Does that French word rule fit? Test it with a full sentence
Test French word-choice rules with expliquer, préciser, sujet and thème. Compare natural examples, spot overstrict claims and try a short quiz.
In short
Test a word rule with a complete sentence and a nearby alternative. A useful explanation names the change in meaning, gives the construction and allows two natural choices when they overlap.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Explain the process or add the detail?
expliquerto explain
Focus: how or why something happens
expliquer quelque chose à quelqu’un
Nora explique la règle à Sami.
Nora explains the rule to Sami.
Elle explique pourquoi la réponse est correcte.
She explains why the answer is correct.
préciserto specify; to clarify
Focus: an exact or additional detail
préciser quelque chose / préciser que…
Nora précise la date.
Nora specifies the date.
Elle précise que la séance commence à neuf heures.
She adds that the session starts at nine.
| First version | Useful version | Test sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Préciser always corrects an error. | It can supply an exact detail. | Il précise que la réunion dure une heure. |
| Sujet and thème can never overlap. | Both can name what a discussion is about. | Le sujet du débat est le logement. |
| A réponse always solves a problem. | A reply can simply acknowledge a message. | Merci pour votre message. |
In le sujet du débat and le thème du débat, either noun can name the topic. A question offering just those two phrases needs more context to test a distinction. By contrast, préciser l’heure exacte clearly foregrounds the detail being supplied. The surrounding words make the explanation useful.
Il confirme la réception du message, mais il ne donne pas encore son accord.
He confirms receipt of the message, but has not yet given his agreement.
The object matters: confirmer la réception and donner son accord describe different actions.