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16.08.2010 at 12:00 am
Cuttings

You Have Reason

Other ways to say: 'You're right.'

When someone says something that you agree with, you affirm his statements, and respond with phrases like "oh, you're right" or "that's correct" (or more colloquially, phrases like "yup" and "mmm-hmm").

French however allows a very particular turn of phrase for the same effect:

"Vous avez raison."

Literally, this translates to:

"You have reason."

The word 'reason' here baffles me, as 'reason' is a fairly loaded word in the English language. (I think of French philosophers engaging in combative verbal discourse.)

"Vous avez raison" sounds equally stilted in Malay:

"Pendapat kamu munasabah."

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