5.19 Science and method — Epoché
What you will be able to do Use sixty words of science and method: research, observation and measurement, cause and effect, the disciplines, matter and life, numbers and shapes, and inventions. Recognise scientific words from their English cousins by their endings: -tion , -ique , -ie , -logie . Avoid the few false friends that hide among them: l'expérience , le chiffre , la physique . Read and say figures the French way: decimal commas, spaces between thousands, percentages and degrees. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Les scientifiques ont fait une découverte surprenante. [1] The scientists made a surprising discovery. La calculatrice est une invention merveilleuse. [2] The calculator is a wonderful invention. L'enfant ne peut pas résoudre l'équation du troisième degré. [3] The child cannot solve the third degree equation. C'est la meilleure méthode pour résoudre ce problème. [4] This is the best method to solve that problem. Ces deux lignes forment un angle droit. [5] These two lines are at right angles. Découverte et invention ne sont pas la même chose. [6] Discovery and invention are not the same thing. Trace un petit cercle. [7] Draw a small circle. Elle a analysé les résultats. [8] She analysed the results. Prerequisites : 5.18 — this lesson follows 5.18 Vocabulary . It continues the bridge of shared words from 2.5 Cognates , where l'hypothèse , la théorie , l'analyse and la biologie were taught, and it prepares the philosophy words of 5.20 Vocabulary . Science is the field where an English speaker reading French has the easiest time. The international vocabulary of science was built from Latin and Greek in the same centuries in both languages, and some of it was coined in French in the first place: microbe and sociology were both made up by French scholars in the nineteenth century. A text on physics or medicine can often be followed with little more than its grammar words. This lesson gives sixty words in which the resemblance helps, and the handful where it misleads. Word list Sixty words in eight groups: science and scientists; method; cause and effect; disciplines; matter, life and the sky; measures and numbers; shapes and formulae; and inventions and progress. Science and scientists Word Meaning Notes scientifique fr scientific; scientist Gender / part of speech adjective and noun How English differs The same word for both: un scientifique , a scientist . C'est un scientifique. [9] He is a scientist. le chercheur fr researcher Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Feminine la chercheuse ; from chercher , to look for . Les chercheurs firent une découverte surprenante. [10] The researchers made a surprising discovery. la recherche fr research; search Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Uncountable as in English: faire de la recherche . Il se consacre à la recherche. [11] He dedicates himself to research. le savant fr scholar, scientist Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs A little old-fashioned; also an adjective, learned . Le chef du parti est un célèbre savant. [12] The leader of the party is a famous scientist. le laboratoire fr laboratory Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Short le labo . Il travaille dans le laboratoire. [13] He works in the laboratory. le domaine fr field, area; estate Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs dans le domaine de , in the field of . Quel est ton domaine principal ? [14] What's your major field? la découverte fr discovery Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs From découvrir . C'est une découverte surprenante. [15] This is a surprising discovery. Method Word Meaning Notes la méthode fr method Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs la méthode scientifique . Ta méthode est meilleure. [16] Your method is better. l'observation fr observation Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Also a remark. La science repose sur l'observation. [17] Science rests upon observation. observer fr to observe, to watch Gender / part of speech verb How English differs In everyday French, to watch closely. Il m'observe. [18] He's watching me. mesurer fr to measure Gender / part of speech verb How English differs mesurer deux mètres , to be two metres tall . L'as-tu mesuré ? [19] Have you measured it? la mesure fr measurement; measure Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Also a political measure. C'est une mesure exacte. [20] That's an exact measurement. le calcul fr calculation; arithmetic Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs faire le calcul , to do the maths . Faites le calcul. [21] Do the math. calculer fr to calculate Gender / part of speech verb How English differs la calculatrice , the calculator . Elle calcule. [22] She's calculating. les données fr data Gender / part of speech feminine plural noun How English differs Plural, like English data in careful use. Ces données sont fausses. [23] This data is incorrect. analyser fr to analyse Gender / part of speech verb How English differs l’analyse , the analysis . J'ai analysé les données. [24] I've analyzed the data. le résultat fr result Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs les résultats d’une expérience . Comparez les résultats ! [25] Compare the results. prouver fr to prove Gender / part of speech verb How English differs la preuve , the proof . Peux-tu le prouver ? [26] Can you prove that? démontrer fr to demonstrate, to prove Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Of a theorem: to prove. Ce fait démontre son innocence. [27] This fact shows that he is innocent. conclure fr to conclude Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Past participle conclu . La commission conclut que la réponse était non. [28] The commission concluded that the answer was no. le raisonnement fr reasoning Gend