Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
remove the screw, loosen the screw/ screw the screw, tighten the screw
French translation:
oter la vis, desserrer la vis/fixer la vis, serrer la vis
Added to glossary by
Lucie Lessard
Jun 13, 2004 12:06
20 yrs ago
English term
Canada
Conference Interpreter and Translator
Native in: French 
Works in: English to French, Portuguese to French
remove the screw, loosen the screw/ screw the screw, tighten the screw
English to French
Tech/Engineering
Mechanics / Mech Engineering
writting style question
Target: FR Canadian. Owner's manual motorcycle, maintenance section.
- remove the screws "b" then remove the...
- loosen the screws "b" to get access to...
- screw the screws in place.
- tighten the screw "b" before....
I found in the dictionnaire des Coocurrences the folowing choices:
desserrer, (res)serrer, attacher, fixer....etc..
dévisser, visser.
I want to avoid putting to close together words such as:
- dévisser la vis "b" puis....
- visser les vis "b" ....
And I feel that serrer et desserrer do not represent enough the action of uscrew/unscrew a screw... as it leans more towards tighten/loosen a screw.
There is a wonderful word in FR Europe : déposer but I never saw that expression before used for deassemble anything (but it's there). Which mean that for the normal reader,
- déposer la vis "b"avant de retirer le couvert.
will possibly understand to simply put the screw on the floor.
I need feedback on my choices as these instructions shows about 30-40 times in the manual. This question is really about style, and consistency and the good choice of word to express the idea, and comprehension without to much boredome
- remove the screws "b" then remove the...
- loosen the screws "b" to get access to...
- screw the screws in place.
- tighten the screw "b" before....
I found in the dictionnaire des Coocurrences the folowing choices:
desserrer, (res)serrer, attacher, fixer....etc..
dévisser, visser.
I want to avoid putting to close together words such as:
- dévisser la vis "b" puis....
- visser les vis "b" ....
And I feel that serrer et desserrer do not represent enough the action of uscrew/unscrew a screw... as it leans more towards tighten/loosen a screw.
There is a wonderful word in FR Europe : déposer but I never saw that expression before used for deassemble anything (but it's there). Which mean that for the normal reader,
- déposer la vis "b"avant de retirer le couvert.
will possibly understand to simply put the screw on the floor.
I need feedback on my choices as these instructions shows about 30-40 times in the manual. This question is really about style, and consistency and the good choice of word to express the idea, and comprehension without to much boredome
Proposed translations
(French)
Proposed translations
29 mins
Karina Vermeylen
rapide et bonne qualité, fiable
Native in: Flemish 
Works in: English to French, Dutch to French, English to Dutch, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
3
Selected
oter la vis, desserrer la vis/fixer la vis, serrer la vis
'dépose/pose' is used in manuals and it simply means 'taking down=uninstall' and 'placing=installation'
synonym in French : démontage/montage
I'd rather not use it here for the screws
remove the screws = oter les vis
loosen the screws = desserrer les vis
screw the screws in place = fixer les vis
tighten the screws = serrer les vis
synonym in French : démontage/montage
I'd rather not use it here for the screws
remove the screws = oter les vis
loosen the screws = desserrer les vis
screw the screws in place = fixer les vis
tighten the screws = serrer les vis
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks. I understand that déposer is used in manuals in FR but for FR Canadian, as Teresa confirm my gut feeling, people will "déposé la vis sur le plancher" . I needed other suggestions thanks"
+2
2 mins
enlever la vis, séparer la vis, visser, serrer la vis
-
+5
13 mins
retirer la vis, desserrer la vis, visser, serrer la vis
simplement
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Marie Christine Cramay
31 mins
|
| agree |
mannix
48 mins
|
| agree |
RHELLER
: very precise, monsieur :-)
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Hacene
: oui, il faut juste verifier si "screw" c'est vis ou autre chose dans le contexte
4 hrs
|
| agree |
Robert Frankling
: unscrew (but not remove)=loosen=desserrer la vis
1 day 2 hrs
|
13 mins
cf ci-dessous
Pour compléter la réponse de M. Lévy et étoffer un peu le vocabulaire, vous pouvez également utiliser boulonner/déboulonner la vis et conserver l'usage de visser/dévisser pour les écrous et les boulons.
ex: ôter les vis 'b' puis / avant d'/ enlever
desserrer les vis ..... pour accéder à
boulonner les vis
serrer la vis......
Bonne chance
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Note added at 18 mins (2004-06-13 12:25:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Quoique, pour être tout à fait honnête, boulonner est le fait de maintenir un boulon en place par serrage........ idem pour visser qui ne s\'applique peut-être qu\'aux vis. Sur le plan technique, ma proposition n\'est sûrement pas des plus exactes.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2004-06-13 12:31:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Also, fixer/défaire la vis
ex: ôter les vis 'b' puis / avant d'/ enlever
desserrer les vis ..... pour accéder à
boulonner les vis
serrer la vis......
Bonne chance
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 mins (2004-06-13 12:25:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Quoique, pour être tout à fait honnête, boulonner est le fait de maintenir un boulon en place par serrage........ idem pour visser qui ne s\'applique peut-être qu\'aux vis. Sur le plan technique, ma proposition n\'est sûrement pas des plus exactes.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2004-06-13 12:31:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Also, fixer/défaire la vis
26 mins
comment - not for points
Rest assured that if you use "déposer" la vis, in French Canada, most would think you either place in something (insert) or lay it down. As for the rest, this is after all an instruction manual, and the main goal is to render it understandable regardless of repetitiveness. I don't think anyone (not your client nor the end user) is expecting it to be fun and interesting. I've yet to see an exciting instruction manual.
27 mins
comment - not for points
Rest assured that if you use "déposer" la vis, in French Canada, most would think you either place in something (insert) or lay it down. As for the rest, this is after all an instruction manual, and the main goal is to render it understandable regardless of repetitiveness. I don't think anyone (not your client nor the end user) is expecting it to be fun and interesting. I've yet to see an exciting instruction manual.
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