"If Lundie himself were to call on me for an opinion which I admire more, your person or your wit, beautiful and caustic Mabel, I should be at a loss to answer.
– Si Lundie lui-même me demandait ce que j’admire le plus de votre personne ou de votre esprit, belle et caustique Mabel, je ne saurais que lui répondre.
Cooper, James Fenimore / The Pathfinder, or, the Inland SeaCooper, James Fenimore / Le lac Ontario
French wit and humor, on the other hand, is like a lace with which our women adorn the joys they give and the quarrels they invent; it is a mental jewelry, as charming as their pretty dresses.
La plaisanterie française est une dentelle avec laquelle les femmes savent embellir la joie qu’elles donnent et les querelles qu’elles inventent; c’est une parure morale, gracieuse comme leur toilette.
Balzac, Honore de / The Lily of the ValleyBalzac, Honore de / Le Lys dans la vallee
Le Lys dans la vallee
Balzac, Honore de
The Lily of the Valley
Balzac, Honore de
M. Bejuin contented himself wit.h nodding twice, but M. Kahn answered more fully for him.
M. Béjuin se contenta d'incliner la tête à deux reprises. Ce fut M. Kahn qui répondit pour lui.
Zola, Emile / His ExcellencyZola, Emile / Son Excellence Eugene Rougon
A witty saying makes us at least smile; consequently, no investigation into laughter would be complete did it not get to the bottom of the nature of wit and throw light on the underlying idea.
Car un mot d'esprit nous fait tout au moins sourire, de sorte qu'une étude du rire ne serait pas complète si elle négligeait d'approfondir la nature de l'esprit, d'en éclaircir l'idée.
Bergson, Henri / Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the ComicBergson, Henri / Le rire. Essai sur la signification du comique
The remark seemed one of such fine and delicate wit that M. La Rouquette pondered over it in the hope of being able to discover some hidden meaning.
Cela parut un mot d'esprit très fin, si délicat même, que M. La Rouquette s'ingénia à en découvrir les sens cachés.
Zola, Emile / His ExcellencyZola, Emile / Son Excellence Eugene Rougon
Son Excellence Eugene Rougon
Zola, Emile
His Excellency
Zola, Emile
And even as Massot had said, there really was only Fonsegue who showed composure and bravery, ever the same with his restless little figure, and his eyes beaming with wit, though at times they were just faintly clouded by a shadow of uneasiness.
Et il n’y avait réellement que Fonsègue tranquille et brave, toujours le même, dans sa petite taille remuante, avec ses yeux étincelants d’esprit, voilés à peine d’une ombre de malaise.
Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - ParisZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - Paris
Les Trois Villes - Paris
Zola, Emile
The Three Cities - Paris
Zola, Emile
All were good creatures, and had almost as much wit as men.
Tous étaient de bonnes bêtes, ayant presque autant d’esprit que les hommes.
Zola, Emile / Contes à NinonZola, Emile / Stories for Ninon
Stories for Ninon
Zola, Emile
Contes à Ninon
Zola, Emile
And so how bitter were her feelings, how hurt she always felt on seeing her sister recover from the most frightful shocks, resume her dazzling gala, and continue to reign over the world by dint of strength and grace and wit.
Aussi quelle amertume, quelle plaie toujours ouverte, à voir sa sœur se remettre des plus effroyables secousses, reprendre son gala éblouissant, régner sur la terre par sa force, par sa grâce et par son esprit !
Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - RomeZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - Rome
Les Trois Villes - Rome
Zola, Emile
The Three Cities - Rome
Zola, Emile
In any case she had managed to acquire instruction and manners, for when occasion required she lacked neither wit, nor style, nor deportment.
En tout cas, elle avait dû se faire une instruction et une éducation, car elle ne manquait, à l’occasion, ni d’esprit, ni de style, ni de tenue.
Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - ParisZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - Paris
Les Trois Villes - Paris
Zola, Emile
The Three Cities - Paris
Zola, Emile
And beneath all the light wit which circulates, beneath all the laughter, which often has a false ring, each retains his or her particular worry, or distress of mind, at times so acute that it becomes perfect agony.
Et, sous la légèreté de l’esprit qui se dépense, sous les rires qui sonnent souvent faux, chacun garde sa tourmente, sa débâcle intérieure, une détresse parfois qui va jusqu’à l’agonie.
Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - ParisZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - Paris
Les Trois Villes - Paris
Zola, Emile
The Three Cities - Paris
Zola, Emile
By that very operation wit will have been analysed, and will then appear as nothing more than the comic in a highly volatile state.
Par là même on aura analysé l'esprit, qui apparaîtra alors comme n'étant que du comique volatilisé.
Bergson, Henri / Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the ComicBergson, Henri / Le rire. Essai sur la signification du comique
I did not know what to do with her; I had even renounced all attempts to teach her to read; I left her for days together in a corner, infirm and tongue-tied like a lack-wit. . . .
Elle me désespérait, j’avais même renoncé à lui faire apprendre à lire, je la laissais les jours entiers dans un coin, les jambes et la langue nouées, ainsi qu’une innocente...
Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - ParisZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - Paris
Les Trois Villes - Paris
Zola, Emile
The Three Cities - Paris
Zola, Emile
The man whistled to the boy, and offered him part of a stick of candy, which he eagerly grabbed at, and very soon had it in a baby's general depository, to wit, his mouth.
L’homme siffla pour le marmot, et lui tendit un bâton de sucre candi, qu’il prit avidement, et qu’il porta sur-le-champ à sa bouche, dépôt général de tous les trésors des enfants.
Beecher Stowe, Harriet / Uncle Tom's CabinBeecher Stowe, Harriet / La case de l'oncle Tom
La case de l'oncle Tom
Beecher Stowe, Harriet
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Beecher Stowe, Harriet
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Word forms
wit
verb
Basic forms
Past
wist
Imperative
wit
Present Participle (Participle I)
witting
Past Participle (Participle II)
wist
Present Indefinite, Active Voice
I wit
we wit
you wit
you wit
he/she/it wot
they wit
Present Continuous, Active Voice
I am witting
we are witting
you are witting
you are witting
he/she/it is witting
they are witting
Present Perfect, Active Voice
I have wist
we have wist
you have wist
you have wist
he/she/it has wist
they have wist
Present Perfect Continuous, Active Voice
I have been witting
we have been witting
you have been witting
you have been witting
he/she/it has been witting
they have been witting
Past Indefinite, Active Voice
I wist
we wist
you wist
you wist
he/she/it wist
they wist
Past Continuous, Active Voice
I was witting
we were witting
you were witting
you were witting
he/she/it was witting
they were witting
Past Perfect, Active Voice
I had wist
we had wist
you had wist
you had wist
he/she/it had wist
they had wist
Past Perfect Continuous, Active Voice
I had been witting
we had been witting
you had been witting
you had been witting
he/she/it had been witting
they had been witting
Future Indefinite, Active Voice
I shall/will wit
we shall/will wit
you will wit
you will wit
he/she/it will wit
they will wit
Future Continuous, Active Voice
I shall/will be witting
we shall/will be witting
you will be witting
you will be witting
he/she/it will be witting
they will be witting
Future Perfect, Active Voice
I shall/will have wist
we shall/will have wist
you will have wist
you will have wist
he/she/it will have wist
they will have wist
Future Perfect Continuous, Active Voice
I shall/will have been witting
we shall/will have been witting
you will have been witting
you will have been witting
he/she/it will have been witting
they will have been witting
Future in the Past Indefinite, Active Voice
I should/would wit
we should/would wit
you would wit
you would wit
he/she/it would wit
they would wit
Future in the Past Continuous, Active Voice
I should/would be witting
we should/would be witting
you would be witting
you would be witting
he/she/it would be witting
they would be witting
Future in the Past Perfect, Active Voice
I should/would have wist
we should/would have wist
you would have wist
you would have wist
he/she/it would have wist
they would have wist
Future in the Past Perfect Continuous, Active Voice