I tried using blesser to see if the system would accept this alternative and was marked wrong. Tell me why J’ai blessé Olive (yesterday when I stepped on her foot) is wrong. I like blesser because it’s easier to use, but not if it’s wrong! Thanks so much.
In French, there are two very close expressions to express the nuance between hurting someone physically and hurting them emotionally.
Look at these sentences:
To express to hurt someone (physically) in French, you use the expression faire mal à + person. (literally to do hurt to)
To express to hurt someone (emotionally), you use the expression faire du mal à + person. (literally to do (some) hurt/damage to)
ATTENTION:
To use both these expressions with to hurt me/you/him/her/us/you/them, you will use me/te/lui/nous/vous/leur before the whole expression in simple and compound tenses, and between aller and faire (du) mal in Le Futur Proche.
See also Position of object pronouns with infinitives
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 12 questions, 21 answers
Hi Liz,
Blesser quelqu'un is to cause someone an injury and you wouldn't use it for stepping on someone's foot unless they had to go to the hospital as a result of it.
I know 'faire mal à quelqu'un' is quite a mouthful but it is the one you will hear used most often in France.
Hope this helps!
Liz asked:View original
Using blesser
I tried using blesser to see if the system would accept this alternative and was marked wrong. Tell me why J’ai blessé Olive (yesterday when I stepped on her foot) is wrong. I like blesser because it’s easier to use, but not if it’s wrong! Thanks so much.
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Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Backwards
I seem to be going backwards, losing confidence by the day with this lesson. Very disappointed in the content and exercises. This system of questions seems to be hurting me more than helping,
It’s like the rules change every time I read this lesson.
Regretting paying for a whole year.......
Asked 1 year ago
Sorry to hear this Darren!
Some reassurance: getting to level A2 (which I can see you've reached from your brainmap) can be a very tough stage of learning. In fact, it's so common I devoted a whole section to it in my article, 13 tips for language learners, which you may find helpful:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-easiest-way-to-learn-French
A little quote from it about levels A1 and A2, "Expect a lot of fog and confusion for the first few hundred hours. It's completely normal... EVERYONE feels this way, even the people who seem really gifted at languages."
Hopefully the tips will help, and I'd say stick with it, the fog will clear! Of course, if you're still unhappy with subscribing in a few weeks, just write in to support and we can sort out a package downgrade for you.
Best wishes, Gruff
D asked:View original
Backwards
I seem to be going backwards, losing confidence by the day with this lesson. Very disappointed in the content and exercises. This system of questions seems to be hurting me more than helping,
It’s like the rules change every time I read this lesson.
Regretting paying for a whole year.......
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NicoleKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Construction of future tense
It says with future proche the placement of me, te, lui, etc. is between aller and faire (du) mal. But in "Il va faire mal à ma meillure amie" that is not where it is placed. Isn't that sentence future proche? I'm confused.
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Nicole,
Il va faire mal à ma meilleure amie ------ Il va lui faire mal
Elle va faire mal à mes parents ---- Elle va leur faire mal
Hope this helps!
NicoleKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Actually I just realized there is no me, te, lui, etc. in that sentence. But I would like to see an example where it is constructed that way.
Nicole asked:View original
Construction of future tense
It says with future proche the placement of me, te, lui, etc. is between aller and faire (du) mal. But in "Il va faire mal à ma meillure amie" that is not where it is placed. Isn't that sentence future proche? I'm confused.
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CaroleKwiziq community member
a question within a question
"J'ai fait mal à Olive hier quand je lui ai marché sur le pied." While I'm slowly getting the hang of faire mal à versus faire du mal...why is LUI in the example above?
Asked 1 year ago
Carole asked:View original
a question within a question
"J'ai fait mal à Olive hier quand je lui ai marché sur le pied." While I'm slowly getting the hang of faire mal à versus faire du mal...why is LUI in the example above?
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JayKwiziq community member
Marie fait du mal à moi quand elle dit ça... Why has this been marked wrong in my test? Couldn't it mean she has hurt 'me' - rather than anyone else
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Jay,
If you use the 'Report it' button in your Correction Board, it links to the specific quiz you are referring to and makes it easier for us to answer you.
But in any case, "Marie fait du mal à moi quand elle dit ça" should be -"Marie me fait mal quand elle dit ça .
Hope this helps!
Jay asked:View original
Marie fait du mal à moi quand elle dit ça... Why has this been marked wrong in my test? Couldn't it mean she has hurt 'me' - rather than anyone else
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CaroleKwiziq community member
Faire mal à
In the example: "Nous avons fait mal à nos amis."
Does à never change to aux?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Carole,
Indeed if you have à + les it will become aux.
e.g. Nous avons fait du mal aux parents de Bertrand.
Hope this helps!
Carole asked:View original
Faire mal à
In the example: "Nous avons fait mal à nos amis."
Does à never change to aux?
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Kwiziq community member
Does "Paul me fait mal" mean "Paul is hurting me" physically or emotionally?
Asked 1 year ago
Bonjour Jennifer !
"Paul me fait mal" means he's hurting you physically.
"Paul me fait du mal" would be emotionally.
Bonne journée !
Jennifer asked:View original
Does "Paul me fait mal" mean "Paul is hurting me" physically or emotionally?
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StephenKwiziq community member
Blesser
When do you "blesser" instead of "faire du mal"
Asked 2 years ago
Hi Stephen,
The verb 'blesser' is just another way of saying to hurt/to harm in French . Both 'blesser' and 'faire mal' can both used to describe physical and emotional hurt.
Blesser has the advantage of having a noun - un blessé which would describe an injured person sometimes used with a number or a numerical expression to describe the casualties in an accident.
e.g. Il y a un grand nombre de blessés sur les routes tous les ans .= There a large number of casualties on the roads every year.
Se blesser = se faire mal = to hurt yourself
Je me suis blessé(e) = je me suis fait mal = I hurt myself
You can 'blesser quelqu'un' or 'faire (du) mal à quelqu'un'= which can be either physical or figurative hurt or harm.
Hope this helps!
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Blesser can be used to connote physical as well as emotional hurt whereas "faire du mal" only works for emtional slights. You have the option, it's your choice. As I understand it, "blesser" stands for more serious injuries, in general.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
DavidKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
In view of that why was I marked wrong in answering "A chaque fois que tu ___, elle a des bleus sur les bras." with "blesses ta soeur" rather than "fais mal à ta sœur"? Is it because Kwiziq is insisting on the use of the œ character?
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TerriKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Sorry, hit the wrong key. Question below.
If the type of hurt is not specified (I hurt Olive yesterday.) how does one know whether it is an emotional or physical hurt? I hurt Olive yesterday was on an A2 test, and I wonder if it might be better on a comprehension type question like this to specify which type hurt the question is looking for. Thank you for your help on this, I appreciate it.
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Terri !
I agree with you that this question definitely needed a clearer context, and I've now added it:
___ hier quand je lui ai marché sur le pied. (I hurt Olive yesterday when I stepped on her foot.)
Note: for these types of specific questions, please use the "Report it" button in your correction board in the future :)
À bientôt !
I agree with you that this question definitely needed a clearer context, and I've now added it:
___ hier quand je lui ai marché sur le pied. (I hurt Olive yesterday when I stepped on her foot.)
Note: for these types of specific questions, please use the "Report it" button in your correction board in the future :)
À bientôt !
Terri asked:View original
Sorry, hit the wrong key. Question below.
If the type of hurt is not specified (I hurt Olive yesterday.) how does one know whether it is an emotional or physical hurt? I hurt Olive yesterday was on an A2 test, and I wonder if it might be better on a comprehension type question like this to specify which type hurt the question is looking for. Thank you for your help on this, I appreciate it.
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TerriKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
If the type of hurt is not specified, is there a 'default' translation?
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonsoir,
Il va faire mal à ma meilleure amie.
He's going to hurt my best friend. (physically)
Il va faire du mal à ma meilleure amie.
He's going to hurt my best friend. (emotionally)
This is an excellent question because given the two examples above, sans the state in parentheses it would be very difficult to differentiate a translation; however, also in the lesson it states that «faire du mal à» is specific to emotional or psychological pain, hurt while «faire mal à» is specific to a physical hurt, i.e. cut, bruised, kicked, etc.
Votre question m'a plu certainement parce qu'il m'a fallu penser. Merci beaucoup ! Bon travail!
J'espère que ma réponse vous aidera.
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AntoinetteKwiziq community member
Where is an adverb put with these expressions?
Example, greatly or often?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Antoinette !
This is a trickier question than it looks!
It depends on whether you're describing the whole action of hurting, or if you're focusing on the level of hurt you're inflicting.
Indeed, remember that the expression in French is literally "to do harm/hurt to someone".
1- If it's the whole action (often, never...), then the rule is as usual with adverbs:
- in simple tenses, it comes after the verb =
"Tu me fais *souvent* mal. / Tu fais *souvent* du mal à ta sœur."
- in compound tenses, between the auxiliary and the past participle:
"Tu m'as *souvent* fait mal. / Tu as *souvent* fait du mal à ta sœur."
2- if you're focusing on the level of hurt you're inflicting, therefore qualifying "mal" =
- With "faire mal", the adverb will come before "mal":
"Tu m'as fait *très/extrêmement* mal." (You hurt me very much / badly.)
"Il me fait *vraiment* mal." (He really hurt me.)
- With "faire du mal", because here "mal" is a noun, you will use "beaucoup de" (a lot of "hurt"), etc:
"Il me fait *beaucoup de* mal." (He hurts me a lot.)
"Tu lui as fait *moins de* mal que lui." (You hurt her less than him.)
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Antoinette asked:View original
Where is an adverb put with these expressions?
Example, greatly or often?
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DebraKwiziq community member
Je pense qu'il n'y a pas de son pour la premiere question??
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Debra !
I've looked at this lesson, and made sure there was sound for all examples and questions :)
Merci et à bientôt !
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