Le train-train quotidien

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vegangirl

Banned
France french
J'ai traduit cette phrase en anglais. Pouvez- vous corriger les fautes s'il vous plaît ?

phrase : Le train-train quotidien.
traduction : the boring everyday life

"le train- train quotidien" est une expression. Cela n'a rien à voir avec les trains. Alfie a une vie pas excitante. Il s'ennui. Il a une vie ennuyante. Il ne fait rien de spécial. Il travaille et c'est tout. Il rentre du travail, il mange, il prend sa douche et il va se coucher. C'est son quotidien. C'est la routine.
 
    • G

    George French

    Senior Member
    English - UK
    vegangirl said:
    J'ai traduit cette phrase en anglais. Pouvez- vous corriger les fautes s'il vous plaît ?

    phrase : Le train-train quotidien.
    traduction : the boring everyday life

    "le train- train quotidien" est une expression. Cela n'a rien à voir avec les trains. Alfie a une vie pas excitante. Il s'ennui. Il a une vie ennuyante. Il ne fait rien de spécial. Il travaille et c'est tout. Il rentre du travail, il mange, il prend sa douche et il va se coucher. C'est son quotidien. C'est la routine.
    Click to expand...
    "My life is just 'a rat race'" matches your French explanation.
     
    S

    sanghasri

    Member
    England, English
    I am not sure that 'le train-train quotidien' always connotes a sense of boredom. I like the suggestion of humdrum - it suggests the day to day usual routine which can be either boring or quite pleasant.

    Another translation could be 'the usual daily routine'
     
    kiwi-di

    kiwi-di

    Senior Member
    Perth, Western Australia
    New Zealand, English
    sanghasri said:
    I am not sure that 'le train-train quotidien' always connotes a sense of boredom. I like the suggestion of humdrum - it suggests the day to day usual routine which can be either boring or quite pleasant.

    Another translation could be 'the usual daily routine'
    Click to expand...
    I totally agree with both of these sentiments. I am surprised that the WR dictionary states the expression is derogatory. It's one used by many of my friends, and it's never seemed derogatory to me.
     
    M

    miku979

    Member
    England
    French - France
    I second (and third) the expressions "daily grind" and "daily routine". The term "routine" refers to a set of actions, tasks, etc that are typically done everyday. The word "daily" helps reinforce the fact that it's extremely boring. The "daily grind" has a stronger meaning, insofar as "grind", in slang, denotes something that annoys or irritates you. Just my twopence ;-)
     
    kiwi-di

    kiwi-di

    Senior Member
    Perth, Western Australia
    New Zealand, English
    This is a thread from January last year which I just stumbled across - I looked it up because I was writing to a friend, and couldn't remember if train-train was hyphenated or not. :)

    Do native French speakers feel this is a derogatory expression?

    Certainly daily grind or humdrum don't strike me as being derogatory in English.

    I should add that I don't agree with the "rat-race" suggestion given above.
     
    N

    not_using_my_real_name

    Senior Member
    Paris
    French - France
    kiwi-di said:
    Do native French speakers feel this is a derogatory expression?

    Certainly daily grind or humdrum don't strike me as being derogatory in English.

    I should add that I don't agree with the "rat-race" suggestion given above.
    Click to expand...
    "Le train-train quotidien" generally is not derogatory , just plain neutral.
    "Le train-train quotidien" can, rarely, be derogatory if stressed by the speaker's tone of voice, body language, or context

    I don't agree at all with the "rat-race" suggestion either

    So, kiwi-di, "daily grind" is not derogatory, then? I thought it was, due to the unpleasant "grind" factor... but I don't know anymore now


    Anyway , a derogatory French wording for the "boring daily grind" would be
    (written, spoken): "l'éternelle routine"
    or (spoken) just "la routine" if said with a plaintive French-style-aggravation sigh in the voice (don't ask)
     
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    aylana

    Senior Member
    french
    une précision : la connotation négative ou non du train-train quotidien en français dépend totalement du contexte et de l'intonation.
    ça peut être quelqu'un qui en a assez de cette vie ennuyeuse ou quelqu'un qui se satisfait de se vie sans problème.
    au téléphone par exemple cela dépendra totalement de la voix.
     
    D

    doodlebugger

    Senior Member
    France
    Train-train quotidien is not derogatory, but it is generally not something one looks forward to.
    The opposite expression ça sort du train-train quotidien is also neither good or bad but is at least interesting.
     
    F

    franc 91

    Senior Member
    France
    English - GB
    to get out of the (daily) routine (I suggest) - there's also the expression in English for le train-train quotidien - the nine to five routine (which used to be standard office hours)
     
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