l'occasion
The English phrase "the occasion" is translated into French as l'occasion.
To express the idea of "to seize the opportunity" or "to take the chance," you can use the idiomatic phrase saisir l'occasion. Une teuf is a slang term used to describe a big party or a night out, whereas Une soirée entre potes is used when talking about a casual gathering among friends.
Which one should you use?
While l'occasion can mean "the occasion", the indefinite form une occasion is very frequently used to mean "an opportunity."
How does it change in a sentence?
The word occasion is a feminine noun, so the definite article used is l' (elision of la) because it begins with a vowel.
Did you know?
- The slang term teuf mentioned on the page is actually fête spelled backwards in a style called Verlan, where syllables are inverted to create new words.
- In French, the word occasion is commonly used to describe second-hand goods. A 'pre-owned' car or a used book is often described as being d'occasion.
- The phrase saisir l'occasion is a close relative of the Latin 'Carpe Diem', but it focuses more on the 'opportunity' than the 'day'.
Examples in context
- Votre discours convient à l'occasion.Your speech is appropriate for the occasion.This sentence shows how to describe a speech that is appropriate for l'occasion.Tatoeba #8976696 by Aiji, translation #2349834 by AlanF_US
- J'ai cherché dans ma garde-robe quelque chose à porter, mais je n'ai rien pu trouver qui convienne à l'occasion.I looked in my closet for something to wear, but couldn't find anything appropriate for the occasion.This sentence illustrates looking for clothing that is suitable for l'occasion.Tatoeba #955630 by sacredceltic, translation #953523 by CK
- Les oraisons funèbres actuelles sont couramment rédigées avant le fait et gardées sous le coude, pour un encart immédiat lorsque l'occasion se présente.Modern obituaries are commonly written before the fact and kept on file for instant insertion when the occasion arises.This sentence demonstrates the use of l'occasion in the context of an event arising.Tatoeba #2119238 by sacredceltic, translation #2114590 by halfb1t
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing what to wear to a wedding.
- HugoQuelle robe vas-tu porter pour l'occasion ?Which dress are you going to wear for the occasion?
- LéaJe ne sais pas encore, Hugo.I don't know yet, Hugo.
- HugoIl faut quelque chose d'élégant pour l'occasion.You need something elegant for the occasion.
- LéaTu as raison, je vais chercher une robe longue.You are right, I will look for a long dress.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
