Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
impressionnant
English translation:
it's really something
Added to glossary by
Tony M
May 30, 2019 11:16
4 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
United Kingdom
Impressionnant
Non-PRO
French to English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Colloquialisms
Hello. This is spoken French by a lady describing an exercise test that she did with a trainer.
"pour moi, de faire un test d'effort,
c’est vrai que c’est impressionnant".
I'm not sure whether 'impressionant' here has the meaning of 'exciting'/'great' or that it was 'difficult'/'strenuous'. Is she just saying 'Doing an exercise test was great' or 'was really hard' or something else?
Thanks.
"pour moi, de faire un test d'effort,
c’est vrai que c’est impressionnant".
I'm not sure whether 'impressionant' here has the meaning of 'exciting'/'great' or that it was 'difficult'/'strenuous'. Is she just saying 'Doing an exercise test was great' or 'was really hard' or something else?
Thanks.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Jun 4, 2019 18:43: Tony M Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+11
44 mins
French term (edited):
c'est impressionnant
Selected
it's really something
From the way it is worded "pour moi... de faire...", I think this lady is saying it was really something / quite an achievement to find her doing an exercise test — perhaps because she has a reputation as a couch potatot? Or maybe simply because she's unwell...
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Note added at 9 hrs (2019-05-30 20:28:03 GMT)
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As Katsy point out in her discussion post, in the source language, 'impressionant' can often first and foremost mean 'made an impression on me (etc.).
Without more of the context here, we can't tell if the lady is impressed by the fact she actually managed to complete the test at all, or erhaps (as I read it) possibly in a rather more jocular sense: "Who ever would have thought I'd be seen dead in an exercise room!" etc.
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Note added at 18 hrs (2019-05-31 05:30:13 GMT)
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It may of course, be "I'm impressed with myself" or "People should be impressed with me..." — perhaps among other possiiblities too. But in essence, my suggestion seems to pretty much cover all those possibilities.
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Note added at 9 hrs (2019-05-30 20:28:03 GMT)
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As Katsy point out in her discussion post, in the source language, 'impressionant' can often first and foremost mean 'made an impression on me (etc.).
Without more of the context here, we can't tell if the lady is impressed by the fact she actually managed to complete the test at all, or erhaps (as I read it) possibly in a rather more jocular sense: "Who ever would have thought I'd be seen dead in an exercise room!" etc.
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Note added at 18 hrs (2019-05-31 05:30:13 GMT)
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It may of course, be "I'm impressed with myself" or "People should be impressed with me..." — perhaps among other possiiblities too. But in essence, my suggestion seems to pretty much cover all those possibilities.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lara Barnett
: I actually like your explanation of "quite an achievement" better.
4 mins
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Thanks, Lara!
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| agree |
Victoria Britten
: With this very short extract, out of context, I don't feel confident about interpreting what the lady means; however, your translation neatly covers just about any of the most likely ones!
8 mins
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Thanks, Victoria!
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: yes, covers a multitude
41 mins
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Thanks, Yvonne!
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| agree |
Philippa Smith
: I prefer your "quite an achievement" proposal (or "a real achievement")
45 mins
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Thznks, Philippa!
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| agree |
Charles Davis
: I agree with Victoria. It could mean all sorts of things (exactly the same with "impresionante" in Spanish, btw). This covers just about all the possibilities. The guesses people are making as to what she's implying could be wrong.
53 mins
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Thanks, Charles!
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| agree |
Ph_B (X)
1 hr
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Merci, Ph_B !
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| agree |
Louise TAYLOR
: yes, that covers all sorts of possible meanings
1 hr
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Thanks, Louise!
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| agree |
AllegroTrans
2 hrs
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Thanks, C!
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| agree |
James A. Walsh
3 hrs
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Thanks, James!
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| agree |
katsy
8 hrs
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Thanks, Katsy!
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| agree |
Michele Fauble
12 hrs
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Merci, Michele !
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks! From the rest of the piece, I think she was being jocular - it's really something for me to do.... etc. Your solution sounds spot on! "
+1
21 mins
Ava Wells-Quantrell
United States
United States
Native in French
United States
Economics & Finance French Translator
Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France)
Works in: English to French, French to English
Spectacular, impressive
I’m very sure that the term can be translated as her finishing the test was impressive (or even spectacular).
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
writeaway
: just with impressive. unless a lot more context is available
41 mins
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| agree |
philgoddard
58 mins
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| neutral |
Yvonne Gallagher
: no, spectacular is OTT and impressive doesn't really fit.
1 hr
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| neutral |
Charles Davis
: It is quite likely that this is not what she means at all.
1 hr
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| neutral |
AllegroTrans
: both words sound unnatural in the context
7 hrs
|
+2
23 mins
El Mehdi Hakkou
Morocco
Morocco
Native in French
&
English
Morocco
Translation EN FR
Native in: French (Variants: Standard-France, Canadian) 
, English (Variants: US, British, Canadian)
Works in: English to French, French to English, French, and 1 more.
impressive
I would keep it simple and use impressive as translation.
She is impressed by this exercise.
...it's really impressive.
She is impressed by this exercise.
...it's really impressive.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Lara Barnett
: But the usage of this word is so often not the same between English and French. In this case it does not match in my opinion.// what I mean is mainly that we would not use this in conversation when talking about ourselves.
24 mins
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| agree |
writeaway
: certainly not dead wrong. it's the first thing that comes to mind...
36 mins
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| agree |
philgoddard
: Nothing wrong with this.
56 mins
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| neutral |
Yvonne Gallagher
: no, not right here but not completely wrong either.
1 hr
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| agree |
Nicolas Gambardella
: I aIt seems what the lady is saying is that considering who she is, what her condition is, or something like that, to make such an effort is surprising.
1 hr
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| neutral |
Charles Davis
: It is quite likely that this is not what she means at all.
1 hr
|
5 hrs
Conor Jarrett
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
Ireland
Quality Translation
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US)
Works in: French to English, Italian to English
It is really striking/does strike you/make you realise
It is hard to tell here, but I think this might be it. As the other have already said, there are several different options, sometimes very similar or different.
I think tests like this one are done at the start to get an idea of the person's fitness, before they proceed with a program. Maybe when the person did the test, it was only then that they realised how (un)fit they were.
I think tests like this one are done at the start to get an idea of the person's fitness, before they proceed with a program. Maybe when the person did the test, it was only then that they realised how (un)fit they were.
1 day 6 hrs
AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Sensible solutions
Native in: English (Variant: Wessexois) 
Works in: French to English, English, English to French
Related KudoZ points
:
115
really awesome/really great
I thhik all would depend on this lady's age and style of speech, but I offer these (fairly) modern possibilities. I am sure there are even more modern terms but I am an old geezer and have probably missed them.
+1
1 day 9 hrs
(it makes) quite an impression
Taking advantage of the thoughts and suggestions already proposed, and given what I say in the DB. This has been with me all day, the idea that "impressionnant" can imply something scary. For child can be "impressionné' if s/he is told off loudly by an adult or if he is confronted by a barking/jumping dog. (I won't repeat the example I quoted above)
I tend to feel that the person finds it quite daunting to undergo this endurance/cardiac stress test.
But as it is not totally clear I have tried to find something which would fit various ideas.
I tend to feel that the person finds it quite daunting to undergo this endurance/cardiac stress test.
But as it is not totally clear I have tried to find something which would fit various ideas.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
ormiston
: your notion of 'daunting' is close to what 'impressionant' often mean
13 hrs
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Thanks ormiston:-) Yes, my gut feeling is that this is what's meant but I have to admit that it is not 100% clear in the text given
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Discussion
Interestingly, the first dictionary definition of impressionnant is "Qui frappe la sensibilité, l'imagination en inspirant un très vif sentiment de crainte, de respect ou d'étonnement". https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/impressionnant
Tony's suggestion does seem to cover this option.
I have often found this word to be used completely differently in French than the usage we give it in English. I find this question such a good example of this, and this sort of "non-official" false friend is surely part of what can determine a good/fluent or a bad translation when it is in a source text.