Example: N'en déplaise à ses détracteurs, il a réussi brillamment.
Definition
"N'en déplaise à" is a French expression used to politely introduce a statement that may contradict or upset someone's opinion or feelings, similar to saying 'whether or not it displeases' or 'regardless of displeasing' in English. For example, 'N'en déplaise à ses détracteurs, il a réussi brillamment' means 'Whether or not it displeases his critics, he succeeded brilliantly.'
Translations
Whether they like it or not
Aunque no guste
Hoe vervelend ook voor
Malgrat que no agradi
Ob es gefällt oder nicht
Etymology
The phrase "N'en déplaise à" comes from the French verb 'déplaire,' meaning 'to displease.' The construction literally means 'may it not displease' and is a polite way to acknowledge potential disagreement or offense. Did you know? This expression is often used to diplomatically introduce a contrary fact or opinion while showing respect to those who might disagree.
Learn to use this expression actively
"N'en déplaise à" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
Would you like to not only understand these expressions, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select French as the language you want to learn.
Whether they like it or not