Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| clair | /klɛʁ/ |
| sans ambiguïté |
clair describes an explanation, a rule or an idea that is easy to understand, as in La loi est claire. The phrase C'est clair. is often used colloquially to mean obviously or no doubt about it.
What does it mean word for word?
sans ambiguïté literally means without ambiguity.
Which one should you use?
clair can mean unambiguous, but it is also used for light colors or clear liquids. For physical see-through quality, French uses transparent. sans ambiguïté only means unambiguous. The informal expression Ça crève les yeux literally means it bursts the eyes and is used for something completely obvious.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
clair agrees with the noun it describes. It becomes claire for feminine nouns, clairs for masculine plural nouns and claires for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
clair is pronounced /klɛʁ/, in one syllable.
When do people say it?
When someone asks whether something is clear, a common way to confirm that you understand is simply to reply C'est clair.
Did you know?
- The French word clair comes from the Latin clārus, which is derived from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to shout' or 'to call'.
- The word clair is used to describe pale colors, such as bleu clair for light blue, acting as the opposite of foncé which means dark.
Examples in context
- La loi est claire.The law is clear.La loi est claire uses the feminine form because loi is feminine.Tatoeba #8064955 by Aiji, translation #3726266 by CM
- Tout est-il clair ?Is that all clear?Tout est-il clair ? checks whether everything is understood.Tatoeba #2497513 by sacredceltic, translation #2891423 by CK
- Je veux être clair.I want to be clear.Je veux être clair means I want to be clear.Tatoeba #8412122 by lbdx, translation #5757552 by CM
- Le ciel est clair aujourd'hui.The sky is clear today.
- Il est évident que cette décision est nécessaire.It is clear that this decision is necessary.
- Sa réponse était nette et précise.His answer was clear and precise.
- Les instructions étaient claires comme de l'eau de roche.The instructions were crystal clear.
- Son talent crève les yeux.His talent is undeniable/clear as day.
- Il est clair que nous devons continuer à travailler dur pour atteindre nos objectifs.It is clear that we must continue to work hard to achieve our goals.
- 202 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are discussing a set of instructions.
- EmmaEst-ce que le plan est clair ?Is the plan clear?
- HugoOui, c'est très clair pour moi.Yes, it is very clear to me.
- EmmaParfait, Hugo, on commence demain.Perfect, Hugo, we start tomorrow.
- HugoD'accord, je suis prêt.Okay, I am ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clear” translations and entries clair, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries clair, sans, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
