# planter quelqu'un



## Nil-the-Frogg

Hi, I wonder how to translate this. I'll be more specific because there are several possible meanings in informal French:

I'm not interested in this one: planter quelqu'un (slang): to stab someone

But rather in this one:

"Le pauvre, je l'ai planté là et suis parti." Meaning that you suddenly (and generally unexpectedly) abandon someone somewhere. You can for instance suddenly leave in the middle of a conversation.


----------



## victoria1

Hi Nil
I would go for: "I left him hanging 'about', or I dumped him"


----------



## Nil-the-Frogg

I feel like dump would rather translate "lâcher", "larguer" or "plaquer". Don't know about "hanging about" but isn't it a bit too close to "wander"?

I'll try to explain the French expression better. The person you are leaving is supposed to be a little stunned or surprised rather than wandering. "planter" is the verb we use when planting seeds or trees and that's the image carried by the expression. You somehow leave the other "rooted" where he / her stands.

Let's hope you can make sens of this mess.


----------



## Suehil

You can say 'I just planted him there and left' in English.  It also gives the impression that 'he' allowed himself to be put there.  You would definitely use it when speaking of a small child (if you actually lifted him into position) but not exclusively.


----------



## Nil-the-Frogg

Thanks, I guess it will do in my story.


----------



## jetman

I can't come up with a good verb but I think you can say something like, "I left him dumbstruck," using an adjective to convey the abruptness.


----------



## mgarizona

English used to use 'plant' in this sense, as in _planter là_, check out this from Byron's _Don Juan_:

I know not if the fault be men's or theirs;
But one thing's pretty sure; a woman planted
(Unless at once she plunge for life in prayers)
After a decent time must be gallanted;

As Suehill suggests, 'plant' is normally used, when refering to people, to mean 'position' rather than 'abandon.'

Commonest option: "I just left him standing there and took off."


----------



## LMorland

Suehil said:


> You can say 'I just planted him there and left' in English.


I dunno ... maybe this would work in British English (as it did in Byron's time; thank you, MGArizona, for the great quotation!).  However, I'm sure if I repeated the sentence above to someone from the U.S., they'd respond, "Huh?  You did _what?_" 

I agree with MGArizona that this phrase is the most common: 


			
				MGArizona said:
			
		

> "I just left him standing there and took off."



Another suggestion:
_I turned on my heel and left.  
_Of course, this sentence has the disadvantage of not mentioning "him" at all; one has to imagine the fellow standing "stock-still in amazement."


----------



## david314

Perhaps: *I stopped short and vanished/disappeared.*


----------



## fabgab

I just came across this thread, and I would say "I ditched him/her."


----------



## colleenjw

Here is another.
I left him in the lurch


----------



## david314

david314 said:


> Perhaps: *I stopped short and vanished/disappeared.  *


 I must confess, the above _is not_ a viable suggestion . All other options seem valid to me, especially that of the mighty mgarizona: _to take off on someone_


----------



## mgarizona

My my. Leaving aside any discussion of my relative 'might' ...



fabgab said:


> I just came across this thread, and I would say "I ditched him/her."




I think fabgab's got it. The beauty of using 'ditched' is that it contains BOTH the idea of _planter là_ AND the idea of _être parti (subitement)_.

So that _Le pauvre, je l'ai planté là et suis parti_ becomes in English simply "The poor schmuck, I ditched him then and there."

Well done.


----------



## Teafrog

Suehil said:


> You can say 'I just planted him there and left' in English. …


This doesn't sound right to my BE ears 


mgarizona said:


> English used to use 'plant' in this sense, as in _planter là_, …
> As Suehill suggests, 'plant' is normally used, when refering to people, to mean 'position' rather than 'abandon.'
> * Commonest option: "I just left him standing there *and took off."


I fully agree . From the onset, I had in mind: "I left him standing there… _like a lemon_ (in BE)


colleenjw said:


> Here is another.
> I left him in the lurch


  Another very good one


mgarizona said:


> … I think fabgab's got it. The beauty of using 'ditched' is that it contains BOTH the idea of _planter là_ AND the idea of _être parti (subitement)_.
> 
> So that _Le pauvre, je l'ai planté là et suis parti_ becomes in English simply "The poor schmuck, I ditched him then and there."
> Well done.


I beg to disagree . _To ditch_ someone means you intentionally dump them (get rid of them).
The original Q (cf. first post): 
 "*Le pauvre, je l'ai planté là et suis parti*" Meaning that you suddenly (and generally unexpectedly) abandon someone somewhere. You can for instance suddenly leave in the middle of a conversation.

There is no premeditation, but alludes to an unforseen event. Let's say, as an example, that you are at a party chatting to someone; the baby sitter rings you and says "your 3 year old child has eaten a few live frogs from the pond and is now being violently sick, what shall I do?" D)

The answer is that "you have to leave the _poor guy_ standing there and suddenly leave / take off / shoot off". Dat's the way I see it


----------



## No nick just Sam

J'ai du mal à saisir le sens de la phrase alors que je suis moi même français ! Est-ce que ce n'est pas une façon de dire "je l'ai laissé planté là" (sous entendu: et je suis parti) propre à ta région ?


----------



## USMeg

This may be clear from the previous replies, but I think if the abandonment was intentional, you ditched him; if unaviodable and regretted, you left him in the lurch.


----------



## Teafrog

No nick just Sam said:


> J'ai du mal à saisir le sens de la phrase alors que je suis moi même français ! Est-ce que ce n'est pas une façon de dire "je l'ai laissé planté là" (sous entendu: et je suis parti) propre à ta région ?


Eh peuchère  , à qui s'adresse ta Q? En ce qui me concerne, c'est limpide. Nil-the-Frogg l'explique bien (le sens et la 'situation d'appliquage') dans son 1er post

Voici ce qu'en dit le CNRTL:   *5.* _Fam._ *Planter (là) qqn/qqc.*  Abandonner quelqu'un ou cesser quelque chose. Synon. _laisser en plan qqn/qqc.

Laisser en plan = to let someone 'high and dry'
_


----------



## USMeg

You would *leave* someone high and dry.  (Maybe it's an American English thing?)  [And of course my earlier post should have said _unavoidable_ -- my typing is not the best.]


----------



## Teafrog

USMeg said:


> You would *leave* someone high and dry.  (Maybe it's an American English thing?)  [And of course my earlier post should have said _unavoidable_ -- my typing is not the best.]


Sorry, you're quite right USMeg, it should have read "leave…", I stand corrected  (Must have been an electrical storm in my neurones, at the time ).


----------



## USMeg

Didn't know but what that might be the "Queen's English."


----------



## LMorland

USMeg said:


> You would *leave* someone high and dry.


I agree: _"I left him high and dry,"_ is a great solution, although, a year later, I think my earlier suggestion, _"I turned on my heel and left," _still has merit.

I'd really like to see more of the context.  NTF, if you're still listening, could you give more of what comes just prior in your story?  

To translate your _entire _sentence as _"I left him high and dry, the poor thing," _would work, but it sounds to me like an Irish woman talking.


----------



## Crème Brulée

colleenjw said:


> Here is another.
> I left him in the lurch


 

Yes, this one came to mind straight away!


----------



## LMorland

Crème Brulée said:


> _"I left him in the lurch"_
> Yes, this one came to mind straight away!


I respectfully disagree.  To "leave someone in the lurch" means that they are left "holding the bag" so to speak; that they are now alone with a responsibility of doing something originally meant to have been shared.

Say, for example, that two people are supposed to present a proposal to a higher authority (teacher, boss), or that two people are responsible for a controversial event and are called in to explain the situation.

If one of them suddenly leaves, and the other party is left to deal with the higher authority on his or her own, she or he has indeed been "left in the lurch".

Nothing in NTF's original post indicated that this was the underlying situation. 

(However, I'd be interested in a native French speaker's opinion of whether "planter quelqu'un" would qualify as "leaving someone in the lurch," according to the definition I've just given.)


----------



## Crème Brulée

LMorland said:


> I respectfully disagree.  To "leave someone in the lurch" means that they are left "holding the bag" so to speak; that they are now alone with a responsibility of doing something originally meant to have been shared.
> 
> Say, for example, that two people are supposed to present a proposal to a higher authority (teacher, boss), or that two people are responsible for a controversial event and are called in to explain the situation.
> 
> If one of them suddenly leaves, and the other party is left to deal with the higher authority on their own, they are indeed "left in the lurch".
> 
> Nothing in NTF's original post indicated that this was the underlying situation.
> 
> (However, I'd be interested in a native French speaker's opinion of whether "planter quelqu'un" would qualify as "leaving someone in the lurch," according to the definition I've just given.)



I take your point. 
Not a native French speaker, but I think "planter quelqu'un" could be translated as "to leave someone in the lurch" as per your definition.
After re-reading the situation, I'd go with "I ditched him".


----------



## valskyfrance

USMeg said:


> You would *leave* someone high and dry. (Maybe it's an American English thing?) [And of course my earlier post should have said _unavoidable_ -- my typing is not the best.]


 
hello,

in the same way can you say : I quit (quitted) him ?

thanks


----------



## LMorland

Crème Brulée said:


> After re-reading the situation, I'd go with "I ditched him".


Yes, I like "I ditched him," as well.  However, the difference between that choice and "I left him high and dry," is that the second phrase puts emphasis on the reaction of the person being ditched, which is I think what NTF wanted to convey.

(Just for the record, it's possible that "ditch" is more commonly used in Irish/British English than in American English these days.)


----------



## Crème Brulée

valskyfrance said:


> hello,
> 
> in the same way can you say : I quit (quitted) him ?
> 
> thanks



No, in English you cannot say "to quit (quitted) someone".
You can quit a job or you can quit smoking for example.


----------



## LMorland

valskyfrance said:


> in the same way can you say : I quit (quitted) him ?


Not unless you are a cowboy! 

(The phrase "I can't quit him" has attained an ironic use in gay male circles since its appearance in _Brokeback Mountain:_ http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/brokebackmountain.html )


----------



## Crème Brulée

LMorland said:


> Yes, I like "I ditched him," as well.  However, the difference between that choice and "I left him high and dry," is that the second phrase puts emphasis on the reaction of the person being ditched, which is I think what NTF wanted to convey.
> 
> (Just for the record, it's possible that "ditch" is more commonly used in Irish/British English than in American English these days.)



That's interesting! It seems like quite an American expression to me, but you could be right there!


----------



## valskyfrance

LMorland said:


> Not unless you are a cowboy!


 
ok thanks guys


----------



## LMorland

Crème Brulée said:


> That's interesting! It seems like quite an American expression to me, but you could be right there!


Oh well, if you think it sounds American, I could be wrong -- it's just that I feel as if the word "ditch" has not escaped my lips for a couple of decades, at least.  

(But maybe we should move over to the "English Only" Forum on this particular point.)


----------



## Nil-the-Frogg

Yes, I'm still around 

Since you want more context, I'll provide it. But please, do not proofread or translate it. 

"Il" is a police commander and Matt is a young policeman who's not really a brilliant mind. The commander has just asked Matt to spy on a sergeant he hates and suspects to be corrupt.



> Il saisit la main de son subordonné et la serra entre les siennes, comme pour sceller leur accord. Cela fait, il ajouta sur le ton de la confidence:
> 
> « Je vous fais confiance, hein? N'omettez pas la moindre peccadille! Si vous me permettez de le faire mettre à la porte, je vous ferai nommer, heu... inspecteur assistant! »
> 
> Sur ce, il administra une dernière petite tape sur le bras du jeune agent et s'en fut superviser la remise en ordre des locaux, plantant là un Matt décontenancé, la main encore mollement tendue.


----------



## LMorland

Nil-the-Frogg said:


> s'en fut superviser la remise en ordre des locaux, plantant là un Matt décontenancé, la main encore mollement tendue.


My suggestion:


> He turned on his heel and left to supervise the clearing up, leaving Matt frozen, his hand limply hanging in the empty space.



Hope that's not too much of a translation for you!


----------



## mmesorel

Ce n'est pas l'idée de "to stand somebody up"? Comme poser un lapin?


----------



## tartopom

mmesorel said:


> Ce n'est pas l'idée de "to stand somebody up"? Comme poser un lapin?


You're right. 'Planter qqn' can also mean 'stand sb up'.
And it can also mean 'ditch sb'.


----------



## DearPrudence

mmesorel said:


> Ce n'est pas l'idée de "to stand somebody up"? Comme poser un lapin?


J'imagine que ça pourrait, mais c'est plutôt l'idée d'abandonner quelqu'un alors qu'on était en face / avec cette personne, comme dans la phrase d'exemple :
"Sur ce, il administra une dernière petite tape sur le bras du jeune agent et s'en fut superviser la remise en ordre des locaux, plantant là un Matt décontenancé, la main encore mollement tendue."

https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/planter/61438


> 6. Familier. Abandonner brusquement quelqu'un, quelque chose quelque part : Il m'a planté au coin de la rue.
> *Synonymes :*
> laisser tomber - plaquer (familier)


----------



## mmesorel

D'accord - merci, tartopom et DP. Je l'ai lu aujourd'hui dans un article sur Aya Nakamura où il est écrit, "En effet, invitée sur le plateau de Quotidien, Aya Nakamura n’était finalement pas venue, _"Bon, elle nous a plantés ! Aya Nakamura nous a plantés." _J'avais compris comme _"She didn't show / She stood us up" _mais maintenant je comprends que le sens est plutôt "_she ditched us_".


----------



## DearPrudence

Oui, oui, dans ce cas-là, c'est bien "stood us up". 
Aya Nakamura pose un lapin à Yann Barthès, son coup de gueule dans "Quotidien"
Généralement, comme dans le contexte donné initialement, c'est "lâcher" les gens, mais là, ça ne marche pas car elle n'est pas venue du tout alors qu'elle avait dit qu'elle le ferait.


----------



## mmesorel

Merci!


----------

