Transcript

Hi everyone, hope you're well.

Welcome to this new video where we will see a French expression in a few minutes.

Today, we're going to look at the expression prendre du recul. This expression was requested by a subscriber a few weeks ago, but it may be useful for everyone, as it's an expression we use a lot in France.

Before you start, don't forget to like the video and above all to subscribe to the channel and activate the bell so you don't miss any of my videos, if you haven't already done so.

The expression "take a step back" can be used literally, exactly as you mean it, or figuratively.

When used literally, to step back means to go backwards. For example, if I'm standing in front of the Eiffel Tower and I want to take a photo, but I can't see the whole thing because I don't have enough distance, I'll go back a little and then I can say I'm taking a step back so I can see the whole Eiffel Tower.

Here, we're really doing the action of stepping back. But most of the time, we use this expression figuratively.

Taking a step back means looking at things, looking at a situation differently, from another angle, taking some time for yourself to better analyze a situation.

Taking a step back usually allows you to put a situation into perspective, or to realize that it's not as bad as you thought. Or to make a big decision, to change things in your life.

For example, when you're in a relationship with someone and things aren't going so well, you can tell the person I need to take a step back from our relationship.

So we need to think, we need to reflect, we need to analyze what's going on so we can make the right decision, so we can assess whether the situation suits us or not.

Or for example, at work, if you are extremely stressed every day from your job, it can be good to take a step back and put things in perspective.

For example, if you work for a site that sells sneakers and you don't reach your sales targets, you can take a step back and say to yourself it doesn't matter, I'm not in a business where I'm saving lives, so it's not such a big deal.

Taking a step back, I realize that the situation isn't as bad as all that. It's no big deal if I can't reach my sales targets.

And let's end this video with a little quote from a French rapper called MC Solaar - maybe you know him.

In one of his songs, which I'll put in the video description, he says "so I get ahead by stepping back, because stepping back is gaining momentum".

To move forward, you need to step back, because to step back is to gain momentum. That's it for today, I hope you've enjoyed this video, and that you've understood the context in which to use the expression step back.

If you liked the video, like it and I'll see you soon for a next video.