tel que
The English phrase "such as" is translated in French as tel que.
The phrase is used to introduce specific examples of a general category, often denoting similarity or likeness.
Which one should you use?
The expression genre is an informal slang term used among younger speakers to introduce examples.
Did you know?
- The word que in the phrase tel que is a linguistic relative of the English word 'what'. Both originate from the same Proto-Indo-European root used to denote indefinite or interrogative pronouns.
- In French, the word tel must agree in gender and number with the noun that precedes it, meaning you might write telle que or tels que depending on what you are giving examples of. This is a common pitfall for English speakers who are used to the static English 'such as'.
- French uses tellement to express 'so much' or 'such a' for intensity, but this is a distinct grammatical path from the example-giving tel que.
Examples in context
- Les langues romanes, telles que le français, l'italien et l'espagnol, partagent des racines communes.Romance languages, such as French, Italian, and Spanish, share common roots.
- Hier soir, on a regardé un film genre "Les Misérables".Last night, we watched a film like "Les Misérables".
- Plusieurs écrivains célèbres, à l'instar de Victor Hugo et Molière, ont marqué la littérature française.Several famous writers, such as Victor Hugo and Molière, have left their mark on French literature.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are discussing their favorite hobbies.
- LéaQuels loisirs aimes-tu, Gabriel ?What hobbies do you like, Gabriel?
- GabrielJ'aime les sports collectifs, tel que le foot.I like team sports, such as soccer.
- LéaC'est super, moi je préfère lire.That's great, I prefer reading.
- GabrielTu lis quels genres de livres ?What genres of books do you read?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, tel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
