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Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

French translation: La distance est à l'amour ce que le vent est à la flamme; il éteint le petit mais avive le grand.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
French translation:La distance est à l'amour ce que le vent est à la flamme; il éteint le petit mais avive le grand.
Entered by: Hélène Lévesque

14:34 Feb 10, 2001
English to French translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Just wondering if this phrase can be translated literally or word for word. =) Thank you!
Bessie
La distance est à l'amour ce que le vent est à la flamme; il éteint le petit mais avive le grand.
Explanation:
If you translate it litteraly, it simply doesn't sound right. I suggest this proverb which is just about equivalent.
Selected response from:

Hélène Lévesque
Local time: 21:50
Grading comment
This one is closest to the original meaning. The other suggestions were also good, but I wanted to emphasize distance, not absence. The explanation however on this one could have been a little more fleshed out -- i.e. how is it equivalent. There were some pretty good efforts in the other suggestions as well...but I am curious as to whether it's such a good idea to write the explanations in French. Although I didn't have any problem with that personally, that could be fustrating for askers without the same language background. Just a thought. Merci beaucoup!
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
naL'éloignement renforce l'affection.
Carla Sherman
naLa distance est à l'amour ce que le vent est à la flamme; il éteint le petit mais avive le grand.
Hélène Lévesque
naloin des yeux,près du coeur
Albert Golub
naLa distance rechauffe parfois les coeurs
alx
naL'absence diminue les médiocres passions, et augmente les grandes, comme le vent éteint les bougies
Didier Fourcot


  

Answers


1 hr
L'éloignement renforce l'affection.


Explanation:
I know the sentence as: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
You can find lots of proverbs in English and their correspondants in French on this site:
http://jeuxdelettres.multimania.com/HTML/proverbes.htm

Amitiés,
Carla


    Reference: http://jeuxdelettres.multimania.com/HTML/proverbes.htm
Carla Sherman
United States
Local time: 20:50
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
AVST
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3 hrs
La distance est à l'amour ce que le vent est à la flamme; il éteint le petit mais avive le grand.


Explanation:
If you translate it litteraly, it simply doesn't sound right. I suggest this proverb which is just about equivalent.


    Ask any french speaker. He (she)'ll probably agree.
Hélène Lévesque
Local time: 21:50
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 6
Grading comment
This one is closest to the original meaning. The other suggestions were also good, but I wanted to emphasize distance, not absence. The explanation however on this one could have been a little more fleshed out -- i.e. how is it equivalent. There were some pretty good efforts in the other suggestions as well...but I am curious as to whether it's such a good idea to write the explanations in French. Although I didn't have any problem with that personally, that could be fustrating for askers without the same language background. Just a thought. Merci beaucoup!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 hrs
loin des yeux,près du coeur


Explanation:
renversement d'un dicton existant loin des yeux, loin du coeur
absurde ou pas!!!!!

Albert Golub
Local time: 05:50
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 2094
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18 hrs
La distance rechauffe parfois les coeurs


Explanation:
Reprise du vocabulaire. Ajout de "parfois" en guise de moderateur, car c'est plutot l'inverse ("loin des yeux loin du coeur") qui est vrai d'habitude.

alx
Local time: 04:50
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 119
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1 day 15 hrs
L'absence diminue les médiocres passions, et augmente les grandes, comme le vent éteint les bougies


Explanation:
"L'absence diminue les médiocres passions, et augmente les grandes, comme le vent éteint les bougies et allume le feu."
François de la Rochefoucauld
Tout arrive en France, Maximes, réflexions morales, 276

La même idée dans toutes les langues, voici la référence littéraire exacte


    Dictionnaires des citations fran�aises, Les Usuels du Robert
Didier Fourcot
Local time: 05:50
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 5483
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