reflect

refléter, traduire

Exprimer des sentiments, des idées ou une situation, ou montrer comment une chose est réellement.

En anglais simple : To show someone's feelings, ideas, or situation, or to match what something is really like.

• Her face reflected her worry.
• The results reflect a change in public opinion.
• Does this report accurately reflect the situation?

Synonymes : show, represent, express

Expressions courantes : reflect someone's views, reflect reality, reflect the changes, reflect someone's feelings

réfléchir, refléter

Renvoyer la lumière depuis une surface, ce qui permet de voir une lumière ou une image.

En anglais simple : To send light back from a surface, making light or an image visible.

• Mirrors reflect light.
• The lake reflected the blue sky.
• These bright strips reflect car headlights at night.

Synonymes : send back, mirror

Contraires : absorb

Expressions courantes : reflect light, reflect an image, reflect someone's face, reflect the sky

réfléchir, méditer

Penser soigneusement à quelque chose, notamment à ses expériences ou à ses actes.

En anglais simple : To think carefully about something, especially your experiences or actions.

• I need time to reflect.
• She reflected on the day's events.
• Have you reflected on why the plan failed?

Comment l'utiliser : reflect on/upon something (She reflected on her years abroad.); reflect on how/what/why… (He reflected on what he could have done differently.)

Synonymes : think carefully, consider, ponder

Expressions courantes : reflect on something, reflect upon something, time to reflect

se réfléchir

Pour la lumière ou le son, heurter une surface puis repartir en sens inverse.

En anglais simple : If light or sound does this, it hits a surface and travels back away from it.

• Light reflects off the water.
• The sound reflected from the stone walls.
• Sunlight was reflecting off the windows into my eyes.

Comment l'utiliser : reflect off/from something (Sound reflects off the walls of the tunnel.)

Synonymes : bounce back

Expressions courantes : reflect off something, reflect from something, reflect back

se refléter

Apparaître sous forme d’image dans un miroir, dans l’eau ou sur une surface brillante.

En anglais simple : To appear as an image in a mirror, water, or another shiny surface.

• The moon reflected in the lake.
• Her face reflected from the dark window.
• Colored lights reflect in the wet street after rain.

Comment l'utiliser : reflect in/from something (The moon reflected in the still pond.)

Synonymes : be mirrored

Expressions courantes : reflect in water, reflect from glass, reflect in something