J'aurai sûrement un quart d'heure de retard
I will probably be fifteen minutes late
Je serai sûrement en retard d'un quart d'heure.
I will probably be fifteen minutes late.
Checking online at Larousse etc., I don't see that "sûrement" means "probably". "Probably" introduces doubt. Why not use "surely" or "certainly"?
Or for the French, "probablement"? Which does seem to mean "probably".
Bonjour Melody,
After discussing these two examples with the French team, we've amended them to include "probablement". However, be aware that there is a nuance that dictionaries don't always explain with regards to the difference between "sûrement / probablement" and "surely / probably". In French, "sûrement" isn't as strong as the English "surely" and therefore, "probably" will be best suited.
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !
p.s., I tried to edit this to take out all the extra spaces, but this doesn't seem to have taken. Alas.
Celine, thanks very much for your reply. It was very helpful to learn more about the subtleties of French vs. English.
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