the difference between sens propre and sens figuré

17 oct. 2017 09:42 - language-swap

Niveau confirmé

Every language uses its word in different sentence with different meaning.
When the word is used literally we talk about “sens propre” in French. It means that the word is used in its very first sense.
Example:
La langue du chat est rapeuse.

When the word is used in an expression or in it's “sens figuré” in French, the word loses its literal sense and gain an abstract one.
Example:
Donner sa langue au chat (ne pas savoir = not knowing)