# facile à vivre (objet)



## Baz31

Bonjour !

Je cherche à comprendre ce que signifie "facile à vivre" quand il ne s'agit pas d'une personne mais d'un objet, en l'occurrence un bijou.
J'ai un texte qui décrit une collection de bijoux (boucles d'oreilles, colliers et anneaux je pense) et dans lequel on dit qu'ils sont "faciles à vivre et à porter".
Est-ce que ceci veut dire quelque chose du genre "easy to look after" ou confortable ?   

Merci pour votre aide


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## Micia93

il faut reconnaître que c'est un peu bizarre pour qualifier des bijoux
peut-être cela signifie-t-il qu'on peut les porter facilement en toute occasion ?


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## Baz31

Merci Micia. J'avais effectivement pensé à ce sens-là. En tout cas je suis contente de ne pas être la seule de le trouver bizarre


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## exiled scot

Micia93 said:


> il faut reconnaître que c'est un peu bizarre pour qualifier des bijoux
> peut-être cela signifie-t-il qu'on peut les porter facilement en toute occasion ?


 
I agree with Micia93 here - the jewellery is easy to assort to different clothes, different events, etc = facile à vivre


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## exiled scot

Just one other remark - "facile à vivre" has become a very fashionable expression and is being used to describe almost everything today - just look at French TV commercials and you will understand


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## bosonz0

Salut *Baz31*,*

L'utilisation de l'expression *"facile à vivre" est un abus de langage et désigne clairement un tournure simplement faite à des fins marketing. Cette expression est généralement utilisé en français pour signifier que l'objet est _user_-_friendly._

Bonne journée.


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## eleanor-j

In English, the best word that suits what you're looking for here is "versatile". In its most basic meaning I suppose "facile à vivre" means easy-going, which translates to adaptable and thus "versatile" would be the best option for an object or accessory.




bosonz0 said:


> Salut *Baz31*,*
> 
> L'utilisation de l'expression *"facile à vivre" est un abus de langage et désigne clairement un tournure simplement faite à des fins marketing. Cette expression est généralement utilisé en français pour signifier que l'objet est _user_-_friendly._
> 
> Bonne journée.


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## ando51

I think "low maintenance" might work too, depending on the item.


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## Micia93

Baz31 said:


> Bonjour !
> 
> Je cherche à comprendre ce que signifie "facile à vivre" quand il ne s'agit pas d'une personne mais d'un objet, en l'occurrence un bijou.
> J'ai un texte qui décrit une collection de bijoux (boucles d'oreilles, colliers et anneaux je pense) et dans lequel on dit qu'ils sont "faciles à vivre et à porter".
> Est-ce que ceci veut dire quelque chose du genre "easy to look after" ou confortable ?
> 
> Merci pour votre aide


Again, just read bozonZ0 post 7 : it sounds ridiculous in French, and only for marketing purposes. It could also means that this jewel isn't heavy or that it can easily be worn with any cloth. If you read below, you'll see that we, French, are somewhat puzzled with this sentence!


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## Itisi

! If you look online, you will find plenty of examples of 'easy-going jewellery'! They say it in French, and they also say it in English!


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## Micia93

You're right Itisi, but to be honest, a translation is required here, and why use systematically english terms (so fashionaaaaable)? Of course, translation is a deal which is not easy, but so creative, you have to think over it, don't you think so?


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## wildan1

Let's be clear: FR _versatile_ has nothing to do with the same English word, _versatile_!

_Versatile_ is a positive word in English and can apply to both people and objects that are flexible in their performance or usage (FR: _polyvalent ; aux multiples fonctions_).

_Mary is versatile--she can translate, lay out documents, set up an event and balance the budget!_

Jewelry that is versatile means you can easily wear it with different outfits and in various styles or settings.


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## Itisi

*Micia*, I don't understand what you mean!  Facile à vivre = easy-going.  That is the translation into English of that French expression!    I'm saying we have been missing the obvious, which is that that expression is also used in English_ in the same context_, so why look further!

Otherwise, 'versatile' would work.


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## Nicomon

ando51 said:


> I think "low maintenance" might work too, depending on the item.


  I agree.    It might work better for say...  plants or clothes, but there are quite a bit of results for
_"low maintenance jewellery/jewelry_".


wildan1 said:


> Jewelry that is versatile means you can easily wear it with different outfits and in various styles or settings.


  Just like a little black dress is versatile.  I might translate that back to  _bijoux polyvalents / passe-partout.    _

That said, I agree with Itisi.  _ Easy going jewelry/jewellery _doesn't sound worse to my non native ears than the very odd / ridiculous  :  _bijoux faciles à vivre. _

I wonder if _ multipurpose / all-purpose jewellery _ would be a likely candidate ?


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## Itisi

To me, low maintenance' suggests that you don't have to look after it.


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## Micia93

Itisi said:


> *Micia*, I don't understand what you mean!  Facile à vivre = easy-going.  That is the translation into English of that French expression!    I'm saying we have been missing the obvious, which is that that expression is also used in English_ in the same context_, so why look further!
> 
> Otherwise, 'versatile' would work.



Sorry Itisi, I didn't want to hurt your feelings  this is a misunderstanding, I understood that you suggested to use "easy-going" in the french translation, and of course using "faciles à vivre" is ridiculous!


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## Nicomon

Itisi said:


> To me, low maintenance' suggests that you don't have to look after it.


 It does.  Hence why I wrote that it might work better for   plants or clothes.   We do read/hear _« plantes/ vêtements faciles à vivre » _where I would have said _ faciles d'entretien/à faible entretien. _
I'd rather translate those as _low maintenance _than _easy going_. 





> adjective: *low-maintenance*
> 
> requiring little work to keep in good condition.
> "low-maintenance lawns"
> informal
> (of a person) not demanding a great deal of attention; independent.


Here's an example - but there are more - that works for jewelry, in my opinion : 





> While gold and silver jewelry are beautiful and desirable to own, maintaining them to keep them from tarnishing and becoming discolored can be a real chore and even cost you a pretty penny.
> Those people who want beautiful and* low maintenance jewelry *are turning more and more to titanium.


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## wildan1

To me _easy-going_ is about a person who is relaxed, low-key, not stressed out, has a good sense of humor, etc. 

I don't see how an inanimate object can be _"easy-going". _

(On the other hand a person can be _low-maintenance, _for sure!)


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## Nicomon

_Facile à vivre_, comme on l'a écrit plus d'une fois, est un abus de langage / du jargon de marketing si on l'utilise pour qualifier des objets, ou comme ici, des bijoux.

Ando 51 a réanimé un vieux fil de 2009 et on n'a pas assez de contexte pour deviner si le sens voulu est/était  _d'entretien facile = low maintenance_  ou bien  _passe-partout/polyvalent = all-purpose/versatile_.

Alors, abus pour abus...  _easy going jewelry_ ne me semble pas plus  (ni moins) ridicule.


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## Bezoard

Yes, but I would say exacly the same about the French "facile à vivre" : « To me _facile à vivre_ is about a person who is relaxed, low-key, not stressed out, has a good sense of humor, etc.  » _Facile à vivre_ does make more sense in French for jewelry ! So why not "easy-going" ?


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## Itisi

Nicomon said:


> Abus pour abus...  _easy going jewelry_ ne me semble pas plus  (ni moins) ridicule.


Précisément !

Mais si on regarde les photos sur les sites soit pour 'easy-going jewellery' soit pour 'bijoux faciles à vivre', 'low-maintenance' n'est pasun sens  probable. 

*Micia*, pas de problème, je suis 'easy-going' !


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## Nicomon

Itisi said:


> Mais si on regarde les photos sur les sites soit pour 'easy-going jewellery' soit pour 'bijoux faciles à vivre',
> 'low-maintenance' n'est pas un sens probable.


 Peut-être pas...  mais comme le titre de ce fil est  _facile à vivre (objet)_  je ne l'écarte pas.  Je maintiens qu'ando51 - qui a réanimé ce vieux fil - a raison.  C'est bien souvent ce que « _facile à vivre _» veut dire.
Plus encore à mon avis que le sens _versatile (anglais) / polyvalent/passe-partout (français). _
Par exemple une plante / une coupe de cheveux  _facile à vivre  = low maintenance. _


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## wildan1

I don't think whoever is creating an English-language website describing jewelry as_ "easy-going"_ masters the English language very well--whether it be from an undereducated English-speaker, a non-native author or created from another language by using AI... anyway, randomly searching and citing web pages is sketchy proof.


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## Itisi

*Wildan*, I don't write fashion blurbs... It's not what I would choose to say, but this is a new usage in the domain of fashion, apparently.


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## Nicomon

wildan,  just how many times do we need to write  :  _bijoux faciles à vivre_  est un abus de langage  ?

What I'm saying is (for this specific example) :  garbage in = garbage out.  
Or may be it's time for me to learn the fashion marketing jargonese.


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## wildan1

I've attempted to answer Baz31's question, which is not about how proper the French term is (others are debating that, but I don't believe that's the question), but what it means in English. 

And what it could be in correct English is what I and several other native speakers have suggested...


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## Nicomon

News flash :    You need to first understand the French to explain/answer what it means in English.

Baz31 asked the question back in 2009 (and seems to have since deserted the forum) and eleanor-j suggested _versatile_ in 2012.  I initially replied to Ando51, who suggested _low maintenance_ in line with the more general title.

Now if you think that as a non native translator,  I shouldn't participate in French to English threads, then feel free to delete all my previous posts.  Itisi, who first mentioned  "_easy-going jewellery_" is a native speaker and I assume that those who wrote it on their website are not *all *non-native or undereducated.

Je vous laisse... il faut que j'aille magasiner des bijoux « _faciles à vivre et à porter_ ».


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## Itisi

Nicomon said:


> What I'm saying is (for this specific example) : garbage in = garbage out.


Exactly, and what I'm saying too, in response to the context.


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## Nicomon

As read googling:  





> - […] small, colorful, fun and simple jewels that are *easy to live with*_*.*_
> - These butterfly stud earrings are _*easy to live with*_ and even easier to match with an outfit.
> - […] comfortable to wear jewels, with a perfect fit and, above all, _*“easy to live with*_"!


I don't know how common that is and the "native speakers" may not agree, but I think it sounds a bit  less ridiculous/curious than "_easy going_". Don't know either if those were translated from French or if the French  _bijoux faciles à vivre  _was copied from similar examples.


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