French Conversation · Level 31
89 words
French word
ignorer
Pronunciation
IPA/iɲoʁe/
Meaning
- verbnot know
Example
J'ignore son nom.
I don't know his name.
More examples
J'ignore la date de la réunion.
I do not know the date of the meeting.
Core concept
Knowledge has not reached the mind, or attention deliberately passes around its target.
Common phrases
ignorer la réponse
not know the answer
ignorer son nom
not know his name
Similar words
connaître: To have knowledge or experience of a person or subject.
oublier: To lose something from memory and be unable to recall it.
négliger: To leave something unattended by failing to give it proper attention.
snober: To treat someone coldly and deliberately ignore them out of contempt.
Definition in French
Ignorer désigne le fait de ne pas savoir quelque chose; par extension, il peut aussi vouloir dire ne pas prêter attention à quelqu'un ou à quelque chose.
Word origin
The verb is inherited through Old French ignorer from Latin ignorare, whose meaning of not knowing broadened in French to include disregarding a person or thing.
Usage tips
- With a person as its object, ignorer can sound cold because it often suggests deliberate disregard rather than simple lack of knowledge.