English–French

“silly” in French

French

Pronunciation

IPA/njɛ/

Example

Il est niais.

He is silly.

Illustration for niais (silly)

How to say “silly” in French

“Silly” in French is niais.

A person making a foolish, clueless move while treating it as ordinary.

Full entry for niais: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with niais

Ton choix est niais.

Your choice is silly.

Tips for using niais

  • Niais is more mocking and colloquial than French naïf, which more often describes innocent or inexperienced simplicity.

“silly” in other languages