en quelque sorte
/ɑ̃ kɛl.k(ə) sɔʁt/
The English phrase "sort of" can be translated into French as en quelque sorte. Wiktionary also lists en un sens and plus ou moins.
Meaning: to some extent but not entirely (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| en quelque sorte | /ɑ̃ kɛl.k(ə) sɔʁt/ |
| en un sens | /ɑ̃.n‿œ̃ sɑ̃s/ |
| plus ou moins | /ply.z‿u mwɛ̃/ |
The primary way to express that something is true to some extent but not entirely is by using en quelque sorte.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase en quelque sorte literally translates to "in some sort" or "in a certain way".
Which one should you use?
While en quelque sorte is a general way to say "sort of", en un sens is used specifically to mean "in a sense" or "from a certain perspective". Additionally, plus ou moins should be used when you want to emphasize the degree of something (more or less), whereas en quelque sorte is used to qualify a description or a metaphor.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃ kɛl.k(ə) sɔʁt/
Did you know?
- In very informal spoken French, people often replace these phrases with a simple shrug or a sound like bah, which conveys the same 'sort of' uncertainty without using words.
- The word sorte in en quelque sorte comes from the Latin 'sortem', meaning 'lot' or 'fate'. This is the same root that gives English the word 'sort' as in 'type'.
- The word plus is one of the few French words where the final 's' is sometimes pronounced and sometimes silent, depending on whether it is used for addition or comparison.
Examples in context
- C'est en quelque sorte étrange.It's sort of strange.Tatoeba #832387 by sacredceltic, translation #42706 by CK
- Je l'apprécie, en quelque sorte.I sort of like him.Tatoeba #4550360 by sacredceltic, translation #33013 by CK
- Je suis en quelque sorte fatigué.I'm sort of tired.Tatoeba #4550347 by sacredceltic, translation #24996 by CK
- Je suis, en quelque sorte, en train de réfléchir à la proposition.I am, in a way, considering the proposal.
- Le résultat est, d'une certaine façon, décevant.The result is, in a way, disappointing.
- Le film était plus ou moins intéressant.The movie was more or less interesting.
- Je suis un peu fatigué.I am sort of tired.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are discussing a new movie they just watched.
- ChloéTu as aimé le film ?Did you like the movie?
- GabrielC'était en quelque sorte déroutant.It was sort of confusing.
- ChloéJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
- GabrielL'histoire n'était pas claire.The story wasn't clear.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sort of” translations and entries en quelque sorte, en un sens, plus ou moins, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, plus, quelque, sens, sorte, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
