sans surprise
The English phrase "not surprisingly" is expressed in French as sans surprise.
sans surprise is used to state that something was expected and did not cause astonishment. It is commonly used as a sentence adverb at the beginning of a sentence to set the tone for the information that follows.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition sans (without) and the noun surprise (surprise).
Which one should you use?
You may also use De manière prévisible in formal contexts or Sans grande surprise, which translates to "without great surprise". In informal situations, you can use Pas étonnant, which means "not surprising" or "no surprise".
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike the English adverbial form "not surprisingly", the French equivalent uses a prepositional phrase rather than an adverb.
Did you know?
- In French, surprendre can be used to describe someone who is 'surprised' to find something, but it can also mean 'to outdo' or 'to surpass' someone in a competition.
- The original meaning of surprendre involves the act of 'seizing' or 'capturing' someone off guard rather than the internal emotion of being surprised.
- The word sans is a result of a linguistic conflation between the Latin 'sine' and 'absentia'.
Examples in context
- Sans surprise, la plupart des contributeurs en lojban n'indiquent aucun pays d'origine dans leur profil.Not surprisingly, most Lojban contributors indicate no country in their profiles.This sentence shows how to use sans surprise at the start of a sentence to describe a predictable situation regarding Lojban contributors.Tatoeba #1724428 by sacredceltic, translation #4730826 by shekitten
- Naturellement, après des années de recherche approfondie, nous avons obtenu des résultats prometteurs.Naturally, after years of in-depth research, we have obtained promising results.
- De manière prévisible, l'entreprise a annoncé des résultats financiers en hausse pour le quatrième trimestre.Not surprisingly, the company announced an increase in financial results for the fourth quarter.
- Sans grande surprise, le gouvernement a annoncé de nouvelles mesures pour lutter contre le changement climatique.Not surprisingly, the government announced new measures to combat climate change.
- Il n'a pas étudié pour l'examen, donc, évidemment, il a échoué.He didn't study for the exam, so obviously, he failed.
- Il est arrivé en retard à nouveau… pas étonnant!He arrived late again… no surprise!
- Sans surprise, il a gagné la course.Not surprisingly, he won the race.
- Le film était, sans surprise, très long.The movie was, not surprisingly, very long.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing a recent weather report.
- GabrielIl va pleuvoir demain, n'est-ce pas ?It's going to rain tomorrow, isn't it?
- LéaSans surprise, la météo annonce des orages.Not surprisingly, the weather report predicts storms.
- GabrielJe devrais prendre mon parapluie alors.I should take my umbrella then.
- LéaC'est une bonne idée, Gabriel.That is a good idea, Gabriel.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sans, surprise, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
