What is the difference between "il semble que" and "il paraît que" in terms of usage?
Il semble que; il paraît que : how to choose which to use
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Le P.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Il semble que; il paraît que : how to choose which to use
This question relates to:French lesson "to appear"
Asked 6 months ago
Bonjour Le,
The difference between sembler and paraître is quite subtle. They can be interchangeable although it can depend on the context.
Paraître is more formal and neutral (it simply describes what's in front of you / what you see) while sembler is more subjective (there might be something else to what you see/observe).
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !
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