French Conversation · Level 12
90 words
French word
confusion
Pronunciation
IPA/kɔ̃fyzjɔ̃/
Meaning
- feminine nounconfusion
Example
La confusion règne dans la classe.
Confusion reigns in the classroom.
More examples
Il y a eu une confusion sur les horaires.
There was confusion about the schedules.
Core concept
A situation where separate facts or ideas become mixed together, making events hard to follow.
Common phrases
créer la confusion
cause confusion
semer la confusion
sow confusion
Similar words
malentendu: A failure to understand another person's words or intentions correctly.
désordre: A lack of order in the arrangement of things or information.
désarroi: A feeling of distress and helplessness when unsure how to respond.
Definition in French
Décrit la sensation de ne pas pouvoir suivre une situation à cause d'informations contradictoires ou mal organisées.
Word origin
The French noun confusion inherited the Latin idea of mixing together from confusio and confundere, whose parts mean 'together' and 'pour'.
Usage tips
- Je suis confus often expresses embarrassment or an apology, while je suis perdu more directly describes being unable to follow something.