Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| complexe | /kɔ̃.plɛks/ |
| confusant |
The primary term for something that is difficult to understand is complexe. However, depending on your specific meaning, other words may be more appropriate. Use déroutant to describe something that is puzzling, bewildering or disorienting. If you want to describe something as messy or confusing in an informal way, use brouillon. For formal contexts, you may also use perturbant to convey that something is confusing or disconcerting.
Which one should you use?
While complexe is a standard translation, déroutant is a more natural and common way to express that something is confusing or disorienting. It is also important to distinguish between confusing and the feeling of being confused: the word confus can mean both a vague, muddled concept (confusing) and a person feeling embarrassed or muddled (confused) depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
The word complexe is pronounced /kɔ̃.plɛks/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- Avoid using the word confusant to mean 'confusing' in French. Although it looks like the English word, it is often considered an anglicism and is not used by native speakers in standard French.
- While English speakers use 'confusing' for things that are intellectually difficult, the French word déroutant literally carries the sense of being 'thrown off the road' or 'sidetracked'.
- The word brouillon is used not only for confusing ideas but also to describe a rough draft or a scribble in a notebook.
Examples in context
- La situation est perturbanteThe situation is confusing
- Je trouve ce problème déroutantI find this problem confusing
- Les instructions étaient embrouilléesThe instructions were confusing
- Son explication n'était pas claire du toutHis explanation was not clear at all
- Je suis perplexe quant à cette situationI am confused about this situation
- La situation est tellement compliquée que je n'arrive pas à la comprendreThe situation is so confusing that I can't understand it
- C'est compliqué de suivre ses explicationsIt's confusing to follow his explanations
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are studying for an exam together.
- LucasTu comprends cet exercice, Chloé ?Do you understand this exercise, Chloé?
- ChloéNon, je trouve le texte trop complexe.No, I find the text too confusing.
- LucasMoi aussi, je suis complètement perdu.Me too, I am completely lost.
- ChloéOn devrait demander l'aide du professeur.We should ask the teacher for help.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “confusing” translations and entries complexe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
