# lunettes de vue



## yvane

Good afternoon to everybody, what is the translation for "lunettes de vue" ? Eyeglasses ? Thanks for the help.


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## xtrasystole

_'Corrective spectacles'_?


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## david314

I believe:_ eyeglasses_, _glasses,_ or _reading glasses _(A.E.)


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## edwingill

In the UK we say 'prescription glasses' for 'lunettes de vue'


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## david314

edwingill said:


> In the UK we say *'prescription glasses'* for 'lunettes de vue'


  This is A.E., too -and the most proper language.


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## JeanDeSponde

So would you say _prescription sun glasses_ for our _lunettes de soleil à verres correcteurs_?


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## edwingill

JeanDeSponde said:


> So would you say _prescription sun glasses_ for our _lunettes de soleil à verres correcteurs_?


Yes, I would.


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## JeanDeSponde

Thanks, Edwingill.


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## dunescratcheur

...in BE, just "glasses" is fine. 

The contraction from the original "eye glasses" happened/started to happen a loooong time ago and one would use the longer form  only when there is real chance of confusion.

"prescription sun glasses" = yes.


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## kiwi-di

I left my _reading glasses _at home, so had trouble reading when I was at a French lesson. I asked my teacher what was the French for glasses I need when I'm reading, and she told me _lunettes de vue.

_So maybe the translation depends on the context.

I also have long-distance glasses (which I need for driving) - they are also prescription glasses. According to the other answers you've received, they would also be _lunettes de vue?_


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## edwingill

kiwi-di said:


> I left my _reading glasses _at home, so had trouble reading when I was at a French lesson. I asked my teacher what was the French for glasses I need when I'm reading, and she told me _lunettes de vue.
> 
> _So maybe the translation depends on the context.
> 
> I also have long-distance glasses (which I need for driving) - they are also prescription glasses. According to the other answers you've received, they would also be _lunettes de vue?_


By their very nature reading glasses are prescription glasses. Don't you think?


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## yvane

edwingill said:


> By their very nature reading glasses are prescription glasses. Don't you think?



Reading glasses (lunettes de vue pour lire) and long-distance glasses (lunettes de vue pour voir de loin) are both prescription glasses (lunettes de vue). You need a prescription to get them in both cases (but now you can get reading glasses in a pharmacy as well)


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## kiwi-di

edwingill said:


> By their very nature reading glasses are prescription glasses. Don't you think?



Exactly the point I was making. Because I'd asked what was the French for "the glasses I need in order to read", and been told _lunettes de vue, _I thought _lunettes de vue_ were simply reading glasses.

I therefore imagined that prescription glasses [and driving glasses] would be translated differently - as they are in English.

It was your suggestion that the translation for _lunettes de vue_ was _prescription glasses_ that caused me to wonder whether I was mistaken in thinking that _lunettes de vue_ was not the correct translation for _reading glasses _(which as has been pointed out, can now be purchased - *sans *prescription) in a pharmacy.


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## edwingill

yvane said:


> Reading glasses (lunettes de vue pour lire) and long-distance glasses (lunettes de vue pour voir de loin) are both prescription glasses (lunettes de vue). You need a prescription to get them in both cases (but now you can get reading glasses in a pharmacy as well)


What is the difference between lunettes de vue and lunettes à verres correcteurs? If any.


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## Westerman

"Spectacles" is an alternative to "glasses" which would mean, I think, that they had a sight-corrective function.  Reading glasses are widely available in shops and supermarkets in the UK. "Prescription" usually implies that things are *only* available on prescription from a doctor or optician.


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## kiwi-di

edwingill said:


> What is the difference between lunettes de vue and lunettes à verres correcteurs? If any.



Until this thread I always thought:

_lunettes de vue _= reading glasses
_lunettes à verres correcteurs _= prescription glasses (no matter whether for long sight, short sight, or any other problem)


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## JeanDeSponde

Well - in fact, _lunettes de vues (= lunettes corrigeant la vue)_ and _lunettes à verre correcteurs_ are synonymous.
For _reading glasses_, you would ask for _lunettes de lecture / pour lire / pour voir de près.
_Yes, most "opticiens" will sell you ready-made "lunettes pour lire". But they would as well sell you any type of glasses without prescription - though you could not ask for reimbursement of medical expenses, then...


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## kiwi-di

Thank you Jean DeSponde - I won't trust my French (from France) teacher any more.  

I actually asked if they were called _lunettes pour lire_ and she corrected me with _lunettes de vue._


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## xtrasystole

JeanDeSponde said:


> in fact, _lunettes de __vue_s_ *vue* (= lunettes corrigeant la vue)_ and _lunettes à verre correcteurs_ are synonymous.
> For _reading glasses_, you would ask for _lunettes de lecture / pour lire / pour voir de près._


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## Cath.S.

Les lunettes de lecture très grossissantes s'appellent loupes de lecture.


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## Agnès E.

kiwi-di said:


> Thank you Jean DeSponde - I won't trust my French (from France) teacher any more.
> 
> I actually asked if they were called _lunettes pour lire_ and she corrected me with _lunettes de vue._


*Lunettes de vue* is actually the formal word for them as explained above (the one the optician would use), whereas *lunettes pour lire* is a colloquial "non-scientific" word (the one people asking for them to the optician would use).

I would write _lunettes de vue_, but I would say _lunettes pour lire_ or _lunettes pour voir de près_ (I personally would rather use this one, but it's purely personal) in a conversation with my neighbour.

So, your teacher was definitely not wrong: he or she taught you a more formal word.


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## bh7

Opticians also use the generic term "_corrective eyewear_" for "lunettes à verres correcteurs".  The term has a commercial and legalistic feel to it, appropriate for a court case or the income tax act, definitely not for everyday speech.


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## JeanDeSponde

egueule said:


> Les lunettes de lecture très grossissantes s'appellent loupes de lecture.


L'amusant est que le grossissement des ces verres commence à 1.5 dioptries, ce qui n'est pas très grossissant...!
Je soupçonne un _understatement_ de flatterie : "vous n'avez pas besoin de lunettes pour vieux - vous avez besoin de loupes !"


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## xtrasystole

JeanDeSponde said:


> Je soupçonne un _understatement_ (...) : "vous n'avez pas besoin de lunettes pour vieux - vous avez besoin de loupes !"


Très juste ! 

My uncle is always saying that he doesn't need _'des lunettes'_. And when pointed out that he does have _'des lunettes pour lire'_, he says _"ce ne sont pas des lunettes, ce sont des loupes !"_


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## kiwi-di

Agnès E. said:


> *Lunettes de vue* is actually the formal word for them as explained above (the one the optician would use), whereas *lunettes pour lire* is a colloquial "non-scientific" word (the one people asking for them to the optician would use).
> 
> I would write _lunettes de vue_, but I would say _lunettes pour lire_ or _lunettes pour voir de près_ (I personally would rather use this one, but it's purely personal) in a conversation with my neighbour.
> 
> So, your teacher was definitely not wrong: he or she taught you a more formal word.



Agnès - Now I'm even more confused. 



> Reading glasses (lunettes de vue pour lire) and long-distance glasses (lunettes de vue pour voir de loin) *are both prescription glasses (lunettes de vue).*


  But you're saying that it's OK to use _lunettes de vue _when talking specifically about reading glasses?

If I just wanted to say "I've left my glasses at home", I'd say "J'ai oublié mes lunettes à la maison" - but in this case I wanted to specify that they were my reading glasses (I had been wearing my long distance ones when I arrived at the class).


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## geve

Moi les _reading glasses_, j'appelle ça des _*lunettes de presbyte*_  - aucune moquerie là-dessous.


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## xtrasystole

geve said:


> Moi les _reading glasses_, j'appelle ça des lunettes de presbyte


En toute rigueur ce n'est pas toujours le cas. Certains enfants (et adultes) portent -pour lire- des *lunettes d'hypermétrope*).


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## orlando09

dunescratcheur said:


> ...in BE, just "glasses" is fine.
> 
> The contraction from the original "eye glasses" happened/started to happen a loooong time ago and one would use the longer form only when there is real chance of confusion.
> 
> "prescription sun glasses" = yes.


 
I can't think when anyone would_  ever _say "eyeglasses" . It sounds very old-fashioned to me. For that matter, what other kind of lunettes are there than "lunettes de vue"?? It's like saying "foot shoes" or something


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## Cath.S.

> what other kind of lunettes are there than "lunettes de vue"??


All sorts, Orlando:
_lunettes astronomiques, lunettes de natation, lunettes de plongée, lunettes de soleil_ etc.
Oc course they are all used for seeing better, but in very specific conditions, not just for seing if that shape by the lampost is a short fat man or a rubbish bin.

Lunettes de vue is like saying "eyesight glasses".


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## Teafrog

geve said:


> Moi les _reading glasses_, j'appelle ça des _*lunettes de presbyte*_  - aucune moquerie là-dessous.





xtrasystole said:


> En toute rigueur ce n'est pas toujours le cas. Certains enfants (et adultes) portent -pour lire- des *lunettes d'hypermétrope*).


Wow! You two are getting rather technical 
I always called "reading glasses" = lunettes pour lire, and "glasses" (also called "distance glasses") = lunettes (also "lunettes pour voir de loin"). So these can also be called "lunettes de vue", if I understand correctly? Or does "lunettes de vue" mean both (reading +distance) and need further clarification? In other words, does "lunettes de vue" = prescription glasses? I am now getting confused!
Mmmh


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## geve

Teafrog said:


> So these can also be called "lunettes de vue", if I understand correctly?


I'd say that _lunettes de vue_ is only used as opposed to the other sorts of glasses there can be (as Egueule said: _lunettes astronomiques, lunettes de natation, lunettes de plongée, lunettes de soleil_...). 
En vacances je n'oublie jamais mes _lunettes de soleil_, mais j'emporte rarement mes _lunettes de vue_ qui ne me servent que pour le travail sur écran.


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## orlando09

egueule said:


> All sorts, Orlando:
> _lunettes astronomiques, lunettes de natation, lunettes de plongée, lunettes de soleil_ etc.
> Oc course they are all used for seeing better, but in very specific conditions, not just for seing if that shape by the lampost is a short fat man or a rubbish bin.
> 
> Lunettes de vue is like saying "eyesight glasses".


 
Hmm OK then! good point. I still think just "lunettes" is likely to be all that's needed generally, as the context would make it clear which type is meant. 

[...]


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## orlando09

geve said:


> I'd say that _lunettes de vue_ is only used as opposed to the other sorts of glasses there can be (as Egueule said: _lunettes astronomiques, lunettes de natation, lunettes de plongée, lunettes de soleil_...).
> En vacances je n'oublie jamais mes _lunettes de soleil_, mais j'emporte rarement mes _lunettes de vue_ qui ne me servent que pour le travail sur écran.


 
I see, so I guess very occasionally it's handy to make a distinction then. It's not so important in English as we almost always say sunglasses not glasses, and glasses are generally only things that help you see better


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## Cath.S.

Orlando said:
			
		

> I still think just "lunettes" is likely to be all that's needed generally, as the context would make it clear which type is meant.


Oh yes, I quite agree.

[...]


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## dunescratcheur

orlando09 said:


> I can't think when anyone would_  ever _say "eyeglasses" . It sounds very old-fashioned to me. For that matter, what other kind of lunettes are there than "lunettes de vue"?? It's like saying "foot shoes" or something



Precisely the point I was trying to make: sight correcting glasses have been in use for at least two hundred years and the *glass* element has been almost forgotten (apart from when the lenses get broken) and the "eye" bit is understood. Less archaic but growing old are "spectacles" or more commonly "specs" which I hear less and less these days.

[...]


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## jann

Greetings, 

Please let's stay on-topic here.  The original question was about how to translate _lunettes de vue_ into English.  Discussion of alternate uses of the word _lunettes_ in French is a bit too far afield, and I am afraid I have had to do some rather heavy paring as a consequence.  I was able to preserve a portion of your discussion by splitting off two other translation threads:

lunette astronomique / téléscope
lunettes / masque de plongée

Please feel free to continue to discuss these translations.  However, please do not use any of these threads to develop a list of terms involving the word _lunettes_.  Such a list does not respond to any precise translation question.

Thank you.

Jann
Moderator


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## Punky Zoé

Hello

As said before, in general, we do say "lunettes" for any kind of glasses. the context helps to know if they are prescription glasses ou sun glasses.

To sum up (I hope):
prescription glasses = lunettes correctrices or lunettes de correction or lunettes à verres correcteurs or lunettes de vue
reading glasses = loupes de lecture.

If you ask somebody "est-ce que tu portes des lunettes ? " your are talking obviously about prescription glasses.


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## broglet

It seems odd to say that "lunettes de vue" means prescription glasses, to distinguish them from "loupes de lecture" (reading glasses). After all, prescription glasses can _be _reading glasses.

Last time I visited an optician I was given a prescription for +2 dioptre glasses for reading. Such a prescription could be suitable for people suffering from presbyopia (such as myself) or hypermetropia, and not requiring astigmatic correction.

My optician said that I could either have glasses made up from the prescription or, if I wanted something cheap and cheerful, I could buy off-the-shelf reading glasses. 

From an optical point of view there is no distinction between my prescription glasses and off-the-shelf reading glasses. So, if my prescription glasses are 'lunettes de vue' then surely 'loupes de lecture' are also 'lunettes de vue'. On the other hand, not all 'lunettes de vue' are 'loupes de lecture'. I would concur with orlando09 in saying that 'lunettes de vue' are what in English we call 'glasses'. 'Loupes de lecture' are a subset of 'glasses' which can be more specifically referred to as 'reading glasses'. The fact that they are all called glasses, by the way, does not imply that they are made of glass; they are usually not.


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## Agnès E.

Il me semble que nous tournons en rond dans ce fil... la réponse a été très clairement donnée à plusieurs reprises. Ce fil est donc fermé.

Agnès
Modératrice


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