tough/ tender minded

[Patf]

Is there a french equivalent for tough/ tender minded? I'm trying to write something including those words, and the concept doesn't seem to exist in France.

ps I've found one, "le coeur sur le main" for a warmhearted person.

[EuroTrash]

I'm sure you can talk about coeur dur and coeur tendre.

Come to think of it, don't we also say tender hearted rather than tender minded ??

[EuroTrash]

PS I thought le coeur sur la main meant generous / soft hearted rather than tender hearted, very similar but not quite the same to me, or maybe that is actually what you want to say.

[NormanH]

For 'tough' in the sense of 'hard hearted' I would say simply 'dur(e)' or 'impitoyable' but you might consider

'avoir le coeur dur' 'insensible' 'sans coeur' (heartless)

for the opposite logically there is 'tendre' and 'sensible'...'plein(e) de tendresse' but that is going a bit further and more likely to describe a phrase or a gesture..

[YCCMB]

Résolu?

D'esprit tendre?

[Loiseau]

A French friend of mine says of her husband that he has a "coeur d'artichaut", which I took to mean he is tender-hearted or an old softie. Not sure if that is an official French description, though, or if it is just said within their family.

Where is Eric?!

[Patf]

Thanks for the replies.

I've realised that part of the problem is the philosophical difference between tough/ tender minded and tough/ tender hearted.

ie do feelings arise in the brain or the heart?

But I'm not up to debating that now!

I remember completing a questionnaire ages ago in a book by HJ Eysenck, Uses and Abuses of Psychology, following his theory of opposing dimensions of personality, in which this was one of the dimensions.

[NormanH]

Well if you are thinking of 'tough' as able to resist stress

 I would say résistant'   (support bien les épreuves)

In general problems of translation often come from an unclear expression/definition in the first language which is why it is much better to give a whole phrase than an individual word so there is some context to work with.

[ericd]

Tough ..... Etre dur (Vous etes dur vous)....as in severe in attitude, behaviour etc.

Tender ....... Etre une chique molle (we don't like chiques molles).

[Patf]

Thanks Eric - so there is the same concept in France. I don't know what a chique is though.

While I'm here, can someone translate "mais on s'en fiche, de qui tu es!" From Pico again.

The verb ficher and se ficher seems to have several vague meanings.

[suein56]

PatF wrote : mais on s'en fiche, de qui tu es!

Se ficher means to not give a damn, to not care less, to not be bothered about.

Sue

[Patf]

That fits the story nicely - thanks.

[NormanH]

You will also find on s'en fout  but s'en foutre is rather stronger . A bit like 'I don't give a toss'   with the same undertone..