inquiet
/ɛ̃.kjɛ/
The English phrase "worried" is translated into French as inquiet.
inquiet is used to describe a person who is thinking about unpleasant things that have happened or that might happen. Other ways to express related feelings include anxieux/anxieuse for someone who is anxious, soucieux/soucieuse for someone who is worried and carries a sense of care or responsibility and être stressé(e) to say someone is stressed.
Meaning: thinking about unpleasant things that have happened or that might happen (adj)
Which one should you use?
While inquiet implies a state of anxiety or unease, soucieux often implies being preoccupied with specific concerns or duties. To express the concept of having worries more broadly, you can use the phrase avoir des soucis.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is inquiet, and the feminine singular form is inquiète. For plural forms, use inquiets for masculine plural and inquiètes for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ɛ̃.kjɛ/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word souci means 'worry' in a psychological sense but also refers to a 'marigold' flower in French.
- The word inquiet is built on the idea of being 'not quiet', as it derives from the Latin 'in-' meaning 'not' and 'quietus' meaning 'quiet' or 'at rest'.
- The term être stressé is a relatively modern addition to the language. Older generations of French speakers may prefer être tourmenté or être préoccupé to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Examples in context
- Tu as l'air inquiet.You sound worried.This sentence is useful for describing how someone appears or sounds.Tatoeba #10713132 by lbdx, translation #5902926 by CK
- Je suis très inquiet.I am very worried.This sentence is useful for expressing a high level of worry.Tatoeba #5523817 by Spitowned, translation #5526888 by mailohilohi
- Tom n'est pas inquiet.Tom isn't worried.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is not worried.Tatoeba #5662667 by Yemana, translation #2237033 by CK
- Je suis préoccupé par cette situationI am worried about this situation
- Nous sommes inquiets pour vousWe are worried about you
- Il est anxieux à l'idée de passer son examenHe is worried about taking his exam
- Nous sommes soucieux de votre bien-êtreWe are worried about your well-being
- Je suis préoccupé par mes problèmes financiersI am worried about my financial issues
- J'ai des soucis avec mon travail en ce momentI have worries/troubles with my work at the moment
- Je suis stressé à l'idée de rencontrer de nouvelles personnesI am worried about meeting new people
- 139 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are talking about a late friend.
- GabrielOù est-il ? Je suis inquiet.Where is he? I am worried.
- EmmaNe sois pas inquiet, Gabriel.Don't be worried, Gabriel.
- GabrielIl est très en retard.He is very late.
- EmmaIl va arriver bientôt.He will arrive soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “worried” translations and entries inquiet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries inquiet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
