Bonjour tout le monde !
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Question:
What is the proper, or best, usage of: face, visage et figure ?
Michael, California
My answer:
A very tricky question here, Michael ! Basically, all three have more or less the same meaning as face in English but with some nuances in the usage.
- Face is the side of something. (i.e., the North Face) We use it in relation to a person in two situations : medical terms (une lésion à la face = a wound on the face) or for slang which is an insult most of the time (for example: face de rat = rat face).
- Visage is the most commonly used one. For example : Elle a un beau visage. She has a beautiful face.
- Figure means an external shape. It can be used in so many scenarios.
- We use it with some adjectives to express certain feelings (Tu fais une drole de figure = a strange look. Probably the person is sad or preoccupied).
- We also use it as a slang but a more polite form than face.
Overall, the three words describe the same area of your face, but I won’t recommend using the French word face unless you want to be mean to someone.
I hope this helps.
Frédéric
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