regarder vs. observer et le moyen age

Question

Two simple questions:iI retook the exercise and used 'observer' instead of 'regarder' as I think it would work just fine in this case, but it was marked wrong. From the dictionary entry it seems that observer would apply equally well in this case.I also used 'le Moyen Age' instead of 'l'epoque medievale'. I realise that the latter is a more direct translation, but I am much more familiar with 'le Moyen Age'. Is there a general preference for one experession over the other?Merci a tous !

Accepted Answer

Bonjour N. Hilary,
- In this context, "observer" would sound as if you were "scrutinising" the jugglers for a purpose (such as you are learning yourself/taking notes). The same would go if you were watching a film for example.

Je regarde un film = I am watching a film
J'observe un film = I am "looking intently" at a film -> you would not use "observer" in this context

- "Le Moyen Âge" (= The Middle Ages) would not be used here as the English expression is "the medieval era", which direct translation is "l'époque médiévale".
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Answer

Merci Celine.Collins Dictionary gives the following definition for observer. (Which is why I thought it might work here.)1.  (= regarder) to watchIl observait les canards sur le lac.Thank you for the clarification.Bonne Journee !