Faux amis: normalement | normally (false friends)
- English with Kathryn
- Jul 26, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 19, 2022
Normalement is a word that is often used in French 'courant' language. However, it is often translated incorrectly. Watch this short video to learn how to say it correctly in English.
Normalement est un mot qui est souvent utilisé dans la langue française "courante". Cependant, il est souvent traduit de manière incorrecte. Regardez cette courte vidéo pour apprendre à le dire correctement en anglais.
TRANSCRIPT
Hello everyone, and welcome back to English with Kathryn.
It is great to see you back here again today.
So today, we're going to do a lesson for my French friends and it's on the word normalement.
In French, normalement - you can use in three different ways, but
In English the word normally you can only use in two ways.
So, the third translation is what I'm going to be talking about today.
The first meaning for normalement is normally, typically or in general.
- I normally run 10 km every morning..
actually I don't....
- I typically get woken up by my son to be fed every morning
And then,
- In general I have two cups of coffee to wake myself up.
In French:
Je cours normalement 10km avant le petit déjeuner.
Je suis normalement réveillé par mon enfant de 2 ans qui veut être nourri.
Ensuite je prends 2 tasses de cafés pour me remettre les idées en place
The second meaning is like normal or in a normal manner.
For example,
- Why do you talk to your cat like a baby?
It's weird, talk normally.
In French:
Pourquoi parle tu comme un bébé à ton chat?
Second example,
- My boyfriend is not behaving normally, he just bought me flowers for no reason.
In French:
Mon copain ne se comporte pas normalement. Il vient de m’acheter de fleurs sans raison.
The third meaning of normalement is where things get a little tricky.
Now, I actually looked on the online dictionary Larousse and I did not find any mention of this third use of ‘normalement’
But it's there, because I hear it all the time.
Now roughly speaking, I will translate it as should or supposed to
But I will have to give you a few examples just to tell you how this is done.
Normalement je vais au ciné ce soir.
It is translated as,
- I'm supposed to be going to the cinema this evening.
It is NOT translated as,
- Normally I go to the cinema this evening
The second example,
Normalement mes parents arrivent demain.
is translated as,
- My parents are supposed to be coming tomorrow.
It is NOT translated as,
- Normally my parents are coming tomorrow
Next:
Il est tard. Normalement il doit être là.
- It's late, he should be here by now.
NOT
- It's late normally he is here
Okay, now it's over to you.
I'm going to give you a French sentence.
I want you to pause the video and see if you can translate it correctly for yourself.
The first sentence is ....
Normalement je me lève a 7h tous les jours.
Yes, the answer is
- Normally I get up at 7 o'clock every morning
The second sentence is ....
J’ai essayé de réagir normalement quand j’ai vu Brad Pitt.
Yes, it's
- I tried to act normally when I saw Brad Pitt.
The third sentence is....
Je sors normalement ce soir, mais ça dépendra du temps.
Yes
- I'm supposed to be going out tonight but it depends on the weather.
So, how did you go with those? Did you get them all right?
Look! if you didn't, don't worry, just play around with supposed to and should.
Both of them sound better than using normally incorrectly.
If you liked this video, click thumbs up, and if you have any comments about anything else you find tricky in between French and English, put them in the comments below
and I'll put it in a new video.
Thanks again for watching and I will see you again next week : )
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