Ne rien dire
Example: Il préfère ne rien dire pendant la réunion importante.
Definition
"Ne rien dire" means to choose not to speak or to remain silent, especially in situations where one might be expected to express an opinion or provide information. For example, in the phrase 'Il préfère ne rien dire pendant la réunion importante,' it indicates a preference for silence during an important meeting.
Translations
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To say nothing -
No decir nada -
Niets zeggen -
No dir res -
Nichts sagen
Etymology
The phrase "Ne rien dire" comes from French, combining 'ne' and 'rien' for negation, and 'dire' meaning 'to say.' It literally translates as 'to say nothing.' This structure is typical of French negation, where 'ne' is paired with another negative word, here 'rien' meaning 'nothing.' Did you know? The word 'dire' originates from Latin 'dicere,' meaning 'to say' or 'to speak.'
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"Ne rien dire" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 119 commonly used expressions.
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