Bedeutung
To address the main subject without unnecessary preamble.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In French business culture, 'venir au fait' is often seen as a sign of leadership. However, doing it too early can be seen as 'américain' (too transactional). Belgians are often more direct than the French. 'Venir au fait' might happen much sooner in a conversation. Swiss French speakers value precision. 'Venir au fait' is used to ensure all technical details are correctly addressed. In many West African cultures, indirectness is a sign of respect. Using 'venir au fait' too bluntly can be considered very disrespectful to elders.
Use the 'En'
Always try to say 'En venir au fait' instead of just 'Venir au fait'. It sounds 10x more native.
Watch your tone
This phrase can sound aggressive. Soften it with 'Si je peux me permettre' or 'S'il vous plaît'.
Bedeutung
To address the main subject without unnecessary preamble.
Use the 'En'
Always try to say 'En venir au fait' instead of just 'Venir au fait'. It sounds 10x more native.
Watch your tone
This phrase can sound aggressive. Soften it with 'Si je peux me permettre' or 'S'il vous plaît'.
The 'Au fait' Trap
Remember that 'Au fait !' at the start of a sentence just means 'By the way!'.
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the phrase.
Nous n'avons plus que cinq minutes, alors ________-en au fait.
The context 'Nous' (we) requires the first-person plural imperative 'venons'.
Which sentence is the most natural for a professional email?
How do you say 'I would like to get to the point'?
The conditional 'voudrais' and the pronoun 'en' make it polite and idiomatic.
Match the phrase variation to the situation.
You are talking to a very close friend who is taking forever to tell a story.
'Accouche' is very informal/slang, perfect for a close friend.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
3 AufgabenNous n'avons plus que cinq minutes, alors ________-en au fait.
The context 'Nous' (we) requires the first-person plural imperative 'venons'.
How do you say 'I would like to get to the point'?
The conditional 'voudrais' and the pronoun 'en' make it polite and idiomatic.
You are talking to a very close friend who is taking forever to tell a story.
'Accouche' is very informal/slang, perfect for a close friend.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Häufig gestellte Fragen
4 FragenIt can be. It's best used when there's a clear time constraint or in a formal debate. With friends, use 'Abrège' or 'Dis-moi tout'.
'Venir au fait' is about the truth or the core information. 'Aller droit au but' is about reaching a goal or a decision quickly.
Yes, in this specific expression, the 'T' is almost always pronounced: /fɛt/.
Yes, it's an excellent transition phrase to move from your introduction to your first main point.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Aller droit au but
synonymTo go straight to the goal
Tourner autour du pot
contrastTo beat around the bush
Entrer dans le vif du sujet
similarTo get into the heart of the matter
Abréger
specialized formTo shorten
