Mots Maudits #9: Générosité

After previously fretting about the perils of solidarity, it may seem somewhat alarmist or imprudent of me to now go after generosity, but here goes…

The Oxford English Dictionary gives three main definitions of the term “generous”:

1) Freely giving more than is necessary or expected.

2) Kind towards other people.

3) Larger or more plentiful than is usual.

Although the word “généreux” may seem superficially to have the same basic definitions in English, I have encountered at least two contexts in which it could be considered a “false friend”.

Firstly, in team sports, while many modern footballers may well give willingly to charity and be involved in community action, when commentators describe players as “généreux” on the pitch they mean that they are selfless, big-hearted, hard-working and give 110% for the team.

Secondly, in the context of food, whereas the French talk about “un repas généreux”, in English “generous” is generally only used as a modifier to describe a portion or helping. The nuance is subtle but important.

A further complication for translators resides in its ambiguous usage in product descriptions; “un produit généreux” may mean that the product is rich in flavour, hearty and nutritious, filling, or generously proportioned. Moreover, in wine terminology, “généreux” has a specific meaning referring to wines with a high alcohol content and intense flavour, which can be translated as “full-bodied”.

Can you think of any other specific differences in the usage of “généreux/generous” between French and English?