French Phrase
Un tournant, ça a été de lancer ma propre boîte.
Meaning
This phrase expresses a major life shift or milestone, specifically related to entrepreneurship. The word 'tournant' refers to a pivotal moment, while 'lancer ma propre boîte' is a popular idiomatic way to describe starting a company.
When to use
Use this phrase when discussing career history, personal growth, or significant life changes. It is common in professional networking or casual conversations about one's background.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Un tournantça a étéde lancerma propre boîte
Un tournant
A masculine noun meaning a 'turn' or 'turning point,' used here figuratively to denote a pivot in life.
Ça a été
The passé composé of 'être' with the neutral pronoun 'ça,' used to identify a specific event in the past.
Lancer
A verb meaning 'to launch,' which is the standard term for starting a business or project in French.
Ma propre boîte
'Propre' here means 'own,' and 'boîte' is a colloquial term for a company.
🗨In Conversation
Quel a été le moment le plus important de ta carrière ?
What was the most important moment of your career?
Un tournant, ça a été de lancer ma propre boîte.
A turning point was starting my own business.
✕Common Mistakes
Un tournant, c'était de lancer ma propre boîte.
Use the passé composé 'a été' for a specific, completed turning point rather than the imperfect.
Un tournant, ça a été de commencer ma propre boîte.
While 'commencer' is grammatically correct, 'lancer' is the standard collocation for starting a business.
↔Alternatives
Le moment décisif a été la création de mon entreprise.
The decisive moment was the creation of my company.
J'ai changé de vie en montant ma boîte.
I changed my life by setting up my firm.
Cultural Tip
In France, 'boîte' is a very common informal term for a company. While 'entreprise' is used in formal documents, 'boîte' is the go-to word in daily conversation among colleagues and entrepreneurs.