un tel
To say so and so in French, meaning a person whose name you do not give, use un tel.
un tel stands in for a name, much like Mr So-and-So in English. The same words can also mean such a person or such a thing.
How does it change in a sentence?
It is also often written as a single word with a capital letter when it stands for a name.
Did you know?
- In French literature, particularly in 19th-century novels, Untel is sometimes used as a satirical name to mock the blandness or anonymity of a character.
- French has a specific phrase tel père tel fils, meaning 'like father like son', using the same word found in un tel.
- The word tel in un tel is a direct relative of the Spanish word tal, reflecting their shared Latin ancestor tālis.
Examples in context
- Un tel est mort. Pourquoi irai-je à son enterrement puisque, j’en suis certain, il n’ira pas au mien ?Mr So-and-So is dead. Why would I bother going to his funeral since, I am certain, he won't come to mine?Un tel opens the sentence and stands for an unnamed man who has died.Tatoeba #1538885 by Scott, translation #1539957 by Scott
- La pièce de théâtre était moyennement bienThe play was so-so or The play was mediocre.
- Le repas n'était pas terribleThe meal was so-so or The meal was not great.
- J'ai trouvé le film bofI thought the movie was so-so or I found the movie meh.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are discussing a rumor.
- ManonTu as entendu parler d'un tel ?Have you heard about so-and-so?
- NathanNon, de qui parles-tu ?No, who are you talking about?
- ManonOn dit qu'un tel a gagné le prix.They say so-and-so won the prize.
- NathanC'est vraiment surprenant !That is really surprising!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tel, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
