Common mistakes
Causer or parler: chatting, speaking and causing a problem
Avoid three traps with causer and parler. Compare talking with someone, talking about a topic and causing an effect, then answer four questions.
- B1
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In short
Causer avec quelqu’un means “chat with someone” in familiar French. Parler is the neutral verb for talking or speaking. In causer un problème, causer means “cause”: the problem is the result, rather than a topic of conversation.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
What does causer mean in French?
- causer avec Léacause something with Léachat with Léa
Je cause avec Léa après le cours.I chat with Léa after class.
For a neutral version, use Je parle avec Léa après le cours.
- causer un retardtalk about a delaycause a delay
Cette erreur a causé un retard.This mistake caused a delay.
For “talk about the delay”, say parler du retard.
- parler françaistalk about Francespeak French
Nous parlons français pendant la réunion.We speak French during the meeting.
For “talk about France”, say parler de la France.
| Frame | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| causer avec quelqu’un | Elle cause avec son voisin. | She chats with her neighbour. |
| causer de quelque chose | Ils causent de leur projet. | They chat about their project. |
| parler de quelque chose | Ils parlent de leur projet. | They talk about their project. |
| causer un problème | Cette erreur cause un problème. | This mistake causes a problem. |
One conversation about a problem
- Léa
Tu as parlé avec Max ?
Did you talk with Max?
- Nora
Oui, on a causé de la présentation.
Yes, we chatted about the presentation.
- Léa
Pourquoi a-t-elle commencé en retard ?
Why did it start late?
- Nora
Une erreur dans le programme a causé un retard.
A mistake in the programme caused a delay.
Nora first describes a conversation: on a causé de la présentation. Her second sentence gives a cause and its effect: une erreur a causé un retard. The familiar register belongs to the chatting sense; the “cause” sense is ordinary neutral French.
Why can’t you say causer du in French?
Compare Ils causent du film (“They chat about the film”) with Ces erreurs causent du retard (“These mistakes cause delay”). In the first, du combines de + le and introduces the topic. In the second, du is a partitive article before the effect. For a clear neutral account of a conversation, use Ils parlent du retard.