Il s'agit d'un ancien appareil.

Sentence Discussions French
#1
English Translation

This is an old device.

Gemini says:

"Il s’agit d’un ancien appareil" sounds very formal and slightly indirect. It translates more closely to: “It is a question of an old device” or "We are dealing with an old device."

If you are simply pointing at an object and saying “This is an old device,” you should use a different structure.

Here is how to make it sound natural:

The Identifier (“C’est” vs. “Il s’agit de”)

In French, to identify an object (“This is a…”), we use C’est.

  • "Il s’agit de…" is used in manuals, police reports, or formal descriptions to explain the topic.
  • "C’est…" is used to point at something.

The Word for “Old” (Vieux vs. Ancien)

There is a nuance with the adjective you chose:

  • Ancien appareil: Can mean a “former” device (one that isn’t a device anymore) or an older model.
  • Appareil ancien: Means a “vintage” or “antique” device (valuable/collectible).
  • Vieil appareil: Means “old” (aged, used, maybe obsolete).

Summary

  • "Il s’agit d’un ancien appareil" = Formal report language (“We are dealing with…”).
  • "C’est un vieil appareil" = Pointing at an old object.
#2

You can point at something while saying this word, but that’s not necessarily the case.

“C’est” is typically used the same way “This is” is used in English.

You could be pointing at whatever it is that you are describing, but more often than not you’re just describing an old device/piece of equipment matter-of-factly.

As gemini points out, ancien can also mean former:

  • Mon ancien job => Implying that I don’t work there anymore
  • Mon ancienne maison / mon ancien appartement => Implying that I don’t live there anymore

And ancien can also mean vintage or antique:

  • Des meubles anciens
  • Des maisons anciennes

I guess when you want to say that something is old, using vieux/vieille is the “safer” choice.

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