essaie seulement
In French, 'just try' is essaie seulement.
This phrase is used as an encouraging expression to tell someone to make an attempt at something.
Which one should you use?
While essaie seulement is a literal translation, a native speaker might use tente le coup to mean 'give it a try' in many encouraging contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes from essaie seulement to essayez seulement when you are addressing more than one person or using the formal 'vous'.
Did you know?
- In many French-speaking regions, particularly in Quebec, you might hear 'essaie donc' used to express the same sentiment of 'just try' or 'go ahead and try', where 'donc' acts as an intensifier rather than meaning 'therefore'.
- The word seulement has a curious history. It is derived from the Latin phrase 'sōlā mente', which translates to 'with a single mind' or 'with only one thought'.
- The technical English word 'assay', used to test the purity of metals, is a linguistic relative of the verb essayer found in essaie seulement.
Examples in context
- J'essaie seulement de faire de mon mieux.I just try to do the best I can.This sentence is useful for showing how to use essaie seulement in a sentence.Tatoeba #11835063 by calypsow, translation #10485348 by CK
- Lorsque vous êtes confronté à un défi difficile, essayez simplement de rester calme et concentré.When faced with a challenging task, just try to stay calm and focused.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, essaie simplement de faire de ton mieux.Don't worry, just try to do your best.
Example conversation
Manon encourages Hugo to taste a new dish.
- ManonTu devrais goûter ce plat, Hugo.You should taste this dish, Hugo.
- HugoJe ne sais pas, ça a l'air bizarre.I don't know, it looks weird.
- ManonAllez, essaie seulement une petite bouchée !Come on, just try one little bite!
- HugoD'accord, je vais essayer.Okay, I will try.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries seulement, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
