. Not sure if I’m most impressed by the logic of the various arguments, or simply by my comprehension of them!
Just a thought on devoir: I always thought it translated best as “to have to” . In English we seem use the word “should” as both an auxiliary verb and as a conditional modifier. “I have to go” and “I should have to go” are different. Both, it seems to me can be translated by devoir, the former in the present tense and the latter in the conditional (should as a modifier). But “I should go” seems to me to be ambiguous, and could be translated by either, or even by falloir. No?
I enjoy your newsletter. It consolidates my (fading) knowledge of French grammar, having been out of my native France for so long. I thought the first two examples worked well and were helpful. However, (par contre), the third one did not work for me; I would be inclined to say “heureusement” instead “par contre”. I cannot see a comparison or contradiction between the two statements. Alors qu’en pensez-vous?
To Diane,
Re: tu ne dois pas venir avec nous. I think it can also mean, tu n’es pas obligé de venir avec nous.
Devoir also indicate possibility, expectancy, likeliness. Le train doit arriver à huit heures. The train is expected to get here/arriver at 8 pm.
Word meaning take on different shades according to their context. Same seen in different lights can seem quite different!
Anyway,
even if it’s heard very (too much) often, don’t say “par contre” but “en revanche”, it’s better.
“je ne suis pas riche, en revanche je peux acheter une petite voiture”
that is to say:
“though i’m not rich, i can buy a little car”
Bonjour Aucher,
If you read page 2 of my lesson, there are numerous examples demonstrating that there are some sentences in which “en revanche” simply cannot take the place of “par contre.”
To some extend, I agree with Diane’s comment (1) – “Tu ne dois pas venir” would often be understood as “you must not (i.e., you are not allowed to) come” (I suppose that’s why Diane put “NOT” in caps. To express “you need not…” without ambiguity, one would prefer “Tu n’es pas obligé [de venir]“, while “Tu ne devrais….” means indeed “you should not…” but in the sense “You are not supposed (or expected) [to come]“.
Marie-Claire -
The contradiction is along the lines of “good news… bad news.” The bad news is I didn’t do my homeword. The good news is the sub didn’t collect it (and so I didn’t get in trouble).