parler de
The English phrase "talk about" is translated into French as parler de.
The phrase parler de is a common way to express 'talk about' in French.
Meaning: Translations (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb parler (to speak) and the preposition de (of/about).
Which one should you use?
Use parler de to indicate the subject matter, whereas parler à is used to indicate the person being spoken to.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebecois French, jaser de can be used as an equivalent to talk about.
How does it change in a sentence?
When replacing the object being talked about with a pronoun, use en before the verb, resulting in en parler (to talk about it).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use parler sur instead of parler de when trying to say 'talk about' a topic.
Did you know?
- The verb parler is an unexpected relative of the English word 'parable', as both trace back to the Greek word for 'comparison'.
- There is a common French expression parler français which can mean not only speaking the language but also 'speaking plainly' or 'getting to the point'.
- While parler de is used for talking about a topic, the phrase parler dans le dos de quelqu'un specifically means to talk about someone behind their back.
Examples in context
- Il aime parler de lui.He likes to talk about himself.This sentence shows how to express liking to talk about oneself using parler de.Tatoeba #2292402 by sacredceltic, translation #2292401 by Hybrid
- Je veux pas parler de ça.I don't want to talk about that.This sentence demonstrates how to express a desire not to talk about something using parler de.Tatoeba #10346601 by Aiji, translation #1887287 by CK
- Je suis venu parler de Tom.I came to talk about Tom.This sentence illustrates coming to a place specifically to talk about someone using parler de.Tatoeba #5315504 by Aiji, translation #2300266 by CK
- Je voudrais parler de mon projet.I would like to talk about my project.
- Nous devons discuter de ces problèmes plus tard.We need to talk about these issues later.
- L'orateur abordera les questions environnementales lors de la conférence.The speaker will address environmental issues during the conference.
- On peut causer de tout ça autour d'un café.We can talk about all that over a coffee.
- On parle de quoi, là ?What are we talking about here?
- Viens, on va papoter de nos dernières vacances !Come, let's chat about our recent vacations!
- On va jaser de la soirée de samedi ?Shall we talk about Saturday's party?
- 101 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are at a café discussing a book.
- GabrielOn peut parler de ce nouveau livre ?Can we talk about this new book?
- ManonOui, j'adore parler de la littérature.Yes, I love talking about literature.
- GabrielIl faut parler de l'auteur aussi.We must talk about the author too.
- ManonTu as raison, Gabriel.You are right, Gabriel.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, parler, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
