raison/ʁɛ.zɔ̃/
noun · A2 · Frequency 232
nounfeminine
Meanings
reason (cause)
Indicates the cause or basis for something.
reason (mental faculties)
Refers to human rationality and capacity for logical thinking.
common difference (arithmetic series) or common ratio (geometric series) in mathematics
Refers to the fixed difference or ratio in a mathematical sequence.
Examples
La raison de son retard était une panne de train.
The reason for his delay was a train breakdown.
Même sous pression, elle a gardé toute sa raison.
Even under pressure, she kept her reason.
Dans cette suite arithmétique, la raison est égale à cinq.
In this arithmetic sequence, the common difference is equal to five.
Collocations
- avoir raisonto be right
- perdre la raisonto lose one's mind
Common mistakes
C'est la raison pourquoi je pars.
C'est la raison pour laquelle je pars.
Learners often combine raison directly with pourquoi, producing an unnatural structure; to mean “this is the reason why I am leaving,” use raison pour laquelle.
Related words
synonymcausecause
nounfeminine
Meanings
reason (cause)
Indicates the cause or basis for something.
reason (mental faculties)
Refers to human rationality and capacity for logical thinking.
common difference (arithmetic series) or common ratio (geometric series) in mathematics
Refers to the fixed difference or ratio in a mathematical sequence.
Examples
Les raisons de son départ sont expliquées dans sa lettre.
The reasons for his departure are explained in his letter.
Sous l'effet de la peur, les raisons peuvent céder devant l'impulsion.
Under the influence of fear, reason can give way to impulse.
Les raisons de ces deux suites sont respectivement trois et cinq.
The common differences or common ratios of these two sequences are three and five, respectively.
Collocations
- avoir raisonto be right
- perdre la raisonto lose one's mind
Common mistakes
C'est la raison pourquoi je pars.
C'est la raison pour laquelle je pars.
Learners often combine raison directly with pourquoi, producing an unnatural structure; to mean “this is the reason why I am leaving,” use raison pour laquelle.
Related words
synonymcausecause