maladroit
/ma.la.dʁwa/
The English word clumsy is translated into French as maladroit. Wiktionary also lists empoté and gauche.
Meaning: awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| maladroit | /ma.la.dʁwa/ |
| empoté | /ɑ̃.pɔ.te/ |
| gauche | /ɡoʃ/ |
| lourd | /luʁ/ |
All these terms describe a lack of coordination, grace or dexterity.
Which one should you use?
maladroit is the most versatile term, used for both physical clumsiness and social/verbal blunders. empoté is more informal and often implies a certain level of stupidity or lack of awareness alongside physical clumsiness. lourd, while literally meaning 'heavy', is used colloquially to describe someone who is socially 'clumsy' in a way that is tiresome, heavy-handed or annoying.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of maladroit is maladroite. The feminine form of empoté is empotée. The feminine form of lourd is lourde. The word gauche is invariable in gender, meaning the spelling remains the same for masculine and feminine.
Did you know?
- The word gauche used to mean 'left' in Old French, but it was replaced in the sixteenth century by another word. It now carries the metaphorical meaning of being socially awkward or 'clumsy'.
- The word maladroit contains the root droit, which means both 'straight' and 'right' in French.
Examples in context
- Pourquoi es-tu si maladroit ?Why are you so clumsy?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is behaving clumsily using maladroit.Tatoeba #6936033 by Aiji, translation #2955192 by CK
- Tu es un gars très maladroit.You're a very clumsy guy.This sentence is useful for describing a person as a clumsy guy using maladroit.Tatoeba #12274156 by Rovo, translation #6268553 by CK
- Le choix de mes mots fut maladroit.My choice of words was clumsy.This sentence is useful for describing a choice of words as being clumsy using maladroit.Tatoeba #2292145 by sacredceltic, translation #13808020 by tieguy
- Il est maladroit avec ses mains.He is clumsy with his hands.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a kitchen, Nathan just dropped a glass.
- NathanOh non, je suis tellement maladroit !Oh no, I am so clumsy!
- LéaNe t'inquiète pas, Nathan.Don't worry, Nathan.
- NathanJe suis vraiment maladroit avec les verres.I am really clumsy with glasses.
- LéaCe n'est rien, ce n'est qu'un accident.It's nothing, it's just an accident.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clumsy” translations and entries maladroit, empoté, gauche, lourd, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gauche, lourd, maladroit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
