Contemporary art · English practice
Récapitulatif de nos sessions de conversation — vocabulaire & grammaire
En français, « depuis » traduit les deux. En anglais, ça dépend de ce qui suit.
SINCE + un point de départ 📍 (« depuis quand ? ») → since 2018, since Monday, since I met him
FOR + une durée ⏱️ (« pendant combien de temps ? ») → for 8 years, for two weeks, for a while
👉 Presque toujours avec le present perfect : I've been following him for 18 years now.
Piège n°1 : I've lived here since 3 years ✗
I've lived here for 3 years (durée) · I've lived here since 2021 (départ)
Astuce : un nombre de durée → FOR · une date / un événement → SINCE.
Les trois = « pendant » — mais le mot qui suit change tout.
during vs while :
I fell asleep during the film. (during + nom)
I fell asleep while I was watching the film. (while + sujet+verbe)
during I was watching ✗ · while the film ✗
Même logique pour le temps et le lieu : du plus précis (at) au plus large (in).
| at + heure / moment précis | at 6 pm, at noon, at night, at the weekend (UK), at Christmas |
| on + jour / date | on Monday, on 5 June, on my birthday, on New Year's Day |
| in + mois, saison, année, partie du jour | in July, in summer, in 2020, in the morning |
| at + point précis / adresse | at the gallery, at home, at work, at the station, at the door |
| on + surface / ligne | on the wall, on the table, on the first floor, on the left |
| in + espace fermé / volume | in the room, in Paris, in France, in the garden, in a box |
Pièges francophones : in the morning mais at night · in Paris (jamais at Paris) · at home (sans article).
on time = à l'heure (ponctuel) · in time = à temps (juste avant la limite).
in / on = position (où c'est) · into / onto = mouvement (direction vers).
| into = vers l'intérieur d'un espace | walk into the room · get into the car · jump into the pool |
| onto = vers / sur une surface | climb onto the roof · step onto the stage · put it onto the table |
Position → mouvement : The cat is in the box → The cat jumped into the box.
À l'oral, on dit souvent in / on même pour un mouvement (put it on the table) ; into / onto insistent sur la direction.
Verbes idiomatiques : run into (croiser) · turn into (se transformer en) · get into · bump into · to be onto something (être sur une piste).
Après un verbe, met-on -ing (gérondif) ou to + base (infinitif) ? Cela dépend du premier verbe.
| enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, keep, suggest, consider, imagine, miss, give up, feel like | I enjoy collecting art. · We avoided selling too low. |
| ⭐ après TOUTE préposition | good at painting · interested in buying · before leaving |
| want, would like, decide, hope, plan, promise, agree, offer, refuse, need, learn, manage, afford, expect, choose | I want to see the collection. · We decided to buy it. |
| Même sens : like, love, hate, prefer, start, begin, continue | I like painting = I like to paint. |
| stop + -ing / stop + to | stop smoking (arrêter de fumer) · stop to smoke (s'arrêter pour fumer) |
| remember + -ing / remember + to | remember calling (se souvenir d'avoir appelé) · remember to call (penser à appeler) |
| try + -ing / try + to | try doing (tester) · try to do (s'efforcer de) |
En français, un seul verbe (« faire ») couvre les deux. En anglais, il faut choisir.
En grande partie une question de collocations (associations fixes à apprendre). Les plus fréquentes :
| MAKE — créer / produire | DO — action / tâche |
|---|---|
| make a decision (prendre une décision) | do business (faire des affaires) |
| make a plan (faire un plan) | do a deal (conclure un accord) |
| make an offer (faire une offre) | do research (faire des recherches) |
| make a mistake (faire une erreur) | do your best (faire de son mieux) |
| make money (gagner de l'argent) | do a favour (rendre un service) |
| make a profit (faire un bénéfice) | do the paperwork (la paperasse) |
| make an appointment (prendre RDV) | do the accounts (la comptabilité) |
| make a phone call (passer un appel) | do damage (causer des dégâts) |
| make an impression (faire impression) | do the work (faire le travail) |
| make a suggestion (faire une suggestion) | do your job (faire son travail) |
Pièges francophones : on dit « faire » mais c'est make → make a decision, make a mistake, make money.
Et « faire » = do ici → do business (jamais make business ✗), do research.
Exprime les habitudes, les vérités générales et les faits permanents.
Formation : base verbale (+ -s à la 3ᵉ pers. sing.) → I work · she works
| Habitude / routine | I visit the château every month. |
| Vérité générale / fait permanent | Art brings people together. |
| Goûts, opinions, états | I love neo-antique art. |
| Horaires, programmes | The auction starts at 6 pm. |
Le -s de la 3ᵉ personne (he/she/it) est obligatoire : she sells, he exhibits.
Négation / question avec do / does : She doesn't sell online. · Does he exhibit abroad?
Exprime une action en cours maintenant, une situation temporaire ou un futur planifié.
Formation : am / is / are + verbe-ing → I am renovating · they are waiting
| Action en cours maintenant | I'm writing to a collector right now. |
| Situation temporaire | We're living in Paris for now. |
| Futur planifié (arrangement) | We're hosting a dinner on Friday. |
| Tendance, changement | The art market is growing. |
Présent simple vs continu : I work here (habituel) · I'm working here today (en ce moment).
Les state verbs (know, want, love...) ne se mettent pas au -ing.
Le temps le plus délicat pour les francophones : il ressemble au passé composé, mais fait un pont entre le passé et maintenant. C'est un temps du passé qui parle du présent.
Formation : have / has + participe passé → I have seen / she has sold. Participe passé = verbe + -ed ou forme irrégulière (seen, done, bought, been).
| 1 · Expérience de vie (ever / never) | Have you ever been to Gibraltar? I've never met that collector. |
| 2 · Résultat visible maintenant | I've lost my keys. (= je ne les ai pas là) He's broken the frame. (= il est cassé) |
| 3 · Période non terminée (this week...) | I've sold three works this week. We've hosted two dinners this month. |
| 4 · Passé récent (just / already / yet) | The show has just ended. Has the buyer paid yet? |
| Present perfect (lien au présent) | Simple past (moment précis, fini) |
|---|---|
| I've been to the Dior show. (expérience) | I went to the Dior show on Tuesday. (quand) |
| We've bought a château. (résultat) | We bought it last year. (daté) |
| She's sold three works this week. (semaine en cours) | She sold three works last week. (finie) |
La règle d'or : dès qu'il y a un marqueur de temps passé et terminé (yesterday, last week, in 2020, on Tuesday, ago) → simple past, jamais present perfect.
I saw him yesterday. · I've seen him yesterday. ✗
Piège du passé composé français : ne traduis pas systématiquement par le present perfect !
I've seen the château. (expérience, pas de date) · I saw the château yesterday. (date → simple past)
been vs gone : Have you been to Gibraltar? (y aller et revenir) · He has gone to Gibraltar. (il y est encore)
Une action commencée dans le passé et qui continue, en insistant sur la durée ou la continuité.
Formation : have / has been + verbe-ing → I have been learning
| Durée d'une action encore en cours (for / since) | I've been learning English for months. |
| Action récente aux effets visibles | I'm tired — I've been working all day. |
Simple vs continu : I've read the book (résultat, fini) · I've been reading (activité, en cours / récente).
Une action passée, terminée, à un moment précis.
Formation : verbe + -ed ou forme irrégulière → I worked · I bought
| Action ponctuelle datée | We bought the château last year. |
| Suite d'actions passées | He arrived, looked around, and left. |
| Habitude passée (souvent used to) | I used to bet on unknown artists. |
Marqueurs finis (yesterday, last week, in 2020, ago) → toujours past simple, jamais present perfect.
Négation / question : I didn't like it. · Did you go? (did + base verbale)
Le past progressive (ou past continuous) décrit une action en cours, qui durait à un moment du passé. ⭐ C'est l'équivalent de l'imparfait français : je rénovais → I was renovating.
Formation : was / were + verbe-ing → I was renovating · they were waiting.
| Action en cours à un moment du passé | I was renovating the château all summer. |
| Le décor / l'arrière-plan d'une histoire | The sun was shining and people were chatting. |
| Deux actions longues en parallèle (while) | I was checking the profile while he was calling. |
| Une action interrompue par une autre | I was renovating when my husband called. |
Une action longue (past progressive) interrompue par une action courte :
I was renovating the château when my husband called.
when → introduit l'action courte · while → introduit l'action longue
Piège francophone : « Quand il a appelé, je rénovais » (imparfait) → il faut was/were + -ing : When he called, I was renovating.
State verbs — jamais au progressif : know, want, love, like, believe, understand, need, prefer.
I knew the answer — I was knowing ✗
Une action qui s'était déjà produite avant une autre action passée. C'est le « passé du passé ».
Formation : had + participe passé → I had seen · she had sold
| Antériorité dans le passé | When I arrived, the show had already ended. |
| Le passé du passé | I found out he had never exhibited abroad. |
C'est l'équivalent du plus-que-parfait français (j'avais vu). Il montre qu'une chose s'est passée avant une autre au passé.
Exprime les décisions spontanées, les prédictions et les promesses.
Formation : will + base verbale → I will call · I'll call
| Décision spontanée (au moment de parler) | I'll call the gallery right away. |
| Prédiction, opinion sur le futur | It will sell well, I'm sure. |
| Promesse, offre | I'll keep you posted. |
Pour une intention déjà planifiée, on préfère be going to ou le présent continu (voir fiches).
Exprime une intention déjà décidée ou une prédiction fondée sur un indice présent.
Formation : am / is / are going to + base → I'm going to sell it
| Intention, plan déjà décidé | We're going to renovate the whole roof. |
| Prédiction fondée sur un signe présent | Look at those cracks — it's going to need work. |
will vs going to : The phone's ringing — I'll get it (spontané) · I'm going to call him tomorrow (déjà prévu).
Exprime une hypothèse, une formule de politesse ou un souhait.
Formation : would + base verbale → I would buy · I'd buy
| Hypothèse (2ᵉ conditionnel) | If I had more space, I would buy it. |
| Politesse | Would you like some champagne? |
| Souhait, préférence | I'd love to see the collection. |
Après if (hypothèse), pas de would dans la proposition en if : If I had..., I would... · If I would have... ✗
Les plus courants, classés par schéma. Colonnes : infinitif · prétérit (simple past) · participe passé (pour le present perfect) · sens.
| Infinitif | Prétérit | Participe passé | Français |
|---|---|---|---|
| cut | cut | cut | couper |
| put | put | put | mettre |
| let | let | let | laisser, permettre |
| set | set | set | poser, fixer |
| hit | hit | hit | frapper |
| cost | cost | cost | coûter |
| hurt | hurt | hurt | blesser, faire mal |
| shut | shut | shut | fermer |
| bet | bet | bet | parier |
| read | read | read | lire (pron. reed / red / red) |
| Infinitif | Prétérit | Participe passé | Français |
|---|---|---|---|
| buy | bought | bought | acheter |
| bring | brought | brought | apporter |
| think | thought | thought | penser |
| teach | taught | taught | enseigner |
| catch | caught | caught | attraper |
| find | found | found | trouver |
| get | got | got (gotten US) | obtenir |
| have | had | had | avoir |
| hear | heard | heard | entendre |
| hold | held | held | tenir |
| keep | kept | kept | garder |
| leave | left | left | partir, laisser |
| lose | lost | lost | perdre |
| make | made | made | faire, fabriquer |
| meet | met | met | rencontrer |
| pay | paid | paid | payer |
| say | said | said | dire |
| sell | sold | sold | vendre |
| tell | told | told | dire, raconter |
| send | sent | sent | envoyer |
| spend | spent | spent | dépenser, passer (du temps) |
| sit | sat | sat | s'asseoir |
| stand | stood | stood | être/se tenir debout |
| win | won | won | gagner |
| feel | felt | felt | ressentir |
| sleep | slept | slept | dormir |
| build | built | built | construire |
| understand | understood | understood | comprendre |
| lead | led | led | mener, diriger |
| lend | lent | lent | prêter |
| Infinitif | Prétérit | Participe passé | Français |
|---|---|---|---|
| be | was / were | been | être |
| begin | began | begun | commencer |
| break | broke | broken | casser |
| choose | chose | chosen | choisir |
| come | came | come | venir |
| do | did | done | faire |
| drink | drank | drunk | boire |
| drive | drove | driven | conduire |
| eat | ate | eaten | manger |
| fall | fell | fallen | tomber |
| fly | flew | flown | voler (dans les airs) |
| forget | forgot | forgotten | oublier |
| give | gave | given | donner |
| go | went | gone | aller |
| grow | grew | grown | grandir, pousser |
| know | knew | known | savoir, connaître |
| ride | rode | ridden | monter (cheval, vélo) |
| ring | rang | rung | sonner |
| rise | rose | risen | se lever, monter |
| run | ran | run | courir |
| see | saw | seen | voir |
| show | showed | shown | montrer |
| sing | sang | sung | chanter |
| speak | spoke | spoken | parler |
| swim | swam | swum | nager |
| take | took | taken | prendre |
| throw | threw | thrown | lancer, jeter |
| wear | wore | worn | porter (vêtement) |
| write | wrote | written | écrire |
| wake | woke | woken | se réveiller |
| steal | stole | stolen | voler (dérober) |
| draw | drew | drawn | dessiner |
| freeze | froze | frozen | geler |
Il en existe des centaines — voici les essentiels, chacun avec un exemple de ton monde. Astuce : apprends-les par verbe de base. ⭐ = très fréquents à l'oral, à prioriser.
C'est LA difficulté technique. Quand il y a un complément d'objet (COD), deux cas.
1 · Séparables — le COD peut aller au milieu OU après :
I'll pick up the painting. · I'll pick the painting up.
⚠️ Mais un pronom (it, them, him...) va TOUJOURS au milieu :
I'll pick it up. · I'll pick up it. ✗
2 · Inséparables — le COD va toujours après, jamais au milieu :
I'll look after the collection. · I'll look the collection after. ✗
À l'oral, l'essentiel à retenir : le pronom au milieu (pick it up, pas pick up it) — c'est l'erreur la plus fréquente.
| get up | se lever I get up early before an auction. |
| get on with (sb) ⭐ | bien s'entendre avec qqn I get on well with my auction contacts. |
| get on with (sth) | s'atteler à qqch Let's get on with the paperwork. |
| get by | s'en sortir (tout juste) The young artist can barely get by. |
| get over | se remettre de It took months to get over that bad deal. |
| get through | venir à bout / joindre I couldn't get through to the gallerist. |
| get away | s'échapper, partir We got away to the château for the weekend. |
| get back | revenir / récupérer I'll get back to you on the price. |
| get along (with) ⭐ | bien s'entendre The collectors got along really well. |
| get off | descendre (bus, train) We got off the train in Toulouse. |
| take off ⭐ | décoller / enlever His career took off after Paris. |
| take over ⭐ | reprendre, prendre le contrôle A gallerist took over his career. |
| take up | se mettre à (un hobby) I took up painting last year. |
| take out | sortir qqch / emmener I took the collectors out for dinner. |
| take back | reprendre / retirer The gallery took back the unsold works. |
| take in | assimiler, comprendre There was so much art, I couldn't take it all in. |
| take on | embaucher / prendre en charge We took on a new assistant. |
| take after | ressembler à (un parent) She takes after her mother. |
| put on ⭐ | mettre (vêtement) / allumer She put on the sheer suit for the opening. |
| put off ⭐ | reporter / dégoûter We had to put off the château visit. |
| put up with ⭐ | supporter, tolérer I won't put up with his excuses. |
| put down | poser / rabaisser He put the sculpture down carefully. |
| put away | ranger I put the paintings away in storage. |
| put together | assembler, monter We put together a great collection. |
| put forward | proposer, avancer (une idée) He put forward an interesting idea. |
| come across ⭐ | tomber sur, découvrir I came across a rare sculpture. |
| come up with ⭐ | trouver (une idée) We came up with a new concept. |
| come back | revenir The collector came back the next day. |
| come out | sortir / se révéler The catalogue comes out next week. |
| come over | passer (chez qqn) Come over to see the collection. |
| come along | venir avec / progresser The renovation is coming along nicely. |
| come down | baisser (prix) The price came down after negotiation. |
| go on ⭐ | continuer / se passer The talks went on all night. |
| go out | sortir (le soir) We went out after the opening. |
| go off | se déclencher / tourner The alarm went off in the gallery. |
| go over | revoir, passer en revue Let's go over the contract. |
| go through | traverser / examiner We went through a rough patch. |
| go ahead ⭐ | y aller, se lancer Go ahead and make an offer. |
| look after ⭐ | s'occuper de My husband looks after the collection. |
| look for ⭐ | chercher We're always looking for new talent. |
| look into | examiner, enquêter sur I'll look into the artist's background. |
| look up | chercher (une info) Let me look up the hammer price. |
| look forward to ⭐ | attendre avec impatience I look forward to the Gibraltar opening. |
| look down on | mépriser Some critics look down on his work. |
| look up to | admirer Young artists look up to him. |
| turn up ⭐ | arriver / monter (son) Few people turned up at the view. |
| turn down ⭐ | refuser / baisser (son) We turned down the offer. |
| turn out ⭐ | s'avérer, se révéler It turned out to be a masterpiece. |
| turn on | allumer Turn on the lights before the viewing. |
| turn off | éteindre Turn off the gallery lights. |
| turn into | se transformer en The château is turning into a gem. |
| set up ⭐ | créer, mettre en place We set up a foundation. |
| set off | partir / déclencher We set off for Toulouse at dawn. |
| set aside | mettre de côté I set aside a few works for museums. |
| bring up ⭐ | élever / aborder (sujet) He brought up the budget issue. |
| bring about | provoquer, entraîner The sale brought about big changes. |
| bring in | rapporter / faire venir The auction brought in a fortune. |
| break down ⭐ | tomber en panne / s'effondrer Our car broke down near Toulouse. |
| break up ⭐ | rompre, se séparer They broke up their partnership. |
| break out | éclater (guerre, incendie) A fire broke out near the storage. |
| give up ⭐ | abandonner, renoncer I never give up on a piece I love. |
| give in | céder In the end the seller gave in. |
| give away | donner / révéler Don't give away the reserve price. |
| give back | rendre I gave back the borrowed painting. |
| run into ⭐ | croiser par hasard I ran into a collector at the Dior show. |
| run out (of) ⭐ | être à court de We ran out of champagne that night. |
| run over | écraser (véhicule) Careful not to run over the cables. |
| call off | annuler We called off the auction. |
| call back | rappeler (au tél.) I'll call you back tomorrow. |
| work out ⭐ | résoudre / faire du sport / marcher In the end, the deal worked out well. |
| work on | travailler sur We're working on a new show. |
| carry on ⭐ | continuer Let's carry on after lunch. |
| carry out | réaliser, mener à bien They carried out the restoration. |
| pick up ⭐ | récupérer, aller chercher I'll pick up the sculpture tomorrow. |
| pick out | choisir, repérer She picked out the white suit. |
| pull off ⭐ | réussir (un truc difficile) We pulled off a tough deal. |
| pull out | se retirer (d'un accord) The buyer pulled out at the last minute. |
| figure out ⭐ | comprendre, trouver We're figuring out the renovation budget. |
| end up ⭐ | finir par We ended up buying the château. |
| point out ⭐ | souligner, faire remarquer The expert pointed out a flaw. |
| sell out | tout vendre, faire salle comble The show sold out in three days. |
| hold on ⭐ | attendre, patienter Hold on — let me check the price. |
| hold back | retenir, se retenir She held back her tears. |
| fill in | remplir (un formulaire) Please fill in the consignment form. |
| fill out | remplir (variante US) Fill out the customs form. |
| find out ⭐ | découvrir, apprendre I found out he'd never exhibited abroad. |
| check in | s'enregistrer We checked in at the hotel in Paris. |
| check out | régler & partir We checked out at noon. |
| show up ⭐ | se pointer, arriver The artist didn't show up to his opening! |
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| an art dealer | un marchand d'art |
| a gallerist | un galeriste |
| a collector | un collectionneur |
| a foundation | une fondation |
| an emerging art scene | une scène artistique émergente |
| living artists | artistes vivants |
| deceased (late) artists | artistes décédés |
| to consign | confier une œuvre |
| a consignment | un dépôt-vente |
| the consignor | celui qui confie |
| an auction house | une maison de vente aux enchères |
| to auction off | vendre aux enchères |
| to go under the hammer | passer sous le marteau |
| a hammer price | le prix d'adjudication |
| a reserve price | le prix de réserve |
| to allocate | attribuer |
| to assign | attribuer |
| the remaining works | les œuvres restantes |
| to cherry-pick | faire son marché, sélectionner |
| to take one's pick | faire son choix |
| classical antiquity | l'Antiquité classique |
| to reinterpret | réinterpréter |
| to draw inspiration from | s'inspirer de |
| a contemporary twist | une touche contemporaine |
| a modern twist | une touche moderne |
| neo-antique artworks | des œuvres néo-antiques |
| an opening | un vernissage |
| a private view | un vernissage privé |
| a solo show vs a group show | une expo en solo vs collective |
| to exhibit | exposer |
| a track record | un parcours, des antécédents |
| an emerging artist | un artiste émergent |
| an up-and-coming artist | un artiste prometteur |
| a work BY an artist | une œuvre DE / PAR un artiste |
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| a château | un château |
| a castle | un château |
| outbuildings | les dépendances |
| annexes | les dépendances |
| the grounds | le parc, le terrain |
| a wing | une aile |
| to refurbish | rénover |
| to renovate | rénover |
| to restore | restaurer (patrimoine) |
| to replace | remplacer |
| the facade | la façade |
| the roof | le toit |
| on the first floor | au premier étage |
| a flat | un appartement |
| an apartment | un appartement |
| an hour's drive | un trajet d'une heure |
| the work (uncountable) vs works | le travail vs les œuvres d'art |
| a castle rampart | un rempart de château |
| the ramparts | les remparts |
| the battlements | les créneaux (haut du rempart) |
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| to host | organiser, recevoir |
| a venue | un lieu / cadre |
| an intimate gathering | une réunion intime |
| laid-back | décontracté |
| low-key | discret, sans chichis |
| relaxed | détendu |
| stress-free | sans stress |
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| sheer (fabric) | transparent (tissu) |
| flowing (fabric) | fluide (tissu) |
| to drape | tomber, draper |
| pinstripes | rayures fines verticales |
| oversized | oversize, trop grand |
| to build muscle | se muscler |
| to get in shape | se mettre en forme |
| with nothing underneath | sans rien en dessous |
| honestly | honnêtement Honestly, I didn't like all the looks. |
| in the end | finalement In the end, we bought the château. |
| at the end (of...) | à la fin de At the end of the sale, a few works were left. |
| over time | avec le temps Over time, I changed my mind about art. |
| to change one's mind | changer d'avis My husband made me change my mind. |
| the way I see it | à mon sens The way I see it, mindset matters most. |
| to be surrounded by | être entouré de I love being surrounded by art. |
| I can't imagine (living) without... | je ne peux imaginer sans I can't imagine living without art. |
| to read fortunes / do a tarot reading | tirer les cartes My husband did a tarot reading in the garden. |
| to cherry-pick / take one's pick | faire son marché The top houses take their pick first. |
| my best bet | ma meilleure option Online isn't my best bet. |
| not my strong suit | pas mon point fort Small talk isn't my strong suit. |
| where the real money is | là où est le vrai argent Auctions are where the real money is. |
| to carry on / keep going | continuer Let's carry on after lunch. |
| I'd like to... | j'aimerais I'd like to keep practising. |
| the more..., the more... | plus..., plus... The more an artist exhibits, the more valuable they become. |
| whether | si (est-ce que) I check whether they've exhibited abroad. |
| it backfired | ça a mal tourné I took a risk and it backfired. |
| in hindsight | avec le recul In hindsight, he wasn't ready. |
| mistake after mistake | erreur sur erreur He made mistake after mistake. |
| to be cut out for something | être fait pour He's not cut out for this world. |
| mindset | l'état d'esprit It's all about mindset. |
| it's not about X, but about Y | ce n'est pas X mais Y It's not about guidance, but about mindset. |
| at first sight | à première vue At first sight, I didn't like the château. |
| love at first sight | le coup de foudre It was love at first sight with that sculpture. |
| to convince someone to do sth | convaincre qqn He convinced me to buy it. |
| to take a gamble on | parier sur I took a gamble on an unknown artist. |
| but my husband did | mais mon mari, oui I didn't like it, but my husband did. |
| every other day | tous les deux jours I practise English every other day. |
| that is of no significance | ça n'a aucune importance The frame is of no significance. |
| not that I know of | pas que je sache "Has he exhibited abroad?" — "Not that I know of." |
| I know that much is true | je suis sûr d'au moins ça I don't know his age, but I know that much is true. |
| that makes sense | ça se tient That makes sense to me. |
| fair enough | c'est juste "It's too expensive." — "Fair enough." |
| I see what you mean | je vois ce que tu veux dire I see what you mean about the style. |
| that's a good point | c'est un bon argument That's a good point about the price. |
| come to think of it | maintenant que j'y pense Come to think of it, I've met him before. |
| now that you mention it | maintenant que tu le dis Now that you mention it, the roof needs work. |
| to be fair | cela dit To be fair, the deal wasn't bad. |
| that said / having said that | ceci dit That said, I'd still buy it. |
| either way | dans tous les cas Either way, we'll consign it. |
| no wonder | pas étonnant No wonder it sold out. |
| that's the thing | justement That's the thing — he never listens. |
| exactly / absolutely | exactement "Too many people?" — "Exactly." |
| as far as I'm concerned | en ce qui me concerne As far as I'm concerned, it's a masterpiece. |
| if you ask me | si tu veux mon avis If you ask me, the price is too high. |
| I'd say (that)... | je dirais I'd say it's worth twenty thousand. |
| it depends | ça dépend It depends on the artist. |
| to some extent | dans une certaine mesure I agree, to some extent. |
| more or less | plus ou moins The work is more or less finished. |
| I'm not so sure | je n'en suis pas si sûr(e) I'm not so sure about this one. |
| it's hard to say | difficile à dire It's hard to say how it'll sell. |
| I have mixed feelings (about it) | j'ai un avis partagé I have mixed feelings about the offer. |
| on the whole | dans l'ensemble On the whole, it was a great show. |
| let's cut to the chase | allons droit au but Let's cut to the chase — what's your price? |
| to meet halfway | couper la poire en deux Can we meet halfway on the price? |
| it's a deal | marché conclu Fifty thousand? It's a deal. |
| to have second thoughts | avoir des doutes I'm having second thoughts about selling. |
| to be on the same page | même longueur d'onde Let's make sure we're on the same page. |
| to keep someone posted | tenir qqn au courant I'll keep you posted on the auction. |
| to touch base | faire un point Let's touch base next week. |
| in the long run | à long terme It's a good investment in the long run. |
| to weigh the pros and cons | peser le pour et le contre We weighed the pros and cons before buying. |
| a ballpark figure | estimation approximative Just give me a ballpark figure. |
| to have the upper hand | avoir l'avantage The seller had the upper hand. |
| how have you been? | comment vas-tu depuis le temps ? How have you been since the show? |
| it's been ages | ça fait une éternité It's been ages, so good to see you! |
| I've heard so much about you | entendu parler de vous I've heard so much about you! |
| to hit it off (with sb) | bien accrocher We hit it off right away. |
| small world! | le monde est petit ! You know her too? Small world! |
| let's stay in touch | restons en contact Let's stay in touch after the fair. |
| thanks for having me | merci de m'avoir invité(e) Thanks for having me tonight. |
| I'll let you get on | je te laisse I'll let you get on — talk soon. |
| to make small talk | faire la conversation We made small talk before dinner. |
| cheers! | santé ! (ou merci, au R.-U.) Cheers, everyone! |
| right away | tout de suite I'll call the gallery right away. |
| in a while | dans un moment I'll get back to you in a while. |
| sooner or later | tôt ou tard Sooner or later, it'll sell. |
| from time to time | de temps en temps I visit the château from time to time. |
| every now and then | de temps à autre Every now and then, we host a dinner. |
| once in a while | une fois de temps en temps Once in a while, I take a risk. |
| for the time being | pour l'instant For the time being, we live in Paris. |
| in the meantime | entre-temps In the meantime, we're renovating. |
| all of a sudden | tout à coup All of a sudden, the price jumped. |
| at the last minute | à la dernière minute The buyer pulled out at the last minute. |
| ahead of time | en avance We arrived ahead of time. |
| in no time | en un rien de temps The show sold out in no time. |
| the other day | l'autre jour I saw him the other day. |
| any minute now | d'un moment à l'autre The collector should arrive any minute now. |
| I can't wait | j'ai hâte I can't wait for the opening. |
| I'm thrilled | je suis ravi(e) I'm thrilled with the sculpture. |
| that's a relief | quel soulagement The work sold — that's a relief. |
| what a shame | quel dommage What a shame he didn't show up. |
| to be over the moon | être aux anges I was over the moon about the deal. |
| to be fed up (with) | en avoir marre (de) I'm fed up with his excuses. |
| it drives me crazy | ça me rend fou / folle The paperwork drives me crazy. |
| I couldn't care less | je m'en fiche complètement I couldn't care less about the frame. |
| to be into (sth) | être passionné(e) par I'm really into neo-antique art. |
| fingers crossed | croisons les doigts Fingers crossed it sells well. |
| I'm so glad | je suis si content(e) I'm so glad you came. |
| that's frustrating | c'est frustrant He pulled out — that's frustrating. |
| by the way | au fait By the way, the roof is done. |
| speaking of which | à ce propos Speaking of which, did you call the house? |
| long story short | pour faire court Long story short, we bought it. |
| to sum up | pour résumer To sum up, it was a great week. |
| where were we? | où en étions-nous ? So, where were we? |
| sorry to interrupt | désolé(e) de couper Sorry to interrupt, but he's here. |
| what do you mean? | qu'est-ce que tu veux dire ? What do you mean, "not ready"? |
| could you say that again? | tu peux répéter ? Sorry, could you say that again? |
| let me get this straight | que je comprenne bien Let me get this straight — he refused? |
| as I was saying | comme je disais As I was saying, the price is fair. |
| that reminds me | ça me rappelle That reminds me, I must call the gallerist. |
| it's a piece of cake | c'est du gâteau For him, negotiating is a piece of cake. |
| to cost an arm and a leg | coûter les yeux de la tête The sculpture cost an arm and a leg. |
| once in a blue moon | très rarement We sell online once in a blue moon. |
| to break the ice | briser la glace A tarot reading broke the ice. |
| to hit the nail on the head | viser juste You hit the nail on the head. |
| the ball is in your court | c'est à toi de jouer I've made my offer — the ball is in your court. |
| to get cold feet | se dégonfler The buyer got cold feet. |
| out of the blue | sans prévenir He called out of the blue. |
| to ring a bell | dire quelque chose That name rings a bell. |
| to be worth it | ça vaut le coup The renovation is worth it. |
| to be on cloud nine | être sur un petit nuage I was on cloud nine after the show. |
| to cut corners | bâcler We won't cut corners on the restoration. |
| I couldn't agree more | je suis entièrement d'accord I couldn't agree more. |
| you have a point | tu n'as pas tort You have a point there. |
| tell me about it | à qui le dis-tu "The paperwork is endless." — "Tell me about it." |
| you can say that again | le moins qu'on puisse dire "It's expensive." — "You can say that again." |
| I beg to differ | permettez-moi de ne pas être d'accord I beg to differ on the price. |
| that's not quite right | pas tout à fait ça That's not quite right, actually. |
| I'm afraid I disagree | je crains de ne pas être d'accord I'm afraid I disagree with you. |
| no way | pas question No way I'm selling that low. |
| I guess so | j'imagine que oui "Shall we consign it?" — "I guess so." |
| fair point | c'est juste Fair point, let's wait. |
| never mind | laisse tomber, peu importe Never mind, I'll do it myself. |
| it's no big deal | ce n'est pas grave It's no big deal, we'll reschedule. |
| let's play it by ear | on verra sur le moment Let's play it by ear on Sunday. |
| to sort it out | régler ça We'll sort it out with the house. |
| that's up to you | c'est comme tu veux That's up to you. |
| it's worth a shot | ça vaut le coup d'essayer It's worth a shot. |
| to make do (with) | faire avec We'll make do with what we have. |
| let's give it a try | essayons Let's give it a try. |
| to deal with it | s'en occuper, gérer I'll deal with it tomorrow. |
| take your time | prends ton temps Take your time to decide. |
| would you mind...? | ça te dérangerait de... ? Would you mind waiting a moment? |
| do you happen to know...? | saurais-tu par hasard... ? Do you happen to know the artist? |
| I was wondering if... | je me demandais si... I was wondering if you're free tonight. |
| if you don't mind | si ça ne te dérange pas I'll take this one, if you don't mind. |
| no worries | pas de souci No worries, take your time. |
| my pleasure | avec plaisir, je vous en prie "Thank you!" — "My pleasure." |
| feel free to... | n'hésite pas à... Feel free to look around. |
| after you | après vous After you. |
| could you possibly...? | pourriez-vous éventuellement... ? Could you possibly send the invoice? |
| thanks so much | merci beaucoup Thanks so much for coming. |
| a bit / a little | un peu It's a bit oversized. |
| quite / rather | plutôt, assez It's quite expensive. |
| pretty (much) | plutôt / quasiment The work is pretty much finished. |
| sort of / kind of | en quelque sorte It's sort of neo-antique. |
| way too (much) | beaucoup trop There were way too many people. |
| barely | à peine I barely knew him. |
| hardly | presque pas We hardly ever sell online. |
| not at all | pas du tout It's not at all what I expected. |
| more than enough | largement assez We have more than enough works. |
| by far | de loin It's by far my favourite piece. |
| Mot anglais | Ce que ça veut dire → le bon mot |
|---|---|
| affected | touché / impacté → allocated / assigned (attribué) |
| a merchant | un commerçant → an art dealer (marchand d'art) |
| a bite | une bouchée → a bet (un pari) → my best bet |
| sole | seul / unique → solo (en solo) → a solo show |
| dependences | n'existe pas ainsi → outbuildings / annexes |
Bravo pour ton travail ! Ton vrai point fort, c'est l'aisance et le storytelling. Le seul écart à combler, ce sont les prépositions, le vocabulaire précis de ton métier, et l'orthographe (were, remember, disaster) — et ça vient vite avec la pratique.