French word

naïf

Pronunciation

IPA/naif/

Meaning

  • adjectivenaive

Example

Elle est très naïve et fait confiance à tout le monde.

She is very naive and trusts everyone.

Illustration for naïf (naive)

More examples

Il était trop naïf et il a signé sans lire.

He was too naive and signed without reading.

Core concept

A trusting person who accepts appearances without looking for hidden motives.

Common phrases

  • être naïf

    be naive

  • trop naïf

    too naive

Similar words

crédule: Quick to believe what others say and easily fooled.
innocent: Childlike, pure, and free of harmful intent.

Definition in French

Naïf qualifie quelqu'un de simple et naturel, qui voit le monde sans cynisme et peut être facilement trompé.

Word origin

French naïf comes from Latin nativus, meaning 'native' or 'inborn', through Old French, and developed from 'natural' to 'innocent and easily deceived'.

Usage tips

  • The feminine form is naïve, while the masculine form is naïf, with the final consonant pronounced in the feminine form.

Other meanings

  • innocentadjective
  • gullibleadjective

Opposites

  • méfiantwaryadjective

Related words

  • naïveténaivetenoun
  • naïvementnaivelyadverb

Word lists with this word