English Translation
Is this a tributary (river)?
I believe this translation is wrong, since ‘rivière’ means `tributary’. River is ‘fleuve’
English Translation
Is this a river?
Thanks for posting this, I learned about the distinction between “fleuve” and “rivière” today. According to Gemini, it says
"While English usually uses the word “river” for any large flowing body of water, French makes a strict geographical distinction that doesn’t really exist in English.
If you ask “Est-ce une rivière ?”, you are specifically asking about where the water flows.
- Une rivière: A river that flows into another river (a tributary).
- Un fleuve: A river that flows directly into the sea or ocean."
And when I followed up with “why not translate this as tributary” it says:
"The reason we don’t translate une rivière as “a tributary” comes down to usage and tone, rather than strict geography.
Here is why “Is it a river?” remains the best translation:
“River” is an everyday word.
“Tributary” is a scientific or technical geographical term.
If you specifically wanted to use the technical term “tributary” in French (the scientific relationship of the water flowing into another body), you would use the word “un affluent.”
English uses one umbrella word (“River”) where French splits it into two (Rivière and Fleuve).
Because English speakers call both types “rivers,” translating rivière as “river” is correct 99% of the time."
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