Matching game
Au détriment de: when one French benefit comes at another's expense
Read au détriment de in French trade-offs. Identify the interest harmed, compare au profit de and reject unrelated second events as automatic trade-offs.
- B2
- 5 pairs
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In short
Au détriment de means at the expense of or to the detriment of. The noun after de names the interest harmed: gagner du temps au détriment de la précision means time is saved while precision suffers.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
A proposal can improve one outcome and damage another. The expression makes that relationship explicit. It does more than place two facts next to each other: it presents the gain as occurring at the cost of the named interest.
| Expression | Benefit or action | Interest harmed |
|---|---|---|
| Accélérer au détriment de la précision | Faster processing | Precision |
| Réduire les coûts au détriment de l’accès | Lower costs | Access |
| Favoriser A au détriment de B | A is favoured | B |
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
Do not invent the causal cost
If a report says spending fell and another service changed, it has not necessarily shown that one happened at the expense of the other. Au détriment de adds an interpretation of harm and relationship. Use it when that trade-off is supplied or supported, rather than as an ornamental synonym for et.
La synthèse peut être plus courte sans perdre les conditions ; la brièveté ne doit pas être obtenue au détriment du sens.
The synthesis can be shorter while retaining conditions; brevity should not be obtained at the expense of meaning.
The construction contracts with articles: au détriment du service, des usagers, de l’accès. To make the argument assessable, explain the concrete harm: fewer available hours, a removed access route or a missing condition in a summary.