In this second series on troublesome words, I want to look at common problems for people learning English as a second language.

Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist who pioneered theories on the communication of meaning. He proposed a two-part model of...

Such was Shakespeare’s ability to put the human experience into words that he famously coined hundreds of words and expressions , many...

A few years back, I worked as an interpreter on an HR seminar where the keynote speech was delivered by a doctor-turned management...

“ Activité ” is another one of those words that is superficially similar to its English equivalent, with the same etymology and many...

Bill Bryson claims that “200,000 words are in common use” in the English language compared to “a mere 100,000” in French. The case of “métier” certainly goes some way to helping me believe that statistic.

“ Efficace ”: What does it mean? Effective? Efficient? Efficacious? All of these things? What it the best way to translate it? Let's...

The word "enjeux" originally meant the sum you are willing to gamble in a game. This blog discusses how to translate it in a modern context.

There are subtle differences in how the word “performance” is used in French and English, which can be seen in the difference between the...

Another look at false friends and misleading mates.

In this third instalment of my series on worrisome, wearying words I want to look at “ intervenant ”. Larousse provides the following...

Like any translator, I sometimes come across terms that make me hesitate between two (or more) potential interpretations.