ne pas envoyer dire

The French expression “ne pas envoyer dire” (also written as “ne pas l’envoyer dire”), means “to say something to someone, very directly, bluntly, or unceremoniously.”

Example of usage

  • “C’est qu’il n’est pas content ! Non, foutre ! Il n’est pas content, et il ne l’envoie pas dire !” (It’s because he is not happy. No, damn! He isn’t happy, and he makes no bones about it).
  • “La gosse n’aime pas ses galons et elle ne lui envoie pas dire” (the little girl doesn’t like her braids and she says so, in no uncertain terms)
  • “Tu sais ce que je suis et ta mère ne me l’a pas envoyé dire, tout à l’heure” (You know what I am, and your mother told me without pulling any punches, just now)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • payer au lance-pierres

    The French expression “payer au lance-pierres” translates literally as “to pay with a slingshot,” but it means “to underpay.” The saying dates to the end of the 19th century, when slingshots made from rubber become more popular, thanks to improvements in rubber chemistry. The expression originally came from another saying “avec un lance-pierres,” which translated…

  • à huis clos

    “à huis clos” is a French saying that means in private, with all doors closed, in secret. It is an expression dating from the middle of the 16th century, meaning “with doors closed.” “Huis” is an old 11th century word for door, now replaced by the word “porte.” The original word for door was “us,”…

  • prochain placement

    The French adjective “prochain” means “next.” Like most adjectives, it is usually placed after the noun it describes, but not always. Let’s find out how the position of “prochain” can vary. Why do you say “la semaine prochaine” (next week) but you also say “les deux prochaines semaines” (the next two weeks)? In the first…

  • How to say “under” in French

    Translating prepositions from one language to another can be a tricky task. One group of prepositions that often poses challenges in learning French is the one containing “under,” “underneath,” “below” and “beneath.” “Sous” The most common and straightforward translation for “under” in French is “sous.” This word is the primary equivalent of “under” and is…

  • prendre

    The French verb “prendre” means “to take,” but a bit confusingly it can also mean “to bring.” Its conjugation in the present tense is irregular, so it must be memorised. However, “prendre” forms the basis for compound verbs such as “comprendre” (to understand), “apprendre” (to learn), “reprendre” (to take back), “surprendre” (to surprise) and many…