Couldn't "Elle fait de la danse" mean she's a professional dancer?

Janet M.A2Kwiziq community member

Couldn't "Elle fait de la danse" mean she's a professional dancer?

I debated on whether to choose "she takes dance lessons" or "she's dancing." Although "she's dancing" isn't correct, "she takes dance lessons" seems too precise. It seems to me you could dance regularly in a structured way without necessarily taking lessons. For example, if you are a dancer. 

So although "she's dancing" is incorrect, "she dances" (in the sense that she's a dancer) seemed like it might be what you meant in English. "Elle fait de la danse" would work to mean "she takes dance lessons" but does it necessarily refer to lessons? Or can it refer to any regularly scheduled dancing?

Asked 1 year ago
CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi Janet,

In this kwiz question and all we are asking is which is correct for 

Elle fait de la danse 

The options are 

she is dancing/she takes dance lessons/she is making up a dance

The only correct answer ( from the ones given)  is 

she takes dance lessons

 

This is not a freeform exercise and you are not meant to write your own answers.

But just to clarify -

elle est danseuse she is a dancer ( it's her job)

elle a été danseuse = she was a dancer

elle danse = she is dancing

Bonne Continuation !

 

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

It sounds like a multiple choice question  - not necessarily every possible right answer in every context may be presented. The answer given as correct is a correct one though.

However, to say “she is a dancer”, either ‘ elle est danseuse ’ or more specifically to indicate professional dancer ‘ elle est une danseuse professionnelle ‘. 

Could she be a professional dancer and doing regular sessions/lessons - of course, but to describe that situation fully would require more than just ‘ Elle fait de la danse ‘, as this would not generally be understood to mean being a professional dancer.

Janet M.A2Kwiziq community member

Kwiziq - I agree that of all the incorrect and imprecise choices you gave on the quiz, "she takes dance lessons" is the best choice. On its own, that sentence would never be translated that way. If there were some additional context to indicate "lessons" vs "regularly" then it could be the correct translation. But there isn't any additional context. There's just a lot of choices that don't fit, with this choice being the least incorrect.

Janet M. asked:

Couldn't "Elle fait de la danse" mean she's a professional dancer?

I debated on whether to choose "she takes dance lessons" or "she's dancing." Although "she's dancing" isn't correct, "she takes dance lessons" seems too precise. It seems to me you could dance regularly in a structured way without necessarily taking lessons. For example, if you are a dancer. 

So although "she's dancing" is incorrect, "she dances" (in the sense that she's a dancer) seemed like it might be what you meant in English. "Elle fait de la danse" would work to mean "she takes dance lessons" but does it necessarily refer to lessons? Or can it refer to any regularly scheduled dancing?

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