Meaning
To believe or trust something or someone.
Cultural Background
The French media landscape is highly intellectualized. Debates on TV often feature philosophers and 'intellectuels' who use this phrase to dissect each other's arguments. In Quebec, while 'accorder du crédit' is perfectly standard, you might also hear 'donner de la crédibilité', which is slightly more influenced by the English 'give credibility'. Swiss French tends to be very precise and formal in administrative contexts, making this phrase a favorite in Swiss newspapers like 'Le Temps'. In formal Francophone African contexts, especially in diplomacy and law, this phrase is used to maintain a high level of prestige and clarity.
The Power of 'Aucun'
Using 'n'accorder aucun crédit' is a very strong and elegant way to say someone is lying or a source is garbage. It sounds much more authoritative than 'c'est faux'.
Don't forget the 'à'
The most common mistake is dropping the 'à'. It's always 'accorder du crédit À quelque chose'.
Meaning
To believe or trust something or someone.
The Power of 'Aucun'
Using 'n'accorder aucun crédit' is a very strong and elegant way to say someone is lying or a source is garbage. It sounds much more authoritative than 'c'est faux'.
Don't forget the 'à'
The most common mistake is dropping the 'à'. It's always 'accorder du crédit À quelque chose'.
The Skeptical French
French culture prizes skepticism. Saying you 'accord du crédit' sparingly makes you sound more intelligent and discerning.
Use with 'Lui/Leur'
To sound like a pro, use the indirect object pronouns: 'Je lui accorde du crédit' (I give him/her credit).
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the phrase.
Je ne _____ aucun crédit à ce que racontent les tabloïds.
'Accorder aucun crédit' is the standard formal collocation.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Choose the correct negation.
In negation, 'du' becomes 'de'.
Match the response to the situation.
Someone tells you a wild conspiracy theory.
This is the most natural way to express skepticism toward a theory.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Le rapport de l'expert est sorti.' B: 'Oui, mais les juges vont-ils _____ ?'
We use 'lui' to refer to 'le rapport' (or the expert) in this context.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Accorder vs. Faire
Practice Bank
4 exercisesJe ne _____ aucun crédit à ce que racontent les tabloïds.
'Accorder aucun crédit' is the standard formal collocation.
Choose the correct negation.
In negation, 'du' becomes 'de'.
Someone tells you a wild conspiracy theory.
This is the most natural way to express skepticism toward a theory.
A: 'Le rapport de l'expert est sorti.' B: 'Oui, mais les juges vont-ils _____ ?'
We use 'lui' to refer to 'le rapport' (or the expert) in this context.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsMostly, but 'accorder du crédit' is more formal and implies a conscious evaluation of reliability, whereas 'croire' is more general.
Yes, 'accorder du crédit à quelqu'un' means you trust that person's word or expertise.
The most direct opposite is 'ne pas accorder de crédit' or the verb 'discréditer'.
Yes, very often, both in the financial sense (giving a loan) and the figurative sense (trusting a partner's proposal).
It is understood and used, but 'accorder' is the more 'correct' and elegant collocation in formal French.
Because 'crédit' is an uncountable concept here, so we use the partitive 'du' (some credit).
Change 'du' to 'de': 'Je n'accorde pas DE crédit à...'
In serious conversations, yes. In casual 'street' French, no.
No, for movie credits we use 'le générique'.
Usually, you accord credit to *others*. For yourself, you might say 'Je maintiens ma position'.
Related Phrases
prêter foi à
synonymTo believe/trust (very formal)
faire crédit à quelqu'un
similarTo give someone credit for an achievement
discréditer
contrastTo make someone lose their credibility
prendre pour argent comptant
similarTo take at face value
ajouter foi à
synonymTo add belief to
