FR: rendre (une) visite à qqn - article
- Thread starter Rose1099
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Maître Capello
Mod et ratures
French – Switzerland
It is not just used as a noun – it is a noun.
Anyway, rendre visite is a set phrase, but it would not be incorrect to add the article, although it wouldn't be as common.
J'ai rendu visite à mes parents.
J'ai rendu une visite à mes parents. (
)See also rendre (une) visite, rendre (un) service in the Français Seulement forum.
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snarkhunter
Senior Member
French (France's)
Maybe "rendre une visite" could be understood as meaning such an event is rather scarce, whereas "rendre visite" might mean more that this is a more common kind of event.
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As mentioned by Maître Capello, rendre visite is the set phrase. In using that phrase, you're referring to the concept of visiting someone. You're not so much referring to the visit itself.
If you add the indefinite article, then you are adding emphasis or bringing attention to the noun visite. Consider that if you were to qualify the word visite, say with an adjective or a relative clause, then you would put an indefinite article before visite. Or you would use another determinant in its place.
So if you hear the indefinite article, then your attention is drawn to the possibility that there is something particular about this visit that is worth expanding upon, like what snarkhunter mentioned above.
If you add the indefinite article, then you are adding emphasis or bringing attention to the noun visite. Consider that if you were to qualify the word visite, say with an adjective or a relative clause, then you would put an indefinite article before visite. Or you would use another determinant in its place.
So if you hear the indefinite article, then your attention is drawn to the possibility that there is something particular about this visit that is worth expanding upon, like what snarkhunter mentioned above.
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Il n'y a pas que le caractère inhabituel ou particulier de la visite qui soit mis en avant. Pour qualifier la visite, on peut dire p.ex. "J'ai rendu une courte/petite/longue visite à...".
Comme dit dans le forum FS, "J'ai rendu une visite à mes parents" sans précision induit une idée de réciprocité, c'est-à-dire qu'on a rendu à ses parents une visite reçue. On ne se fait pas de telles politesses en famille et entre amis, ou alors ça semble bien désuet.
Pour ces raisons aussi, on dit communément rendre visite.
Comme dit dans le forum FS, "J'ai rendu une visite à mes parents" sans précision induit une idée de réciprocité, c'est-à-dire qu'on a rendu à ses parents une visite reçue. On ne se fait pas de telles politesses en famille et entre amis, ou alors ça semble bien désuet.
Pour ces raisons aussi, on dit communément rendre visite.