# turn off by the switch



## taylorswiftfan

Hi everyone,

I am writing a speech about how I am environmentally friendly in french and I was wondering how to translate the last part (to do with the switch) of this sentence 

"  When I am not using an appliance, I turn it off by the switch"

my translation
"   Quand je ne suis pas utilise appareil électroménager, je l’éteins par    ????l'interrupteur????" 

thanks SO much!!!


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## snarkhunter

"Quand je n'utilise pas un appareil électro-ménager, je l'éteins."

You don't actually need to translate "by the switch" in French, since it is already implied by the very nature of the appliance.


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## Uncle Bob

snarkhunter said:


> You don't actually need to translate "by the switch" in French, since it is already implied by the very nature of the appliance.


That is also true of the English! 
"by the switch" sounds strange to me and I would have thought  "I switch it off" is more usual.


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## hersko1

Hi,
I guess that "the switch" has to be used in your context, as one can switch off appliances in several ways, of which using the switch is the best environmentally speaking.
I suggest :
"Quand je n'utilise plus un appareil, je l'éteins par l'interrupteur"


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## Souxie

Oui, car par souci d'économie d'énergie on nous conseille _d'éteindre_ les appareils par opposition à _les laisser en veille_. Je pense que c'est de ça dont il s'agit.


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## taylorswiftfan

i meant by the switch at the wall - sorry - i wasn't very clear....so does that mean that hersko1 has the best answer for my sentence?


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## wesetters

French wall sockets don't have switches, which makes it a bit more awkward :

I can't actually think what to say, other than "avec l'intérupteur de la prise" or something...


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## wesetters

I guess you could say you _débranche_ the appliance, it's not exactly the same thing but it's the closest thing you can do in France.


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## Meille

Uncle Bob said:


> That is also true of the English!
> "by the switch" sounds strange to me and I would have thought "I switch it off" is more usual.


 
I agree.



hersko1 said:


> Hi,
> I guess that "the switch" has to be used in your context, as one can switch off appliances in several ways, of which using the switch is the best environmentally speaking.
> I suggest :
> "Quand je n'utilise plus un appareil, je l'éteins par l'interrupteur"


 
I'm curious about the several ways of switching off appliances?



taylorswiftfan said:


> i meant by the switch at the wall - sorry - i wasn't very clear....so does that mean that hersko1 has the best answer for my sentence?


 
I'm also wondereing which of your appliances have wall switches?


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## wesetters

meille said:


> I agree.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm curious about the several ways of switching off appliances?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm also wondereing which of your appliances have wall switches?


I don't know what Canadian plugs/sockets are like, but in the UK all sockets have switches to cut off the supply to whatever is plugged in. I know that in France and Italy this doesn't exist... (I think we generally say "at the wall" rather than "by the switch", too - it's clearer).

The other ways to switch something off would presumably be the switches on the appliances themselves, or "stand-by" functions.


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## snarkhunter

wesetters said:


> The other ways to switch something off would presumably be the switches on the appliances themselves, or "stand-by" functions.


... and _pulling the plug_ - people always forget about that one!


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## taylorswiftfan

so with all that information, would this be correct?


"Quand je ne suis pas utilise appareil électroménager, je l’éteins par l'interrupteur."


thanks so much!


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## Fredddd

Well, I agree with Wesetter #9
"Quand je n'utilise pas un appareil électro-ménager, je le débranche."
According to me, it would be the best way to express the fact that you switch it off "at the wall" (since we don't have switches at the wall as said before).


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## Meille

taylorswiftfan said:


> yes - there are....and everyone, im writing what i do for the environment IN AUSTRALIA - so not France, or Canada...and australian wall sockets have switches...so that's one of the things i do for the environment - i turn off appliances by the switch at the wall...
> 
> Hey, sorry, how could we know? In any case, if the English caused this much confusion, I don't think a direct translation would be very clear in French...
> 
> so taking into consideration all this information...which would be the correct response? i'm really confused


 
If "turning it off at the switch" means cutting the power to that outlet, then I would say "je coupe le courant".

I'm curious: what do you say when you turn something off using the on/off switch on it?


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## Fredddd

"je l'éteins", Meille.
"couper le courant" would mean you cut the power for the whole place !


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## Meille

"Je l'étains" nous ramène au début de la question. "I turn/switch it off" n'est pas ce que Taylor veut traduire. Il parle vraiment de couper le courant à cette prise.


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## taylorswiftfan

in australia, there are switches on the wall, so i want to say how I switch off the appliance (eg, the tv) at the wall when im not using it


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## Fredddd

J'ai bien compris, c'est pourquoi je propose "je le débranche".
"Je l'éteins" est pour répondre à ta question, Meille.
Yes Taylor, that's why I suggest "je le débranche".


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## Meille

OH! Je comprends, Fredddd. Merci. 
Mais j'insiste: il ne le débranche pas; il y a un interupteur au mur pour ça.
(Remarque: ça revient au même, on n'a juste pas à se pencher...)


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## taylorswiftfan

ok - thanks so much Freddd!!!


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## Meille

I think the problem is that your electrical system is not the same as ours. 
The goal of communication being to understandably convey an idea, I would go for whatever your readership will understand. I don't like "débrancher" because it seems a little... well, like what your great-grandfather might do (not being very used to electricity...) But if you guys have switches to cut the power to individual outlets, then it doesn't seem quite so... anal to just turn it off. So, unplug it? or cut the power to it? Neither expresses the ease of a switch.


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## taylorswiftfan

ok - i guess cut the power to an individual appliance would make more sense...but thanks for the clarification meille!!!  thanks....i will try and figure something out though


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## taylorswiftfan

and thanks so much everybody for all your help!!!


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## Fredddd

The problem is, Mielle, that we don't have switches on the wall, in France. So it wouldn't mean anything here. 
I think the most important is to convey the fact that you need to switch it off completely. In French, if you say "débranche" it conveys the idea of not letting it "en veille" but if you say "je l'éteins" it could mean either "I switch it off completely" or "I put the switch off" and the appliance, though not working, is not cut off completely. Well, that's only what I think. (and #9).

Or if you want to be really clear you could write  "Je l'éteins complètement". This insistance will surely be understood because we don't say this usually.
but either way, everybody agree on
"Quand je n'utilise pas un appareil électro-ménager," (that's not what you wrote, Taylor, if I may say so. Just to be on the safe side, you know. I'm no teacher ;-)


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## taylorswiftfan

ok - thanks so much Freddd and Meille!!!


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## ora8888

Bonjour!

Je fais la même chose que Taylor, mais en France! Et comme nous n'avons pas d'interrupteur au mur: je coupe tout simplement le courant à l'aide de l'interrupteur d'une multiprise. 

Pour la traduction, je propose:

"je ne laisse pas mes appareils en veille, je les éteins en coupant le courant à l'interrupteur d'une multiprise".

C'est beaucoup plus long, mais je pense plus clair!


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## Meille

Fredddd said:


> The problem is, Mielle, that we don't have switches on the wall, in France.
> 
> We don't here either. I think that's what caused a lot of the confusion.
> 
> So it wouldn't mean anything here.
> I think the most important is to convey the fact that you need to switch it off completely. In French, if you say "débranche" it conveys the idea of not letting it "en veille"
> 
> What appliance has "en veille" as an option?? My computer does, but I don't count it as an appliance. My washer and dryer are either on or off. My microwave uses some electricity to keep its clock going but other than that...?
> 
> ut if you say "je l'éteins" it could mean either "I switch it off completely" or "I put the switch off" and the appliance, though not working, is not cut off completely. Well, that's only what I think. (and #9).
> 
> Or if you want to be really clear you could write "Je l'éteins complètement". This insistance will surely be understood because we don't say this usually.
> but either way, everybody agree on
> "Quand je n'utilise pas un appareil électro-ménager," (that's not what you wrote, Taylor, if I may say so. Just to be on the safe side, you know. I'm no teacher ;-)


 
Fredddd, I think we basically agree. There is just no obvious way to say it because we don't have these "kill-switches".


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## taylorswiftfan

donc, dans cette context, quest-ce qu'est le mot (en anglais) pour "en veille"?

merci beaucoup ora8888!


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## ora8888

En veille: standby mode

I just found that thread on the same topic but from French into English:http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=523360

Unfortunetaly, I've never been to Australia (so far...)!


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## Fredddd

" 			 		  		Yes in sleep mode for any equipment not performing its role (DVD reader, TV, etc.)"
here is what I found for " en veille" on Wordreference. Could be for hifi, decoder, PC as well.


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## wesetters

taylorswiftfan said:


> yes - there are....and everyone, im writing what i do for the environment IN AUSTRALIA - so not France, or Canada...and australian wall sockets have switches...so that's one of the things i do for the environment - i turn off appliances by the switch at the wall...
> 
> so taking into consideration all this information...which would be the correct response? i'm really confused


A ta place je dirais que je débranche l'appareil. C'est pas pareil mais ça revient au même (surtout que dans les pays francophones, il n'y a pas d'intérupteur)

_en veille - standby_


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