Réaliser or se rendre compte: what’s the difference?

When you reach a certain level, it’s necessary to catch the nuances and be specific with your choice of words. Moreover, you should be extra cautious with the “faux-amis”, these words which look similar but have a different meaning. It’s the case of “realise”. In English it means something and in French another…

Let’s analyse “réaliser” and the expression “se rendre compte”. 

What does se rendre compte mean in French?

 Let’s start with the idiomatic phrase “se rendre compte”.

It means “to become conscious of”. Basically, it implies that you were not aware of something and suddenly you realised it.

How do you conjugate se rendre compte?

First, it’s a pronominal or reflexive verb. In other words, the action is “on yourself”. Pronominal verbs exist to contrast with the same verb that is applied to someone (or something) different from you. Let me explain:

When you wash your dog or your car, you would say in French:

• Je lave mon chien >>> I wash my dog.
• Sophie lave sa voiture >>> Sophie washes her car.

Now, imagine the action is on yourself and you wash yourself or your hands:

• Je me lave les mains >>> I wash my hands.

As you can see, we need to add something before the verb to indicate that it’s a pronominal verb.

• Je           >>>>>> ME / M’
• Tu           >>>>>> TE / T’
• Il / elle     >>>>>> SE / S’ 
•  Nous       >>>>>> NOUS
• Vous        >>>>>> VOUS
• Ils / elles  >>>>>> SE / S’

Secondly, the French verb “rendre” is irregular. It belongs to the 3rd group and its typical endings are the following:

• Je           _______ S / X
• Tu           _______ S / X
•  Il / elle     _______ D / T
•  Nous       _______ ONS
• Vous        _______ EZ / ITES (very rare)
•  Ils / elles _______ ENT / ONT 

 So, with “se rendre compte” you would have this:

• Je me rends compte 
• Tu te rends compte 
• Il / elle se rend compte 
• Nous nous rendons compte 
• Vous vous rendez compte 
• Ils / elles se rendent compte 

Let’s play and have some examples of sentences:

With this verb, you have 2 choices after the verb: either you have “de” or “que”( or qu’ ).

In the first case you’ll have a noun like this:

• Je me rends compte de mes erreurs >>> I realise my mistakes.

And in the second case, it works with another sentence with another verb. Let’s play and have some examples of sentences:

• Je me rends compte que le sport est essentiel >>> I realise that sports is essential.
• Bruno se rend compte qu’il aime Eva >>> Bruno realises he loves Eva.

How do you say to realise in French?

We have just seen that “se rendre compte” means “to realise” or “to become conscious of”. Lucky you, the verb “réaliser” also signifies to realise.

Here are a few examples:

• Je réalise que tu travailles beaucoup. Je peux t’aider ? >>> I realise you work a lot. Can I help?
• Elles réalisent qu’elles passent beaucoup de temps pour aller au travail >>> They realise they spend a lot of time to commute.

What are the meanings of “réaliser”?

Beside the first meaning we have seen, the French verb “réaliser” is also used when you achieve something. Actually, the expression “to reach your dreams” is “réaliser ses rêves” in French.

Therefore, whenever your dreams become reality, “réaliser” is perfect for you. In addition, it’s a regular verb with the following conjugation:

• Je réalise 
• Tu réalises 
• Il / elle réalise
• Nous réalisons
• Vous réalisez
• Ils / elles réalisent

How to use “réaliser” for tangible things

The verb “réaliser” has different meanings: from intangible to tangible.

1. réaliser >>> to realise 
2. réaliser >>> to achieve your dreams
3. réaliser >>> to make it happen

In this last option, “réaliser” is when you follow different steps to create something. For instance, you follow some instructions for a recipe and make a dish.

You can also make a film. This explains why we say “réalisateur” and “réalisatrice” for a movie director.

Here are some examples to see the verb in action:

• J’ai réalisé la recette de la galette bretonne  >>> I managed using the galette bretonne recipe.
• Client Eastwood réalise de bons films >>> Clint Eastwood makes good movies.

“Réaliser”: from popular to familiar.

This verb was very popular in the 1900 with artists. Maybe it was because of this idea of creation and making things happen.Then things changed and 50 years later, the verb lost its “worth” and wasn’t “French” anymore.

Indeed, the English influence was strong and it was easier to use “réaliser” for everything.

There are so many other verbs which are more specific that you can use like these:

• "Se rendre compte de"
• ”Prendre conscience de"
• "Se représenter concrètement/clairement quelque chose" 
• "S’apercevoir"
• "Comprendre"
• "Concevoir"
• "Constater"
• "Découvrir"
• "Imaginer"  
• "Saisir" 

How do you differentiate “réaliser” from “se rendre compte”?

Let’s summarise all our options to say “realise” in French:

• se rendre compte de >>> to realise about
• se rendre compte que >>> to realise that
• réaliser >>> to realise about / that
• réaliser >>> to achieve
• réaliser >>> to make things happen  

So, when you want to say “realise” in French, check the context to see if it’s about something tangible or not, the real meaning behind it, and don’t be afraid to use other specific verbs that are other synonyms.

So, which one do you prefer? Se rendre compte or réaliser? Why?