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Populaire

English translation: for the community

10:39 Mar 3, 2015
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Marketing - Food & Drink / Restaurants
French term or phrase: Populaire
Hi,

I am translating a promotional piece for a well-known French chef and have come across the word "populaire" used in what appears to be verb form:

"La table est un lieu de plaisir, un lieu de rencontre, un lieu où l’on rit, partage, ripaille, un lieu qu’il veut *populaire*, « j’ai toujours voulu créer un petit restaurant généreux avec un vrai respect de l’autre sensible dans l’assiette » affirme-t-il."

I think it might be saying that he wants to "scale down" or perhaps even "revive" the concept of the restaurant. Can anyone confirm this for me?

Thanks!
Alexander Hatch
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:56
English translation:for the community
Explanation:
"a place for the (whole) community to enjoy" - many examples on the Web.

I agree popular is not a verb but I don't think "populaire" has the meaning of "popular" here. What he means is that the restaurant should not be a formal, exclusive place but a place enjoyed by the community as a whole and I don't think there is a corresponding adjective in English ("working-class" would not do here), hence a noun.

"a place for the community to enjoy" - many examples on the Web.
Selected response from:

Murielle M
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:56
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3popular
Carol Gullidge
4 +3for the community
Murielle M
4In-place
kashew
3 +1open to all
Jane F
3 +1unpretentious,
katsy


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
popular


Explanation:
or however you'd want to translate "populaire"

This is not a verb form but an adjective. He wishes the restaurant to become one of the in places to dine

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Note added at 8 mins (2015-03-03 10:48:46 GMT)
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and "become" of course is implicit

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2015-03-03 10:51:39 GMT)
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or simply "be" of course! He wants it to be "populaire"

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: no, it's certainly not a verb in the French. Asker doesn't seem to understand the meaning of 'se vouloir'. Agree with you that it's not a "pro" level question. If popular is (also) a problem, it's marketing so the sky's the limit.
4 mins
  -> thanks writeaway!
neutral  Tony M: I can't help worrying that 'popular' is a faux ami here — I get the feeling from the rest of the description that he really means it in the sense 'of/for the people'.
9 mins
  -> I agree, Tony! Which is why I qualified it with "or however you'd want to translate "populaire"". Having said this, I feel the Asker's difficulty was with the grammatical construction and not with the vocabulary - although that might also be the case
agree  Victoria Britten
1 hr
  -> thanks Victoria!
agree  Rachel Fell: for everyone
2 hrs
  -> thanks Rachel!
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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
for the community


Explanation:
"a place for the (whole) community to enjoy" - many examples on the Web.

I agree popular is not a verb but I don't think "populaire" has the meaning of "popular" here. What he means is that the restaurant should not be a formal, exclusive place but a place enjoyed by the community as a whole and I don't think there is a corresponding adjective in English ("working-class" would not do here), hence a noun.

"a place for the community to enjoy" - many examples on the Web.

Murielle M
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: this could also be true, although I imagined that the Asker's difficulty was in fact with the construction "veut populaire" and not with the meaning of populaire
6 mins
  -> Thanks, yes, but why not offer a translation while we're at it :)
neutral  writeaway: Je ne crois pas que ce soit une soupe populaire/on ne dirait pas 'community' en anglais dans un tel context. /How does the Fr word 'populaire' imply that it's a restaurant just for the local community? Imo populaire suggests it's for all
7 mins
  -> Qui parle de soupe populaire?! J'ai traduit par "community" (= tout le monde / convivial)//Il ne s'agit pas de gens pauvres mais de gens ayant quelque chose en commun, par exemple l'amour de la bonne cuisine.
agree  Victoria Britten: In BE, anyway
48 mins
  -> Merci.
agree  philgoddard: Good idea.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Phil.
neutral  Rachel Fell: "community" has an air of something institutional to my (UK) ear
5 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
In-place


Explanation:
http://www.wien.info/en/lifestyle-scene/in-places

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Note added at 1 heure (2015-03-03 11:46:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or praps "family-friendly"?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 heure (2015-03-03 11:48:38 GMT)
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Not exclusive or snobby:
family-friendly is a good option.

kashew
France
Local time: 11:56
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
open to all


Explanation:
I think 'populaire' as it is used here means restaurants should be convivial places, where all are welcome

Jane F
France
Local time: 11:56
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sheri P
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Sheri
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
unpretentious,


Explanation:
I do understand that Asker's problem might not be with this part of the sentence, but was fascinated by the difficulty of translating "populaire"
I wonder if, in English, to convey the meaning that just anyone can go there, we might not be more tempted to say
"a place that he tries to make absolutely unpretentious/ anything but elitist, snobbish (etc)// a place where everyone is welcome"

katsy
Local time: 11:56
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: Yes, that's another possibility.
18 mins
  -> Thanks Phil :-)
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