tu peux choisir un nettoyage ponctuel ou régulier - Why ou and not et?

Vimal R.C1Kwiziq community member

tu peux choisir un nettoyage ponctuel ou régulier - Why ou and not et?

That would literally translate to “chose a service punctual or regular.” Why isn’t instead “ponctuel et régulier?”

Asked 1 year ago
Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Vimal, ‘tu peux choisir un nettoyage ponctuel ou régulier ‘ - you can choose a service ‘ad hoc’ (one-off, occasional) or regular. 

‘Ponctuel’ in French has more extensive meaning than the standard use of ‘punctual’ in English, and in this context it means the opposite of regular. It does not mean ‘on-time’ in this sentence. It is a faux ami in this context.

(Akin to ‘punctuate’ in English having the meaning ‘interrupt’)

 https://www.wordreference.com/fren/ponctuel

 https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/ponctuel/61831

 

tu peux choisir un nettoyage ponctuel ou régulier - Why ou and not et?

That would literally translate to “chose a service punctual or regular.” Why isn’t instead “ponctuel et régulier?”

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