3 ms·
Except, a French speaker could well just reply, "Donc" without anything else in contexts where an English speaker would never say, "Therefore." In those contex
by stcredzero 3y ago
Except, a French speaker could well just reply, "Donc" without anything else in contexts where an English speaker would never say, "Therefore."
In those contexts, "Donc" is more like, "Word!" or "Right on." I would translate those to mean, "Agreed."
Or is that just French that French teachers and textbooks talk about to students in America?
- atnnn 3y agoI would say "donc" is used where some might say "so" in English (aka shorter and less pompous "therefore"). I think the meaning of "Agreed" or "Right on" is rare and more implicit. Like saying "therefore" might mean "I accept the premise". As a question, "donc?", like "so?", can mean "and then?", "then what?", "meaning what?", "what next?" or "so what?" As an interjection or at the beginning of a sentence, "donc", like "so", can mean "now then", "that said", "moving on" or "without further ado".
- stcredzero 3y agoLike saying "therefore" might mean "I accept the premise". I basically never hear that as a standalone reply in English! As an interjection or at the beginning of a sentence, "donc", like "so", can mean "now then", "that said", "moving on" or "without further ado". I'm not sure, but I think sometimes when my wife is saying, "schma" it's somewhat like "donc" you describe above. But sometimes, I think she expressing agreement with a person that a third party was a bit mistaken or off the mark, so it's expressing a kind of disagreement. Not sure.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]