regarde la lune
The English phrase 'look at the moon' is translated into French as regarde la lune.
This phrase is a command used to tell someone to direct their eyes toward the moon.
Which one should you use?
If you want to suggest that a group including yourself look at the moon, you should use regardons la lune to mean 'let's look at the moon'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative form changes depending on who you are addressing. Use regarde la lune when giving a command to one person whom you address as 'tu' (informal 'you'). To turn the command into a suggestion for a group including yourself, use the first-person plural form regardons la lune.
Did you know?
- The word lune is the root of the English word 'lunatic', stemming from the historical belief that the moon's phases could trigger insanity.
- Adding voir to create regarde voir la lune transforms a direct command into a casual suggestion, similar to saying 'take a look' in English.
- The word lune shares a deep-rooted ancestry with the English word 'light', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *lewk- which means 'to shine' or 'bright'.
Examples in context
- Regardez la lune, elle est magnifique ce soir.Look at the moon, it's magnificent tonight.
- Mate la lune, elle est dingue ce soir.Check out the moon, it's crazy tonight.
- Regarde la lune, elle est magnifique.Look at the moon, it is magnificent.
- Regarde la lune avant de te coucher.Look at the moon before going to bed.
- Regarde la lune à travers la fenêtre.Look at the moon through the window.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are sitting on a balcony at night.
- ManonRegarde la lune, Nathan.Look at the moon, Nathan.
- NathanElle est vraiment très brillante ce soir.It is really very bright tonight.
- ManonC'est un spectacle magnifique.It is a magnificent sight.
- NathanTu as raison, elle est superbe.You are right, it is superb.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, lune, CC BY-SA 4.0.
