What does distinguer in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word distinguer in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use distinguer in French.

The word distinguer in French means make out, tell the difference between, distinguish, distinguish, stand out, be different from, be distinguished by, distinguish yourself, distinguish between reality and fantasy. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word distinguer

make out

verbe transitif (percevoir, discerner)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
On distingue les bateaux malgré le brouillard.
We could make out the boats, despite the fog.

tell the difference between

verbe transitif (faire une différence)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Je n'arrive pas à distinguer ces deux jumeaux.
I can't tell the difference between their twins.

distinguish

verbe transitif (rendre différent)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Les mamelles distinguent les mammifères des autres animaux.
Mammary glands distinguish mammals from other animals.

distinguish

verbe transitif (honorer)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Le pompier a été distingué par le capitaine devant toute la caserne réunie.
The firefighter was distinguished by the captain in front of a gathering of the whole station.

stand out

verbe pronominal (être perçu)

(phrasal verb, intransitive: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning and not taking direct object--for example, "make up" [=reconcile]: "After they fought, they made up.")
Les obstacles se distinguent mal dans le brouillard.
Obstacles are difficult to distinguish in the fog.

be different from

(se différencier) (state)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
La femme se distingue très bien de l'homme ! La chaîne publique s'est distinguée de ses concurrentes ce soir en proposant un débat politique au lieu d'un jeu télévisé.
The public broadcaster differentiated itself from its competitors tonight, by offering a political debate instead of a game show.

be distinguished by

(être reconnaissable)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Un gentleman se distingue par ses manières impeccables.
You can tell a gentleman by his impeccable manners.

distinguish yourself

verbe pronominal (s'illustrer)

(transitive verb and reflexive pronoun: Transitive verb with reflexive pronoun--for example, "Enjoy yourself." "They behaved themselves.")
Cet élève se distingue vraiment en informatique.
That student is really distinguishing himself in computer science.

distinguish between reality and fantasy

locution verbale (faire la part des informations)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of distinguer in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.