par rapport à

ByFast French

“Par rapport à” is a French prepositional phrase that is widely used. It means three different things: “compared with/in comparison with/against,” “in relation to,” and “with regard to/towards.”

Compared with/against

  • il est généreux/petit par rapport à son frère (he is generous compared with his brother)
  • le chômage a augmenté par rapport à l’an dernier (unemployed increased compared with last year)
  • par rapport au dollar (against the dollar)

In relation to

  •  le nombre de voitures par rapport au nombre d’habitants (the number of cars in relation to the number of inhabitants)
  • un angle de 40° par rapport à la verticale (an angle of 40º to the vertical)
  • un changement par rapport à la position habituelle du parti (a change from the usual party line)

With regard to/towards

  • notre position par rapport à ce problème (our position with regard to this problem)
  • l’attitude de la population par rapport à l’immigration (people’s attitude towards immigration)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • il y a

    ByFast French

    The French phrase “il y a” means “there is” or “there are.” It covers both singular and plural. “il y a” versus “c’est” “Il y a” is often used for situations where you can’t see the thing being talked about. Eg “there is a bike in the garden” (when you’re not in the garden), or…

  • passer l’éponge

    ByFast French

    Passer l’éponge means literally to pass the sponge, but in slightly better English it would be to wipe the sponge. The English saying it most closely resembles would be “to wipe the slate clean.” It means to restart from zero, to forgive, or to forget disagreeable acts. The expression dates back to the start of…

  • allez !

    ByFast French

    The French word “allez !” is the imperative form of the verb aller (to go) in the second-person plural (vous). However, its usage extends far beyond a simple command. It can function as an exhortation, a command, or even a casual farewell, depending on context. As an exhortation “Allez !” is often used to encourage…

  • laid comme un pou

    ByFast French

    The French saying “laid comme un pou” translates literally as “(as) ugly as a louse.” It means “very ugly.” This idiom dates back to the end of the 18th century. Although there are plenty of other insects that are uglier than a louse, which is responsible for head lice infestations, the effects of this insect…

  • mettre en boîte

    ByFast French

    The French idiom “mettre en boîte” means literally “to put in a can” or “to can.” Figuratively however it means “to make fun of someone,” “to annoy,” “to tease,” or “to kid.” The saying dates back to the end of the 19th century, when “to can” meant “to mock” or “to whistle disapprovingly at.” The…