B2 Collocation Formal 3 min de lectura

réellement inadéquat

réellement inadéquat

Literalmente: really/actually inadequate

Use it to professionally point out that a solution or behavior is totally unfit for the situation.

En 15 segundos

  • Describes something fundamentally unfit for a specific task or context.
  • Common in professional, academic, or serious social critiques.
  • Implies a logical mismatch between needs and reality.

Significado

This phrase describes something that is truly unfit for a specific purpose or completely out of place in a given situation. It highlights a significant gap between what is required and what is actually being provided.

Ejemplos clave

3 de 6
1

Reviewing a project proposal

Ce budget est réellement inadéquat pour un projet de cette envergure.

This budget is truly inadequate for a project of this scale.

💼
2

Discussing a social gaffe

Sa plaisanterie lors de l'enterrement était réellement inadéquate.

His joke during the funeral was really inappropriate.

💭
3

Technical feedback

L'équipement actuel est réellement inadéquat pour ces tests.

The current equipment is truly inadequate for these tests.

👔
🌍

Contexto cultural

In France, the concept of 'le bon mot' (the right word) is essential. Using 'réellement inadéquat' shows a level of intellectual rigor. It is often used in political or academic debates to dismiss an opponent's argument as logically flawed rather than just 'wrong.'

💡

The 'Clinical' Trick

Use this phrase when you want to criticize someone without sounding like you're attacking them personally. It sounds like an objective observation.

⚠️

Don't overdo it

If you use this for every little mistake, you'll sound like a grumpy professor. Save it for the big mismatches.

En 15 segundos

  • Describes something fundamentally unfit for a specific task or context.
  • Common in professional, academic, or serious social critiques.
  • Implies a logical mismatch between needs and reality.

What It Means

Imagine you are trying to fix a broken car engine with a plastic spoon. That spoon is réellement inadéquat. It is not just 'bad'; it is fundamentally the wrong tool for the job. This phrase points out a mismatch. It suggests that a solution, behavior, or object fails to meet the necessary standards or requirements. It is a precise way to say something just doesn't fit the context.

How To Use It

You will mostly use this phrase as an adjective. It usually follows the verb être or modifies a noun. It sounds a bit sophisticated. You can use it to describe a plan, a response, or even a piece of equipment. It is like a verbal red flag. It tells people that the current approach is not just a little off, but totally wrong.

When To Use It

Use it when you need to be clear and firm. It works well in professional settings. For example, if a colleague suggests a budget that is way too small. You might say the budget is réellement inadéquat. It is also great for discussing social blunders. If someone wears a swimsuit to a formal wedding, their outfit is réellement inadéquat. It adds a layer of serious criticism without being overly aggressive.

When NOT To Use It

Avoid using this for small, everyday annoyances. If your coffee is just a bit cold, don't use it. That would sound way too dramatic. Also, avoid it in very casual slang-heavy conversations with close friends. It might make you sound a bit like a textbook. Don't use it if you are just trying to be mean. It is a clinical term, not a playground insult.

Cultural Background

French culture places a high value on *la justesse*—the idea of things being exactly right or appropriate. Being inadéquat is seen as a failure of logic or preparation. The French appreciate precision in language. Using a specific word like this shows you have analyzed the situation. It reflects the French educational emphasis on critical thinking and finding the 'right' fit for every problem.

Common Variations

You might hear totalement inadéquat for even more emphasis. If you want to sound a bit softer, you could say pas vraiment adapté. Another common version is tout à fait inapproprié, which focuses more on social behavior. If something is just 'not enough', people might say largement insuffisant. But réellement inadéquat remains the gold standard for describing a functional mismatch.

Notas de uso

This phrase is mostly used in writing or formal speech. Be careful with the gender agreement: use 'inadéquat' for masculine nouns and 'inadéquate' for feminine nouns.

💡

The 'Clinical' Trick

Use this phrase when you want to criticize someone without sounding like you're attacking them personally. It sounds like an objective observation.

⚠️

Don't overdo it

If you use this for every little mistake, you'll sound like a grumpy professor. Save it for the big mismatches.

💬

The French love 'Juste'

The opposite of 'inadéquat' is often 'juste'. In France, calling a solution 'juste' is one of the highest compliments for its logic and fit.

Ejemplos

6
#1 Reviewing a project proposal
💼

Ce budget est réellement inadéquat pour un projet de cette envergure.

This budget is truly inadequate for a project of this scale.

Used here to show a serious financial mismatch.

#2 Discussing a social gaffe
💭

Sa plaisanterie lors de l'enterrement était réellement inadéquate.

His joke during the funeral was really inappropriate.

Refers to a failure in social etiquette.

#3 Technical feedback
👔

L'équipement actuel est réellement inadéquat pour ces tests.

The current equipment is truly inadequate for these tests.

Focuses on the functional failure of tools.

#4 Texting a friend about a bad date
😄

Il est venu en jogging au resto chic, c'était réellement inadéquat !

He showed up in sweatpants to the fancy restaurant, it was so out of place!

Using a formal phrase in a text adds a touch of humorous irony.

#5 Academic critique
👔

Votre conclusion semble réellement inadéquate au vu des résultats.

Your conclusion seems truly inadequate given the results.

A polite but firm way to criticize logic.

#6 Complaining about service
😊

Le service dans cet hôtel est réellement inadéquat pour le prix.

The service in this hotel is really inadequate for the price.

Expressing disappointment in value for money.

Ponte a prueba

Choose the best word to complete the sentence regarding a failed solution.

Cette solution technique est ___ inadéquate pour résoudre le problème.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: réellement

'Réellement' is the standard adverb used with 'inadéquat' to emphasize a genuine mismatch.

Complete the sentence to describe an inappropriate behavior.

Ton comportement hier soir était réellement ___.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: inadéquat

'Inadéquat' perfectly describes behavior that doesn't fit the social context.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Ayudas visuales

Formality of 'Inadéquat'

Informal

Using 'pas top' or 'nul'.

C'est pas top.

Neutral

Using 'pas adapté'.

Ce n'est pas adapté.

Formal

Using 'réellement inadéquat'.

C'est réellement inadéquat.

Where to use 'Réellement Inadéquat'

réellement inadéquat
💼

Business Meeting

Rejecting a weak strategy.

🎓

University

Critiquing a research method.

🍷

Social Etiquette

Commenting on a faux pas.

🛎️

Customer Service

Reporting a major failure.

Preguntas frecuentes

12 preguntas

It acts as an intensifier, meaning 'truly' or 'genuinely.' It signals that you aren't just exaggerating; the inadequacy is a factual reality.

They are close, but inadéquat often refers to function or logic (a tool that doesn't work), while inapproprié often refers to social behavior (a rude comment).

Yes, if you are describing a past challenge. For example: Les outils étaient réellement inadéquats, donc j'ai dû innover.

Yes, but it might sound slightly sarcastic or 'extra' because it is quite formal. It's great for mock-seriousness.

It is formal to neutral. You'll see it in newspapers and hear it in offices, but rarely at a loud bar with friends.

It's pronounced /i.na.de.kwa/. Remember the 't' at the end is silent unless it's the feminine form inadéquate /i.na.de.kwat/.

The feminine form is réellement inadéquate. You must add an 'e' if the noun it describes is feminine, like une réponse réellement inadéquate.

You can, but réellement sounds more precise and sophisticated in French.

The opposite would be parfaitement adapté or tout à fait approprié.

Yes. Avoid calling a person inadéquat. Instead, say their *actions* or *words* were inadéquats. Calling a person that sounds very dehumanizing.

Not usually. For a shirt that's too small, use trop petit. Use inadéquat for things like plans, systems, or behaviors.

Only if you're being serious or slightly dramatic for effect. It’s a long word to type!

Frases relacionadas

à côté de la plaque

pas à la hauteur

hors de propos

déplacé

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