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 me reste

    ByFast French

    The French verb “rester” means “to stay” or “to remain” in English. But “rester” can be used with indirect object pronouns to mean “to have left.” This is an impersonal construction. In an impersonal construction, the “il” in “il me reste” means “it,” rather than “he.” The literal translation of “il me reste” is “it…

  • semaine des quatre jeudis

    ByFast French

    A “semaine des quatre jeudis” means “never,” “something impossible,” “something that will never happen.” Literally it means “a week with four Thursdays,” implying that Friday and therefore the weekend will never come. This expression is quite old, having been around since the end of the 15th century, when it was known as “la semaine à…

  • maint

    ByFast French

    The French adjective “maint” means “many,” “many a,” “numerous” or “manifold.” It is a little archaic and is most commonly used in a literary way, although some still use it in everyday speech. People tend to prefer more modern words such as “beaucoup,” “nombreux,” “plusieurs,” or more familiarly, “plein de.” As an adjective, “maint” must…

  • think

    ByFast French

    There are a few different ways to say “to think” in French. You can use verbs like “penser,” “songer,” “réfléchir,” “croire,” or “considérer.” penser Penser means “to think.” It is related to the English word “pensive,” someone who is thoughtful or in deep thought. It can be used with “à” to mean “to have in…

  • prévenir vs prévoir

    ByFast French

    Two French verbs that often cause confusion among learners are “prévoir” and “prévenir.” Despite their similar spellings, these verbs carry distinct meanings and are used in different contexts. “Prévoir” is a verb that translates to “to foresee” or “to predict” in English. It is used when someone anticipates or plans for something in the future….