At C1 the question is no longer whether you can say it, but how exactly. This page covers hedging, the false friend sans doute, and the precise verbs that replace regarder and dire.
By the end of this unit you can: express fine shades of meaning.
1Atténuer son propos: Soften, limit and qualify what you say.
2Le mot juste: Choose between near-synonyms that differ in shade.
3Ce qui aurait pu être: Express regret, reproach, deduction and doubt about the past.
4Mettre en relief: Put the key idea of a sentence in the spotlight.
5Le débat de Fatou: Follow and join a nuanced radio debate.
Grammar and usage, explained
Hedging: saying exactly how sure you are
At C1 you're judged on how precisely you commit to a claim. French softens in three main ways: the conditional, which reports without vouching (il semblerait que); limiting phrases, which concede only part of a point (dans une certaine mesure); and mild adverbs (quelque peu).
Il semblerait que le ministre ait démissionné.Apparently the minister has resigned (unconfirmed).
Vous avez raison, dans une certaine mesure.You're right, to some extent.
J'étais quelque peu déçu.I was somewhat disappointed.
Sans doute doesn't mean « without doubt »
Over time sans doute has weakened: today it means « probably ». To express real certainty, strengthen it with aucun or nul. Getting this wrong can make you sound unsure when you mean to be firm.
Il viendra sans doute demain.He'll probably come tomorrow.
C'est sans aucun doute son meilleur roman.It's without any doubt her best novel.
Regarder is only the beginning
Regarder is neutral. Precise writers pick a verb that also says how and why someone looks: contempler is long and admiring, scruter is searching, dévisager is staring at a person (often rudely), entrevoir is a brief or partial glimpse.
Elle contemplait le fleuve au coucher du soleil.She gazed at the river at sunset.
Le pêcheur scrutait le ciel avant de partir.The fisherman searched the sky before setting out.
Tout le monde la dévisageait.Everyone was staring at her.
Saying, claiming, implying
The verb you use to report someone's words shows what you think of them. Affirmer reports a firm statement neutrally. Prétendre suggests you doubt it. Insinuer accuses someone of hinting at something unpleasant. Souligner presents the point as valid and important.
Il affirme qu'il était à Rio ce jour-là.He states that he was in Rio that day.
Il prétend qu'il était à Rio ce jour-là.He claims he was in Rio that day (I'm not convinced).
Devoir and pouvoir looking back
In the past conditional, devoir gives « should have » (regret or reproach) and pouvoir gives « could have » (a missed chance or a near miss). Both talk about something that did not happen. The passé composé il a dû is different: it means either « he had to » or « he must have ».
J'aurais dû partir plus tôt.I should have left earlier.
On aurait pu gagner.We could have won.
Elle a dû oublier.She must have forgotten.
The subjonctif passé
Form it with the subjunctive of avoir or être (que j'aie, qu'il ait, que nous ayons; que je sois, qu'elle soit, que vous soyez) plus the past participle. Use it after anything that triggers the subjunctive (bien que, je doute que, je regrette que, il se peut que…) when the action is already over.
Je suis content que tu sois venu.I'm glad you came.
Bien qu'elle ait refusé, il a insisté.Although she had refused, he insisted.
Stress with structure, not just voice
English often stresses a word by saying it louder: « I paid ». French prefers to move the word into a frame: c'est… qui for the subject, c'est… que for anything else. After c'est… qui, the verb agrees with the stressed word, not with c'est.
C'est moi qui ai payé.I'm the one who paid.
C'est demain que tout se joue.It's tomorrow that everything will be decided.
Ce qui, ce que or ce dont?
Choose by the job the missing word does for the verb that follows. If it's the subject, use ce qui. If it's the direct object, use ce que. If the verb is built with de (avoir besoin de, se souvenir de, parler de), use ce dont. Then deliver the point with c'est.
Ce qui me frappe, c'est son silence.What strikes me is his silence.
Ce que j'admire, c'est son courage.What I admire is her courage.
Ce dont on parle, c'est de l'avenir.What we're talking about is the future.
Scene: a debate on air in Dakar
Fatou Ndiaye hosts a radio debate in Dakar: should primary schools teach in Wolof as well as French? Her guests are a linguist and a headteacher. Nobody is entirely right, so listen for the hedges, the regrets and the emphasis.
Vocabulary: 29 words and phrases
Tap 🔊 to hear each one, recorded by a native-sounding French voice.
Atténuer son propos
Listen
French
English
il semblerait que…Il semblerait que la réunion ait été reportée.(It would seem the meeting has been postponed.)
it would seem that… / apparently…The conditional adds distance: you report something without vouching for it. Careful writers follow it with the subjunctive.
quelque peu
somewhat / ratherFormal. Quelque is an adverb here, so it never takes an s: ils étaient quelque peu surpris.
à vrai dire
actually / to tell the truthIntroduces an admission or a correction, often against what was just said or expected.
un tant soit peu
even slightly / in the leastUsed in conditions, questions and negatives, not in plain statements: si vous êtes un tant soit peu curieux…
de prime abord
at first sightA more literary version of à première vue. It usually sets up a « but ».
sans doute
probablyA trap: sans doute has weakened to « probably ». For real certainty say sans aucun doute or sans nul doute.
force est de constater que…
one has to admit that…Formal. You accept an unwelcome fact. No article before force.
Le mot juste
Listen
French
English
contempler
to gaze at / contemplateLooking at length, calmly or with admiration: contempler un paysage.
scruter
to scrutinise / search with the eyesLooking hard to find or detect something: scruter l'horizon, scruter un visage.
dévisager
to stare at (someone)Only for people, and usually insistent or rude: arrête de dévisager les gens !
entrevoir
to glimpse / begin to seeA brief or partial view, literal or figurative: entrevoir une solution.
affirmer
to assert / state firmlyThe speaker presents the statement as true.
prétendre
to claimFalse friend: to pretend is faire semblant. Prétendre often hints that you doubt the claim.
insinuer
to insinuate / implyAlmost always negative. Qu'est-ce que vous insinuez ? = What are you implying?
souligner
to stress / point outLiterally to underline. Neutral and very useful in essays: l'auteur souligne que…
Ce qui aurait pu être
Listen
French
English
j'aurais pu…
I could have… / I might have…A missed chance (j'aurais pu gagner) or a near miss (j'aurais pu tomber).
il a dû…
he had to… / he must have…Ambiguous: obligation (il a dû partir = he had to leave) or deduction (il a dû oublier = he must have forgotten). Context decides.
vous auriez pu prévenir !
you could have let us know!A classic reproach. With a friend: tu aurais pu me le dire !
je regrette qu'il soit parti
I'm sorry he leftSubjonctif passé: avoir or être in the subjunctive + past participle, for an action already finished.
bien qu'il ait…Bien qu'il ait beaucoup travaillé, il a échoué.(Although he worked hard, he failed.)
although he has / had…
je doute qu'elle ait compris
I doubt she understoodDoubt triggers the subjunctive; the action is over, so it's the subjonctif passé.
Mettre en relief
Listen
French
English
c'est… qui…
it's… who / that… (stressing the subject)The verb agrees with the stressed word: c'est moi qui ai raison, c'est nous qui avons payé.
c'est… que…C'est à Abidjan que je l'ai rencontrée.(It was in Abidjan that I met her.)
it's… that… (stressing anything else)
ce qui…, c'est…Ce qui m'inquiète, c'est le prix.(What worries me is the price.)
what… is… (subject)
ce que…, c'est…Ce que je veux, c'est comprendre.(What I want is to understand.)
what… is… (object)
ce dont…, c'est…Ce dont j'ai besoin, c'est de temps.(What I need is time.)
what… (of / about) is…After verbs built with de: avoir besoin de, parler de, se souvenir de.
quant à…
as for…Shifts the focus to a new topic. Quant au, quant aux before le and les: quant aux résultats…
loin de làLe problème n'est pas réglé, loin de là.(The problem isn't solved, far from it.)
far from it
c'est le moins qu'on puisse dire
that's putting it mildly / to say the leastPuisse is subjunctive, triggered by le moins que.
Example sentences
Force est de constater que les résultats ne sont pas à la hauteur.One has to admit the results aren't up to scratch.
Elle contemplait le fleuve Niger au coucher du soleil.She gazed at the River Niger at sunset.
Bien qu'il ait plu toute la journée, le marché était bondé.Although it rained all day, the market was packed.
Ce qui compte, ce n'est pas le résultat, c'est l'effort.What counts isn't the result, it's the effort.
À vrai dire, c'est aux familles qu'il faudrait poser la question.Actually, it's the families who should be asked.
Practise it, don't just read it
This unit is part of French Ultimate's C1 course: 5 short lessons with an animated video each, speaking and listening practice, a reading and an end-of-unit test.