Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
L’alcool ne lui fait pas
English translation:
He can\'t take/handle alcohol - He can't hold his drink
Added to glossary by
Rachel Fell
Feb 21, 2018 10:32
6 yrs ago
French term
United Kingdom
Fast, accurate and affordable service
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Catalan to English
L’alcool ne lui fait pas
Non-PRO
French to English
Medical
Psychology
I'm translating a psychiatric report about a patient who drank too much alcohol one night. I'm stuck on the phase "L’alcool ne lui fait pas". I know that literally it means "alcohol didn't do him" but I can see that that makes no sense.
Here's the context:
Monsieur [...] reconnaît que sa consommation d’alcool dépasse ce qu’il consomme habituellement. Il me dira que : « L’alcool ne lui fait pas et il reconnaît en avoir trop pris cette journée-là ».
My translation so far:
He admits that he drank more than he usual. He says, "alcohol ??? and I recognise that I drank too much that day".
Thanks
Here's the context:
Monsieur [...] reconnaît que sa consommation d’alcool dépasse ce qu’il consomme habituellement. Il me dira que : « L’alcool ne lui fait pas et il reconnaît en avoir trop pris cette journée-là ».
My translation so far:
He admits that he drank more than he usual. He says, "alcohol ??? and I recognise that I drank too much that day".
Thanks
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +5 | He can't take/handle alcohol |
Rachel Fell
|
| 5 +5 | Alcohol doesn't suit him |
Rowena Fuller (X)
|
| 4 | alcohol doesn't agree with him |
Barbara Cochran, MFA
|
| 4 -1 | alcohol hits him hard |
Josephine Cassar
|
Change log
Feb 22, 2018 15:17: Rachel Fell changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/1872922">Paul Jones's</a> old entry - "L’alcool ne lui fait pas"" to ""He can\'t take/handle alcohol""
Proposed translations
+5
2 hrs
Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Thorough, knowledgeable and resourceful
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Italian to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
He can't take/handle alcohol
or He can't handle alcohol -That's how I would expect to hear it - i.e. it doesn't agree with him, he doesn't have the stomach for it, can't tolerate it
Why can’t Asians take alcohol like Europeans do?
7 Answers
Pepper Chen
Pepper Chen, Chinese-American
Answered May 29, 2017 · Author has 913 answers and 553k answer views
(Ah yes the Asian race. The singular Asian race.)
Look, some Asians can’t “take alcohol” like white people. But there are Asians who can handle it just fine (e.g. both of my parents and most of my extended family). It just so happens that a majority of people living in/hailing from some parts of Asia—not all parts, and not all people in certain parts—have an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) deficiency. This enzyme breaks down acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolic byproduct of ethanol. Some East Asians can’t handle alcohol very well because the allele variant they got for the ALDH gene results in an enzyme deficiency. They can’t break down acetaldehyde fast enough, so it builds up faster in their blood when they drink.
https://www.quora.com/Why-can’t-Asians-take-alcohol-like-Eur...
Why can't my stomach take alcohol anymore? | Yahoo Answers
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20121231220755A...
31 Dec 2012 - I am a college student. I don't drink often, but am a social drinker. Occasionally I will drink. As a freshman, I was fine. I could take shots and have a good time. However, I haven't drank as much as a sophomore. But for some reason, my stomach can't take alcohol anymore. If I do one shot, I feel like throwing ...
Why can’t Asians take alcohol like Europeans do?
7 Answers
Pepper Chen
Pepper Chen, Chinese-American
Answered May 29, 2017 · Author has 913 answers and 553k answer views
(Ah yes the Asian race. The singular Asian race.)
Look, some Asians can’t “take alcohol” like white people. But there are Asians who can handle it just fine (e.g. both of my parents and most of my extended family). It just so happens that a majority of people living in/hailing from some parts of Asia—not all parts, and not all people in certain parts—have an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) deficiency. This enzyme breaks down acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolic byproduct of ethanol. Some East Asians can’t handle alcohol very well because the allele variant they got for the ALDH gene results in an enzyme deficiency. They can’t break down acetaldehyde fast enough, so it builds up faster in their blood when they drink.
https://www.quora.com/Why-can’t-Asians-take-alcohol-like-Eur...
Why can't my stomach take alcohol anymore? | Yahoo Answers
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20121231220755A...
31 Dec 2012 - I am a college student. I don't drink often, but am a social drinker. Occasionally I will drink. As a freshman, I was fine. I could take shots and have a good time. However, I haven't drank as much as a sophomore. But for some reason, my stomach can't take alcohol anymore. If I do one shot, I feel like throwing ...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
writeaway
27 mins
|
|
Thank you writeaway :-)
|
|
| agree |
B D Finch
: More idiomatic, but still an appropriate register.
1 hr
|
|
Thank you BD :-)
|
|
| agree |
Michele Fauble
: Also "He can't hold his liquor/alcohol/drink".
2 hrs
|
|
Yes, that too, thank you Michele :-)
|
|
| agree |
katsy
3 hrs
|
|
Thank you Katsy :-)
|
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| agree |
Carol Gullidge
: Yes, and also like Michele's suggestion: "... can't hold his liquor
3 hrs
|
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Yes, thank you Carol :-)
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks"
+5
8 mins
Alcohol doesn't suit him
Or doesn't agree with him, basically 'I know that I shouldn't but I did anyway' - better to use 'admits' rather than 'recognises'
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
: "doesn't agree with him" — cf usage "il va s'y faire"
22 mins
|
| agree |
Daryo
34 mins
|
| agree |
Jennifer White
1 hr
|
| agree |
katsy
: this seems quite plausible - cf. 'ça ne le fait pas' - it won't do, it won't fit the bill.
1 hr
|
| agree |
Verginia Ophof
1 hr
|
| neutral |
B D Finch
: Yes for "doesn't agree with him", but not "doesn't suit him".
4 hrs
|
-1
11 mins
Josephine Cassar
Malta
Malta
Native in English
Malta
12 yrs. experience translating EU stuff
Native in: English (Variants: UK, British) 
, Maltese
Works in: English to Maltese, Italian to Maltese, French to Maltese, and 3 more.
alcohol hits him hard
It just doesn't suit him. An example: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/booming/why-cant-i-hold-my...
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Note added at 12 mins (2018-02-21 10:45:16 GMT)
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than he usually does
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Note added at 12 mins (2018-02-21 10:45:16 GMT)
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than he usually does
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tony M
: Not really appropriate language for this sort of register, and to some extent over-translation.
19 mins
|
|
Agree-missed 'psychiatric report'-you're correct
|
|
| disagree |
B D Finch
: Over-translation and inappropriate register.
4 hrs
|
|
see previous answer to Tony M though we do not exactly know who is talking to/about the man who had drunk-might be the psychiatrist, the police, it might be a discussion about the case, etc.
|
3 hrs
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Laudable Lady Linguist
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English to Spanish, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
alcohol doesn't agree with him
Another possibility.
Discussion
"L'alcool et lui, ça le fait pas" or "l'alcool ne lui fait pas tant d'effet d'habitude", but "l'alcool ne lui fait pas" on its own is meaningless.