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INCONTOURNABLE

From the press

“Comment se fait-il qu’après tant d’années, Montréal ne soit pas déjà une destination incontournable en ce qui concerne la mode haut de gamme, tant à l’échelle du pays qu’à l’international ?”
Le Devoir, March 27, 2024

Commentary

Few French adjectives are translated in as many different ways as incontournable. Its core verb is contourner, which means to go around, and its basic meaning is inescapable or unavoidable. It’s like saying “un-go-aroundable.” However, it is used in multiple contexts where English tends to approach the matter from a different perspective. Explore its many possibilities below.

From our archives

  • Incontournable is often must in English, as in must-attend event, must-see show, or must-have fashion accessory. It also has a number of direct equivalents, shown here.

    des atouts incontournables / undeniable advantages

    fait incontournable / incontrovertible fact

    conclusion incontournable / inescapable conclusion

    rôle incontournable / indispensable role

    C’est incontournable / There is no way around it

    Ils sont des incontournables / There’s no avoiding them

  • Instead of using an adjective, English sometimes just says be sure not to miss something.

    L’Hôtel de Glace est un incontournable
    The Ice Hotel is an experience you won’t want to miss.

  • A whole series of English adjectives are approximate matches that convey the same meaning as incontournable, but from a different perspective.

    une option incontournable pour faire fructifier votre argent/the best option to make your money grow

    des réalités paternelles aujourd’hui incontournables/situations common among today’s fathers

    un riche et incontournable contenu artistique/rich and compelling artistic content

    La formation de la main-d’œuvre est incontournable/Workforce training is critical

    La langue est une donnée incontournable/Language is critically important

    Ces travailleurs sont des maillons incontournables du filet humain/Those workers are so essential to our social safety net

    l’incontournable St-Ann’s Art and Culture Center/the fabulous St. Ann’s Art and Culture Center

    des spécialités incontournables de chaque ville/famous foods from each city

    le pôle incontournable de la culture à Ottawa/Ottawa’s foremost cultural centre

    un attrait touristique incontournable/the headline attraction

    un incontournable de la gravure au Québec/a highly regarded Quebec print artist

    Ce sera un atout incontournable/It will make a huge difference

    l’incontournable Outback australien/the iconic Australian outback

    levier incontournable d’une transition sobre en carbone/a key driver for a low-carbon transition

    un mouvement mondial incontournable/a major international movement

    un événement incontournable/a marquee attraction

    La marche est grande, mais incontournable/It’s a big step but it’s necessary

    une collection incontournable à la maison comme au chalet/a perfect collection at home or the cottage

    une manifestation incontournable/a popular event

    l’institut de recherche universitaire incontournable/the premier university research institute

    un livre de chevet incontournable/required bed-time reading

    s'approprier ce site incontournable/enjoy these spectacular falls

    un partenaire incontournable de la campagne/a strategic partner of the campaign

    la liste des huit personnes incontournables du domaine/the top eight people in the field

    un partenaire incontournable/a valued partner

    incontournables pour réussir/vital to your success

  • In administrative and promotional contexts, you’ll come across the French expressions acteur incontournable and référence incontournable.

    la référence incontournable de l'industrie/the ultimate authority on industry matters, the gold standard in the industry, a pillar in the industry

    un acteur incontournable de la vitalité de notre communauté/crucial to the vitality of our community

    votre référence incontournable sur le plan financier/your go-to financial resource

    des acteurs incontournables du système politique québécois/key actors in Québec’s political system

    acteur incontournable pour l’atteinte de l’excellence numérique/a leader in digital excellence

    un acteur incontournable du paysage cinématographique québécois/a leading player in Quebec’s film industry

    référence incontournable de la pétanque/the biggest name in petanque

    référence incontournable en matière de pierre naturelle/the place to go for natural stone

    acteur incontournable dans tous les secteurs où elle est présente/prime players in every field we operate in

     

    Incontournable is sometimes used as a noun.

  • Incontournable is sometimes used as a noun.

    Québec devrait figurer en tête de sa liste d’incontournables/Québec City should be at the top of everyone’s bucket list

    Faire un tour de bateau est un incontournable des vacances estivales/Taking a boat tour is a summer vacation classic

    Les tranches de dindon style bacon deviendront vite un incontournable à votre table/The rasher’s superb flavour will make it a menu favourite

    un incontournable de la scène alternative/a fixture of the alternative music scene

    Je parle certes de qualité de l’air et du niveau sonore… ce sont des incontournables/Obviously I mean data on air quality and noise level—those are a given

    Assurance habitation : un incontournable/Home Insurance: Always a Good Idea

    Le nuage est désormais un incontournable/The cloud is now a necessity

    Le Marché de Noël allemand est un incontournable pour s’imprégner de l’ambiance des Fêtes/The German Christmas Market is one of the best ways to embrace the holiday spirit

  • English occasionally translates incontournable using a verb or a periphrase.

    Rendre hommage à ce grand philanthrope nous semble incontournable/In our eyes, a tribute to this philanthropist is a gesture that speaks for itself

    Ses lunettes fumées représentent un incontournable pour lui/He never leaves home without his sunglasses

    L’incontournable du menu est sans contredit la faisselle maison/Be sure to try the homemade faisselle

    C’est un incontournable pour les mordus de vélo de montagne/If you’re into mountain biking, put it on your list

    Elles sont un incontournable du monde industriel/It has found its way into most industrial applications.

    deux incontournables projets dans la region/two projects that will have a big impact here

    un joueur incontournable des chantiers de type commercial/a force to be reckoned with in commercial roofing

    Nos solutions sont incontournables/Look no further than us

    incontournable enjeu d’affaires/no business can escape the issue

    C’est comme le libre-échange, c’est incontournable/Just like free trade, it is here to stay

  • Sometimes, an English sentence with incontournable will end up quite a bit longer than the French equivalent:

    Leadership recognizes that these topics are important to stay on top of within their business/Pour l’équipe de direction, il s’agit de questions incontournables

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