French Word of the Day: Piste
There's more to this French word than just ski slopes.
Why do I need to know piste?
Because you might come upon this word when trying to decide between different options.
What does it mean?
Piste - roughly pronounced peest - might be a familiar word for skiers, but the term has a few other meanings in French you may not be aware of.
Piste can be translated either as trail or as pathway in English.
You might hear about pistes cyclables (bicycle lanes) or the pistes at airports (runways).
Piste can also be used to describe a set of clues (indices in French). If you watch a detective show, you might see them follow the piste (trail) left by a criminal.
That detective might also use the expression brouiller les pistes, which literally means ‘to blur the trails’. It actually refers to muddling the clues or creating confusion in order to cover one’s tracks.
The French press often use the term less literally when discussing politics, court cases, or other topics that have a figurative ‘path’ ahead. For example, after a cabinet shake-up, you might see the press discuss les différentes pistes envisagées (the various avenues being explored). Synonyms for this usage of the term would be voie or chemin.
When reporting on crime, the French press may la piste de l’accident privilégiée to mean that an accident is the most likely cause.
Use it like this
Après une enquête, la police a déclaré que la piste terroriste avait été écartée. - Following an investigation, the police said that terrorism had been ruled out.
Il m'a dit qu'il y avait plusieurs pistes différentes et que je devais choisir l'option qui me convenait le mieux. - He told me that there were several different avenues open to me and that I had to choose the option that suited me best.
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Why do I need to know piste?
Because you might come upon this word when trying to decide between different options.
What does it mean?
Piste - roughly pronounced peest - might be a familiar word for skiers, but the term has a few other meanings in French you may not be aware of.
Piste can be translated either as trail or as pathway in English.
You might hear about pistes cyclables (bicycle lanes) or the pistes at airports (runways).
Piste can also be used to describe a set of clues (indices in French). If you watch a detective show, you might see them follow the piste (trail) left by a criminal.
That detective might also use the expression brouiller les pistes, which literally means ‘to blur the trails’. It actually refers to muddling the clues or creating confusion in order to cover one’s tracks.
The French press often use the term less literally when discussing politics, court cases, or other topics that have a figurative ‘path’ ahead. For example, after a cabinet shake-up, you might see the press discuss les différentes pistes envisagées (the various avenues being explored). Synonyms for this usage of the term would be voie or chemin.
When reporting on crime, the French press may la piste de l’accident privilégiée to mean that an accident is the most likely cause.
Use it like this
Après une enquête, la police a déclaré que la piste terroriste avait été écartée. - Following an investigation, the police said that terrorism had been ruled out.
Il m'a dit qu'il y avait plusieurs pistes différentes et que je devais choisir l'option qui me convenait le mieux. - He told me that there were several different avenues open to me and that I had to choose the option that suited me best.
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