faire la différence

French

Etymology

The second sense is a semantic loan from English make a difference.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛʁ la di.fe.ʁɑ̃s/

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Verb

faire la différence

1. to tell the difference between, to distinguish

   Synonyms: distinguer, différencier

   Je ne parviens pas à faire la différence entre les deux.

   I can't tell the two of them apart.

2. (informal, proscribed) to make a difference, to make a big difference

   faire toute la différence ― to make all the difference in the world