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French frequency list

No. 8,023 in French

taton

"Feeling one's way" or "trial and error."

In a sentence

  • Il avançait dans le noir à tâtons.

    He moved forward in the dark by feeling around.

    The word "tâtons" in this sentence refers to the action of feeling one's way around, typically with hands, in a situation where visibility is limited.

  • Elle recherche la solution à tâtons, en essayant différentes possibilités.

    She is searching for the solution tentatively, trying different possibilities.

    Here, "à tâtons" describes a tentative manner of approaching a problem or situation, often involving trial and error.

  • Nous avons découvert ce petit café à tâtons en explorant le quartier.

    We discovered this small café by chance while exploring the neighborhood.

    In this sentence, "à tâtons" emphasizes the sense of exploration and coincidence, as if finding the café happened while feeling one’s way around without clear direction.

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