#31 - Profiter

In stark contrast to words like pénible and ennui stands the word profiter!  WordReference gives some very clear and accurate definitions of it:

1. to make the most of
2. to take advantage of
3. to enjoy

The phrase profiter à quelqu'un also means to "do somebody good."

This word becomes untranslatable when it combines these ideas of enjoyment and self-benefit a single context.  It's like the French carpe diem.  "Profites-en!" is a frequently heard exhortation for people going on vacation, going off to college, or in any situation where there are enjoyable opportunities to be had.  You could say, "Make the most of it!" in English, but that lacks the happy, optimistic quality of profiter.  On the other hand, "Have fun!" may be light and positive, but it's missing the implication that you could substantially benefit or improve your life from this experience.

Granted, profiter can also mean "taking advantage" in a selfish or abusive way, as in the sentence: "Tout le monde profite de lui."  ("Everyone takes advantage of him.")  However, the same word can be used in an entirely positive sense: "Pendant les vacances, elle a bien profité de sa fille."  ("During vacation, she really enjoyed/made the most of being with her daughter.")  Context is everything.

However, a Google image search for profiter mostly turns up images like this:

And inspirational quotes like this:

"Audacity brings success to those who take advantage of opportunities."
~Marcel Proust

So I think we may conclude that profiter is usually a very positive thing. 

I always felt that profiter as it relates to vacations is a particularly French concept.  With their government-mandated four weeks of vacation a year, the French view it not as a mere pleasure but as a necessity and a right; it's an experience that does real good for body and soul.  In French culture, taking the time to relax, eat good food, drink wine, bask in the beautiful countryside, pursue your hobbies, and generally enjoy what life has to offer are high and respectable priorities.  The real "profit" earned by working the is the ability to enjoy yourself afterwards.

I may be falling into a stereotype here--after all, I know there are French people who are more business- or "profit"-oriented in the American sense--but to me, this general difference between French and American culture is pronounced and prevalent.  Profiter, perhaps better than any other word, sums up the French desire to live life fully.  It's an exquisite combination of enjoyment, improvement, and self-fulfillment.