French Conversation · Level 60
75 words
French word
inertie
Pronunciation
IPA/inɛʁsi/
Meaning
- feminine nouninertia
Example
Je fais souvent les mêmes tâches par inertie.
I often do the same tasks out of inertia.
More examples
Il faut de la volonté pour sortir de l'inertie.
It takes willpower to break free from inertia.
Core concept
A wheel keeps rolling along the same path because nothing gives it a new push, like a routine that continues without fresh initiative.
Common phrases
sortir de l'inertie
break free from inertia
inertie du quotidien
the inertia of everyday life
lutter contre l'inertie
fight inertia
Similar words
habitude: A customary behavior developed through repeated experience.
routine: A fixed pattern of action carried out in the usual order.
automatisme: An unconscious response or action carried out automatically.
répétition: The repetition of an action or set of actions.
Definition in French
Tendance à rester dans une même activité ou mouvement faute d'initiative nouvelle, employée au sens concret et figuré.
Word origin
French inertie derives from Latin inertia, meaning inactivity, and applies the idea of continued motion without a new force to physical and figurative situations.
Usage tips
- Inertie is feminine, so standard forms include l'inertie and une inertie; it is not automatically synonymous with paresse, which focuses on unwillingness to work.