Glossary entry

anglais term or phrase:

First name basis

français translation:

nous nous adressons l'un à l'autre par nos prénoms

Added to glossary by TRADL
Aug 13, 2002 19:46
21 yrs ago
anglais term

First name basis

Non-PRO anglais vers français Marketing Vente au détail retail
French canadian. This is for a print ad. We are describing someone. i.e. name, age, profession, we are on a first name basis, ....

Proposed translations

4 minutes
Selected

nous nous adressons l'un à l'autre par nos prénoms

can't think of a more informal way of saying it
Peer comment(s):

neutral lien : I do
1 jour 5 heures
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+2
2 minutes

sur la base du prénom / en fonction du prénom

juste une idée.
Peer comment(s):

agree Therese Nichols
5 heures
agree swani (X)
11 heures
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+3
3 minutes

Nous nous appelons par nos prénoms.

Declined
I think that this would be sufficient, without going to the extremes of saying "nous nous tutoyons" (we use the familiar form of you).
Peer comment(s):

agree Jean-Luc Dumont
12 minutes
agree GILLES MEUNIER
14 minutes
agree francea (X)
1 heure
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5 minutes

Nous sommes familier, nous utilisons nos prénoms

une autre façon de le dire
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1 heure

tri (classement) sur le prénom

autre hypothèse : le traitement informatique, le classement ou la recherche se fait sur la base du prénom
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+8
2 heures

on se tutoie

There are two levels of address in French: the "tu" (thee) and the "vous" (you). The "tu" is used to speak with familiarity, the "vous" shows or expresses a greater distance between yourself and the person being adressed (i.e. more respecful or distant). The two forms are referred to as "se tutoyer" (from the two forms: "tu" and "toi") and "se vouvoyer".

I've never heard the phrase "on a first-name basis" literally translated or anything that sounds like it being used either in media or on the street here in Canada. Also, no one would even think of adressing someone by their full name (Madame Tartenpion) while using a "vous", so theeing someone implies you can use their first name.

The phrase "on peut se tutoyer" ("we can..." or "I give you permission to thee me") is the same saying "call me by my first name".

And finally, despite the fact that French Canadians "tutoie" much more than on the Continent, in Canada, "on se tutoie" means "we speak to one another with familiarity".
Peer comment(s):

agree Sheila Hardie : good explanation:-)
32 minutes
agree MafaldaDec
47 minutes
agree Richard Genest
1 heure
agree Lydia Castiello (X) : I like this the best...
3 heures
agree herve laurent
6 heures
agree Jean-Luc Dumont : This makes sense but : Jacques, vous reprendrez-bien du café - on peut s'appeler pas le prénom - pour ne pas faire trop distant - mais continuer de se vouvoyer.
9 heures
agree alx : that's the one
12 heures
agree michele meenawong (X)
2 jours 5 heures
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