Translation of the English pronoun "one" into/from French

Max N.C1Kwiziq community member

Translation of the English pronoun "one" into/from French

I am confused by some of the answers to quiz questions in this lesson. For me, the construction "Il faut ..." translates well into "One must ..." in English. While we don't use "One must ..." much in modern English, it indicates that we're talking about a general proposition: It means I / you / he / she / we / they must. But some of the quiz answers here seem to say that "Il faut ..." indicates something less than a requirement that should apply to everyone, barring any qualification that might be given in the text, and barring any clarification that might be given by the context. "Il ne faut pas marcher sur la pelouse," for example, means something like "It's forbidden to walk on the grass," or "No one should walk on the grass," not just "You mustn't walk on the grass," doesn't it? What am I missing?

Asked 5 years ago
Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

As you say, we don't use "one must" much in modern English, it sounds too pompous. Nowadays we usually say "you must" instead, but it means the same thing. If you mustn't walk on the grass, you can reasonably assume that applies to everyone.  

Translation of the English pronoun "one" into/from French

I am confused by some of the answers to quiz questions in this lesson. For me, the construction "Il faut ..." translates well into "One must ..." in English. While we don't use "One must ..." much in modern English, it indicates that we're talking about a general proposition: It means I / you / he / she / we / they must. But some of the quiz answers here seem to say that "Il faut ..." indicates something less than a requirement that should apply to everyone, barring any qualification that might be given in the text, and barring any clarification that might be given by the context. "Il ne faut pas marcher sur la pelouse," for example, means something like "It's forbidden to walk on the grass," or "No one should walk on the grass," not just "You mustn't walk on the grass," doesn't it? What am I missing?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Thinking...