partir at C1 — refined & idiomatic
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Assumptions, good intentions and slow drifting.
Setting out, drifting off
« Partir du principe que » is how a French speaker states the assumption under an argument: « je pars du principe que tu es de bonne foi ». It looks neutral, but very often it is a polite warning — I am assuming this, so do not disappoint me. In a meeting it fixes the ground rules.
« Ça partait d’un bon sentiment » rescues someone whose good idea went wrong: the intention was decent, the result was not. « Partir à la dérive » borrows from boats — a team, a company or a life slowly losing direction. And « faire partir » is the plain causative you use for a stain, a smell or a headache.
💡 Focus at this level: Idiomatic — partir du principe que, partir d’un bon sentiment, partir à la dérive
👨🏫 How to use « partir » at this level
1. « Partir du principe que » = to work on the assumption that. Often a polite warning.
2. « Ça partait d’un bon sentiment » = it was well-meant. Softens a failure.
3. « Partir à la dérive » = to drift out of control. Boats, teams, whole lives.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
Finish the idiom: « Je pars du … que tu as raison »
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principe. « Partir du principe que » names the premise you are granting for the sake of argument.
What does « ça partait d’un bon sentiment » soften?
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A well-meant action that misfired — you credit the intention while admitting the result was bad.
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