confus
/kɔ̃.fy/
The English word "confused" is translated into French as confus.
confus is an adjective used to describe someone who is unable to think clearly or understand a situation. Note that in French, confus can also mean "embarrassed," such as when one feels awkward or apologetic, while English often treats these as two distinct concepts.
Meaning: unable to think clearly or understand (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cajun French, the term perdu(e) is used to denote confusion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on gender and number: confus is the masculine singular and masculine plural form, confuse is the feminine singular form and confuses is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɔ̃.fy/
Did you know?
- The word confus comes from the Latin cōnfūsus, meaning 'poured together' or 'mingled'.
- The adjective confus can be used to describe something that is physically 'blurry' or 'out of focus', particularly in older or more literary contexts.
- The word confus can describe a physical mixture of things, such as a 'confused' crowd or a jumble of objects, not just a person's mental state.
Examples in context
- Je me sens confus.I'm feeling confused.This sentence uses confus to express a personal feeling of confusion.Tatoeba #1519885 by sacredceltic, translation #1519788 by Scott
- Tom a l'air confus.Tom looks confused.This sentence uses confus to describe how someone else looks.Tatoeba #9392087 by Micsmithel, translation #1868053 by CK
- Je suis un peu confus.I'm getting a bit confused.This sentence uses confus to indicate a slight degree of confusion.Tatoeba #7769769 by Aiji, translation #3732451 by CK
- Je suis perplexe face à cette situation.I am confused about this situation.
- La nouvelle m'a déconcerté(e).The news confused me.
- Je suis complètement déboussolé(e) par cette histoire.I am completely confused by this story.
- Je suis un peu paumé(e), je ne comprends pas ce qu'il se passe.I'm a bit confused, I don't understand what's going on.
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas is asking Chloé for help with a difficult exercise.
- LucasJe ne comprends pas ce problème, je suis confus.I don't understand this problem, I am confused.
- ChloéEst-ce que je peux t'aider, Lucas ?Can I help you, Lucas?
- LucasOui, s'il te plaît, c'est trop compliqué.Yes, please, it's too complicated.
- ChloéRegarde bien cette étape, c'est plus simple.Look closely at this step, it's simpler.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry confus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries confus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
