French Conversation · Level 11
89 words
French word
indirect
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛ̃diʁɛkt/
Meaning
- adjectiveindirect
Example
Sa réponse était indirecte.
Her answer was indirect.
More examples
Pour être clair, évite de t'exprimer de façon indirecte.
To be clear, avoid expressing yourself indirectly.
Core concept
A message taking a side path to reach its meaning, sometimes through another person.
Common phrases
moyen indirect
indirect means
question indirecte
indirect question
Similar words
implicite: Inferred from context or assumptions rather than clearly stated.
vague: Difficult to understand because the details or meaning are unclear.
voilé: Partly hiding the true intention or emotion behind the wording.
évasif: Giving an unclear answer to avoid addressing a question or request directly.
Definition in French
Qui exprime quelque chose sans le dire de façon directe, formulé de manière voilée ou par un intermédiaire.
Word origin
French indirect comes from Latin indirectus, formed with in- 'not' and directus 'straight or direct'.
Usage tips
- As an adjective, indirect agrees with the noun, giving indirecte in the feminine singular and indirects or indirectes in the plural.
Other meanings
- roundaboutadjective
Related words
- indirectementindirectlyadverb