# force est de constater



## macta123

What does this mean?
*force est de constater* 

My try
Force/Power is to notice

Moderator's note: several threads have been merged to create this one.
Note de la modération : Ce fil comprend plusieurs anciens fils au même thème.


----------



## Aoyama

Not quite : *one cannot but notice ...*


----------



## Aoyama

*Force *to notice is different. Then it would be "on est forcé(s) de constater". Here *est de *is used as an _impersonal_ verb. Close to "one must, one cannot but, one should not fail to notice", *force* to is on a different level, not fitting here.


----------



## amely

I have this same phrase in a translation, Force est de constater que le classement « infamant » des universités français hypothèque lourdement notre avenir et celui de notre jeunesse.

Should *force est de* be translated as *one cannot but notice ...?*
Thanks


----------



## adventureboy

is it possible to say: ""One has to admit..."?"


----------



## amely

It is indeed


----------



## amely

Can I translate "force est de constater" as "one has to admit" then?


----------



## Jean-Michel Carrère

there is no denying ...


----------



## Merle

Can anyone help?

The sentence:

Pourtant, force est de constater que ç'est l'occasion de valoriser le phénoménal potential de créativité des sociétés du Sud.

However.............?...............it's time to recognize the phenomenal potential of the Southern societies' creativity.

Thanks, Merle


----------



## Calamitintin

I don't know how to translate it properly, but it means:
"even if I do not really agree with this policy, I am compelled to acknowledge that it is not so bad..."
++
Cal


----------



## Merle

OH! I am "obliged to admit / forced to acknowledge" then!

Thanks!


----------



## BoyInLyon

ONE CANNOT FAIL TO NOTICE / ONE CANNOT BUT NOTICE / 

or... there is no denying.


----------



## Déjà-vu02

One has to admit


----------



## david314

Jean-Michel Carrère said:
			
		

> *There is no denying* ...


 I favor the above. And, in order to remain in the _affirmative_: _It must be *recognized/acknowledged* that, ..._ **


----------



## Merle

It's undeniable!!!!!!


----------



## keithyd

I know there are several threads and discussions about   "A force de ..." but it's not clear to me whether this has the same meaning(s).

This is the sentence:

 "Force était de s’avouer qu’il était amoureux d’elle .. "

Is it simply "He was forced to admit that he had been in love with her [for ten years]" ?

Thanks


----------



## Keith Bradford

It is indeed.


----------



## morristhepen

I understand the meaning easily enough here, but am looking for the mot juste in English...

_Force nous est de constater que la mondialisation va de pair avec une multiplication rapide des nationalismes, voire des micro-nationalismes._

We must acknowledge that globalisation goes hand in hand with the rapid proliferation of nationalisms, indeed of micro-nationalisms.

Or 

We are bound to
We are obliged to
We have no choice but to...?

They all seem a bit overdone in English...


----------



## sholby

I think all of them work. You could also just use "We have to".


----------



## morristhepen

Hmm, I think Have to is the best actually. Funny how the obvious answer is the one just out of reach...


----------



## Perco

This will I think depend on context but something like 'it should be noted/one cannot but note that' could do it...


----------



## solliloquy

Perco said:


> This will I think depend on context but something like 'it should be noted/one cannot but note that' could do it...


 
My 5 pence worth is: IT IS CLEAR THAT........

I was translating some text where anything else couldnot fit in except this.


----------



## Pupetta86

I would suggest "It must be recognized that"


----------



## WME

It is a matter of fact that...


----------



## WME

even shorter : 

evidently

(attention c'est un faux ami)


----------



## Longlord

Force était de reconnaître qu'A. nous dépassait.

One had to admit that A. had outstripped us.

Je ne trouve l'expression force était de dans mon dictionnaire. Alors, j'ai besoin de confirmation des francophones.

Merci d'avance.


----------



## wistou

Longlord said:


> Force était de reconnaître qu'A. nous dépassait.
> 
> One had to admit that A. had outstripped us.
> 
> Je ne trouve l'expression force était de dans mon dictionnaire. Alors, j'ai besoin de confirmation des francophones.
> 
> Merci d'avance.



This translation is quite OK.  However, "Force est de..." is rather high level in French.  To match with it (if needed), I believe you might consider :

'There was no denying that A. had outstripped us."


----------



## Longlord

Wistou, force est de reconnaître que vous m'avez bien aidé.
Merci beaucoup.
Longlord


----------



## awells27

Here's another one: 
_
"bien que ce passage paradigmatique ait bénéficié de nombreux travaux, *force est de constater que* les aspects liés à ce que l'on pourrait appeler le caractère implicite du texte n'a pas à ce jour, bénéficié d'une quelconque audience._" (Dan Jaffé)

My best attempt:  "Although this paradigmatic passage has received a number of studies, it must be recognized that aspects related to what one could call the implicit character of the text have not to date received any audience."


----------



## sound shift

"There is no escaping the fact that ..."


----------



## Notafrog

"Force est de constater..." to me is a bit pretentious. My reaction to pretentiousness is to shorten the offending phrase to its minimum.

"The facts are..." does the job for me, but I do quite like the suggestion of "evidently", even though it's not really a bullseye.


----------



## david314

sound shift said:


> "*There is no escaping the fact that *..."


  Oh, c'est bon ça!


----------

