##  [3 stylistic differences between English and French](/en/blogue-blog/differences-stylistiques-stylistic-differences-eng)

Posted on April 6, 2020

Written by [Ève Lyne Marchand (About the author)](/en/blogue-blog/differences-stylistiques-stylistic-differences-eng#auteur-author)

![](/sites/default/files/blog_differences-stylistiques_376x250.png)

You have a translation in front of you, from English to French or from French to English. From the very first line, nothing seems to match. So how do you know if you have a good translation? An awareness of some of the stylistic differences between English and French may provide some helpful insight.

## 1. Word order

English first qualifies something and then names it, as in the case of “Chinese food,” where “food” expresses the main concept and “Chinese,” the category. In French, the equivalent would be *mets chinois*. Here, the main concept is expressed first and then qualified. What are we talking about? Food. What type of food? Chinese.

The same difference can be observed in a sentence like “He ran downstairs.” French would say *il descendit l’escalier en courant*. In this example, English expresses the action with the verb *ran*, while French expresses the action with the complement *en courant*; the order is therefore reversed.

So when you’re assessing a translation, it’s normal to feel as though you have to “read backwards.”

## 2. Prepositions

French uses more prepositions than English. In English, a noun can qualify another. But in French, this practice is not as common; in most cases, a preposition is needed to combine two nouns. For example, “ball gown” wouldn’t be translated as *robe bal*, but as *robe de bal*; “management report” would become *rapport à la direction* or *rapport de la direction*; and “knitting needles” would be translated as *aiguilles à tricoter*.

Furthermore, French and English do not always use the same prepositions. Here are a few examples:

Examples of differences in English and French prepositional usage
| English prepositions | Equivalent French prepositions |
|---|---|
| A report **by** the chief financial officer (not **of**) | *Un rapport **du** dirigeant principal des finances* (not ***par***) |
| This order is payable **on** receipt (not **at**) | *Cette commande est payable **à** la livraison* (not ***sur***) |
| I was waiting **for** the bus (the preposition cannot be omitted) | *J’attendais l’autobus* (not ***pour***) |

## 3. Gender

It’s well known that English, unlike French, does not use grammatical gender, a fact that can cause headaches for those learning English but most especially for those translating it.

In French, since the masculine form prevails over the feminine, the translator may choose to change the word order or use a synonym to simplify agreement between an adjective or a participle and the word it qualifies. So a phrase such as “relevant results and data” could be translated in different ways, depending on the context.

Ways to translate “relevant results and data” and explanations of the strategies used
| Possible translations | Strategy |
|---|---|
| *Résultats et données pertinents* | The French adjective *pertinents* is masculine plural. However, since it comes immediately after the French noun *données*, which is feminine, the Francophone reader might wonder if there is an agreement error. |
| *Données et résultats pertinents* | The feminine noun *données* changes position so that the phrase ends with a masculine noun, making the agreement more natural. |
| *Résultats et données utiles* | The adjective *utiles* is used because it has the same form in both genders. |

On the other hand, in the last example, going from French to English, the translator could decide to use “relevant” rather than “useful,” since agreement is not an issue.

As you can see, English and French don’t work the same way. For that reason, it’s very difficult to assess the quality of a translation without understanding the stylistic differences between the two languages.

Ultimately, it all depends on how much confidence you have in your translator. For more information on this topic, I recommend reading the post “[Translation: Let's trust the professionals (opens in new window)](/en/blogue-blog/confiance-professionnels-trust-professionals-eng),” also published on this blog. Don't hesitate to ask your translator questions and explain your needs. In return, be prepared to answer your translator’s questions. The more you collaborate, the better the translation will be. And in the process, you’ll be sure to discover other stylistic differences. Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

View bibliographyDelisle, Jean. La traduction raisonnée: Manuel d’initiation à la traduction professionnelle de l’anglais vers le français. 2nd ed. Ottawa: Ottawa UP, 2003.

Canada. Translation Bureau. [Clés de la rédaction (opens in new window, French only)](https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/cles-de-la-redaction/index-eng).

Canada. Translation Bureau. [Writing Tips Plus (opens in new window)](<https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/writing-tips-plus/index-eng >).

Eastwood, John. Oxford Learner’s Grammar. New York: Oxford UP, 2005.

Québec. Office québécois de la langue française. [Banque de dépannage linguistique (opens in new window, French only)](http://bdl.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/bdl/).

Vinay, Jean-Paul, and Jean Darbelnet. Stylistique comparée du français et de l'anglais. Montreal: Beauchemin, 1990.

Translated by Josephine Versace, Language Portal of Canada

## Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in posts and comments published on the Our Languages blog are solely those of the authors and commenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Language Portal of Canada.

- [Leave a comment](#article-comments)
- [Read the comments (2) ](#comments)

## Get to know Ève Lyne Marchand

![](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/user_eve-lyne-marchand2.png?itok=zbOF9aDs)

Photo: Denis Girard
photographie

### Ève Lyne Marchand

Ève Lyne Marchand has been an English-to-French translator for the Government of Canada since 2009. She specializes in employment, training and project management. In addition to translation, she studied creative writing and music.

## More posts by Ève Lyne Marchand

- [4 tips for simplifying your PowerPoint presentations](/en/blogue-blog/astuces-alleger-powerpoint-simplifying-tips-eng)
- [Discovering the Atikamekw language](/en/blogue-blog/rencontre-atikamekw-discovering-atikamekw-language-eng)
- [5 festive songs and their origins](/en/blogue-blog/chants-festifs-festive-songs-eng)
- [Anacoluthon: A stylistic error](/en/blogue-blog/anacoluthe-anacoluthon-eng)
- [Let’s talk Agile](/en/blogue-blog/comment-parler-agile-lets-talk-agile-eng)
- [Comic books and graphic novels: A primer](/en/blogue-blog/abc-bd-comic-books-primer-eng)
- [Make an impression with stylistic devices](/en/blogue-blog/figure-style-eng)
- [What’s the easiest language to sing in?](/en/blogue-blog/facile-a-chanter-easiest-language-to-sing-in-eng)
- [4 differences between English and French writing conventions](/en/blogue-blog/differences-anglais-francais-differences-english-french-eng)
- [10 interesting facts about the Guidelines for Inclusive Writing](/en/blogue-blog/10-faits-ecriture-inclusive-inclusive-writing-eng)
- [Discovering multilingual translation: Part 1 – Working with multiple languages ](/en/blogue-blog/rencontre-traduction-multilingue-discovering-multilingual-translation-1-eng)
- [Discovering multilingual translation: Part 2 – Learning multiple languages](/en/blogue-blog/rencontre-traduction-multilingue-discovering-multilingual-translation-2-eng)

## Search by related themes

Looking for more blog posts on the same themes? Click on the links below to see all the posts on the Our Languages blog that relate to the theme you selected. The search results will be displayed in [Language Navigator](/en/navigateur-navigator).

- [Grammar and syntax](/en/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=1416&sort_by=views&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results)
- [Adjectives](/en/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=1416&sort_by=views&f%5B0%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A477#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results)
- [Sentence structure](/en/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=1416&sort_by=views&f%5B0%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A487#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results)
- [Prepositions (to, for, with…)](/en/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=1416&sort_by=views&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A490#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results)
- [Translation](/en/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=1416&sort_by=views&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A499#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results)

## Leave a comment

Please consult the “Comments and interaction” section on the [Canada.ca Terms and conditions page](https://www.canada.ca/en/transparency/terms.html) before adding your comment. The Language Portal of Canada reviews comments before they’re posted. We reserve the right to edit, refuse or remove any question or comment that violates these commenting guidelines.

By submitting a comment, you permanently waive your moral rights, which means that you give the Government of Canada permission to use, reproduce, edit and share your comment royalty-free, in whole or in part, in any manner it chooses. You also confirm that nothing in your comment infringes third party rights (for example, the use of a text from a third party without his or her permission).

Join in the conversation and share your comments!

You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.

Your name **(required)**

Email address (Example: yourname@domain.com)

Comment **(required)**

Submit

Leave this field blank

## Comments

Comments are displayed in the language they were submitted.

Read comments     Submitted by Jason C on August 10, 2020, at 13:53

I worked as a mentor for a new lawyer, who had completed his kindergarten to grade 12 education in French. Knowing this, I noticed he used "that" a lot in his writing in English. The "que" would be mandatory in French, but it was not required in English. If I hadn't been aware of his background, I probably wouldn't have noticed.

- [Reply](/en/comment/reply/node/69445/comment/5542)

In reply to [I worked as a mentor for a](/en/comment/5542#comment-5542) by Jason C

Submitted by EL Marchand on August 11, 2020, at 7:00

Thank you for sharing. That is a good example!

- [Reply](/en/comment/reply/node/69445/comment/5543)

##  Related links

- [Our Languages blog archives](/en/blogue-blog-archives)
- [Write a post for the Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog/contribute-contribuer)
- [Editorial policy for the Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog/politique-policy-eng)
- [The Golden Quill: An initiative of the Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog/plume-dor-golden-quill-eng)
- [Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog-index) (home page)
- [Contact the Language Portal of Canada](/en/apropos-about-eng#a8)

- 10917 views
- [Join in the conversation and share your comments!](/en/blogue-blog/differences-stylistiques-stylistic-differences-eng#comment-form "Share your thoughts and opinions.")

Language English