ericabacoz

[balmy pawn]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[visual ice]

I actually have a hard time finding the translation for a lot of things in English, there's rarely if ever any translation being done in my head

Pretty often when I'm speaking English I'll only have the French way of saying it in my head

[modest saffron]

I don't think it's really possible to be an "advanced" speaker and to continue translating to your native language all the time
In order to speak and understand quickly, you simply can't be translating… it's just too time consuming

[visual ice]

Plus there are a lot of concepts that simply don't translate well

[untold ember]

If I'm encountering an expression for the first time, I'll translate it into German, not English. I find the similarities there are a lot closer. Ultimately depends on what I'm seeing, though:

• New verbs: mostly English
• Syntax, grammar, expressions: German
  Otherwise I don't translate.

[limpid spruce]

I agree with everyone else, translating takes time and it actually traps you because you're bound by English grammar. For example, the verb « penser » is followed by one of two possible prepositions, « à » and « de ». Both mean 'to think about X' but there's a slight nuance: « penser à qqch/qqn » means that you have something or someone in your head whereas « penser de qqch/qqn » means that you have an opinion on this something or someone.

That's a nuance that doesn't exist in English and English only has 'to think about something/someone' so if you're first going to English then translating to French or vice-versa, chances are your mind jumps to « penser de qqch/qqn » because « de » usually means 'of/about' and « à » means 'to'. So, because your mind went, 'think about something -> penser de qqch', you immediately get it wrong.

Another thing would be expressions and the one that jumps out to me is « avoir l'impression que / to be under the impression that ». Both expressions are similar in meaning and formulation but they're not the same. The English version starts with the verb être and a preposition whereas the French versions starts with the verb avoir and without a preposition. Translating would make it too literal (« être sous l'impression que / have the impression that »).