Il semble que; il paraît que : how to choose which to use

Le P.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Il semble que; il paraît que : how to choose which to use

What is the difference between "il semble que" and "il paraît que" in terms of usage?

This question relates to:French lesson "to appear"
Asked 5 months ago
CélineNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

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).

Larousse-sembler/paraître

I hope this is helpful.

Bonne journée !

Le P.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Merci Céline.

Leni

Il semble que; il paraît que : how to choose which to use

What is the difference between "il semble que" and "il paraît que" in terms of usage?

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