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

  • ralentir

    The French verbs “alentir” and “ralentir” are related to the adjective “lent,” which means “slow.” The two verbs both mean “to slow down.” “Alentir” is only used in literature (or in Québec) these days, while “ralentir” is in common usage. Meanings and Usage: Conjugation in the Present Tense: Conjugation in the Passé Composé: Etymology: Both…

  • faire une frite

    The French expression “faire une frite” literally means “to make a fry” or “to make a French fry.” However it has nothing to do with cooking. Instead it means to use the backs of your fingers to whip someone’s bottom in a downwards direction. This action, often done by kids teasing each other, will leave…

  • Faire tintin

    “Faire tintin” means to be frustrated or deprived, to receive nothing when you were expecting something. Despite the illustration above, this saying has nothing to do with the comic book character Tintin. He was created in 1929, but the word “tintin” dates back to the 13th century. It originally referred to the noise of objects…