{"id":32154,"date":"2020-07-21T05:30:43","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T03:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=32154"},"modified":"2020-07-19T22:53:25","modified_gmt":"2020-07-19T20:53:25","slug":"french-language-right-is-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/french-language-right-is-right\/","title":{"rendered":"French Language – Right is right"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not uncommon to forget or to mix up words when you first start learning a new language. I once asked for un orteil sans plume<\/strong> (a<\/em> toe without feathers<\/em>) when what I really wanted was un oreiller sans plume<\/strong> (a<\/em> pillow without feathers<\/em>)! These sorts of errors usually work themselves out with practice, but even for advanced learners, there can still be words and phrases that trip us up.<\/p>\n

Droit, droite, doigt<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even after more than 30 years speaking French, there is just something about these three words just gets me.<\/p>\n

I think in part it’s because, like all French adjectives, droit<\/strong> (when it is used as an adjective) agrees in gender and number with the noun (or nouns) it modifies and so sometimes it\u2019s droit<\/strong> and sometimes droite<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And also because the d-r-o<\/em> combo can be hard for many non-native French speakers to pronounce (and even sometimes to hear!) and so the difference between droit<\/strong> and doigt<\/strong> can sometimes get lost in spoken language1<\/a><\/sup>Check out this cool site<\/a> where you can hear examples of native speakers pronouncing words and phrases in French \u2026 or any other language that interests you!<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Le droit \/ droit<\/strong><\/p>\n

Un doit<\/strong> is a right.<\/em> You can have legal rights (comme les droits d\u2019auteur<\/strong>\/like copyright<\/em> [lit. the rights of the author<\/em>]) or moral rights (comme les droits de l\u2019homme<\/strong>\/like human <\/em>rights [lit. the rights of man<\/em>]).<\/p>\n

When used as an adjective, as noted, droit<\/strong> needs to agree in gender and number. So you say mon pied droit mais ma main droite<\/strong> (my right (m.) foot but my right (f.) hand<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Mais faites attention\u00a0!<\/strong> (But be careful\u00a0!) <\/em>When you\u2019re referring to something on the right<\/em> you\u2019re referring to the right <\/em>(see below) and droite<\/strong> is invariable (Celui-ci ou celui de droite?<\/strong> This one (m.) or the one (m.) on the right?)<\/em><\/p>\n

Droit <\/strong>can also mean\u00a0straight, correct<\/em> as in aller tout droit<\/strong> \/\u00a0to go straight<\/em> or\u00a0rester sur le droit chemin<\/strong> \/\u00a0to stay on the right track.<\/em><\/p>\n

Someone who studies the law<\/em> (la loi \/ les lois<\/strong>) is said to faire des \u00e9tudes de droit<\/strong>.<\/div> \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

La droite \/ \u00e0 droite<\/strong><\/p>\n

In mathematics, une droite<\/strong> (a straight<\/em>) is the proper term for what non-mathematicians would call une ligne<\/strong> (a line<\/em>).<\/div>\n

Les doigts<\/strong><\/p>\n

A proprement dit, les doigts font parti de la main<\/strong> (technically speaking, fingers are part of the hand)<\/em> but you will also hear in common usage les doigts du pied \/ des pieds<\/strong> (the fingers of the foot\/feet<\/em>, otherwise known as les orteils<\/strong> (toes)).<\/em><\/p>\n

Doigt d\u2019honneur<\/strong> \u2013 despite what it sounds like \u2013 is not a finger of honor<\/em>. The gesture, known in some English-speaking countries as giving someone the middle finger<\/em>, is generally viewed as rude and should be avoided.<\/div>\n

Photo by\u00a0Artem Beliaikin<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0from\u00a0Pexels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

When it\u2019s used as a direction, la droite <\/strong>is the right<\/em>, the opposite of la gauche <\/strong>(the left).<\/em> As in many countries droite<\/strong> (and gauche<\/strong>) can refer both to the physical position of something<\/a> (c\u2019est sur la droite<\/strong> \/ it\u2019s on the right<\/em>, tourner \u00e0 droite<\/strong> \/ turn to the right<\/em>) or to a political position (les parties de droite<\/strong>\/the parties on the right).<\/em><\/p>\n