Watching

Today, doodling Nora while she was playing made me think of the differences between English and French when it comes to child-rearing vocabulary.  In English, we use "watch" and "look after" the baby, while in French, "watch" ("regarder") is used for TV or soccer games.  The verbs we use in French to designate caring for a baby are -- go figure -- fewer and a lot more involved: "s'occuper de" ("To take care of").  And that's pretty much it.   Pen in Moleskine.

Comments

[Joan Y]

Glad that Nora has the best of both worlds ... French and Enlgish! :) I wish Americans had a word for "to love and adore and care for immensely." This sketch captures Little One so adorably!

[Deborah]

Being English (and living in France) not sure I would ever say 'watch the baby'! I would just say Keep an eye on the baby!
Translating is very tricky.
Hello from Bordeaux.