Common mistakes
Compréhensif is not comprehensive: which French adjective to use?
Choose compréhensif for an understanding person, complet or exhaustif for coverage, and compréhensible for clear explanations. Practise repairs.
- B1
- 3 corrections
- Examples and fixes
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In short
Compréhensif describes someone who responds with understanding or tolerance. For “comprehensive”, choose complet or exhaustif when you mean coverage. Compréhensible means understandable: the reader can grasp the explanation.
- compréhensif / compréhensivecomprehensive in an everyday report or guideunderstanding, tolerant
Ma responsable a été compréhensive quand j’ai demandé un délai.My manager was understanding when I asked for more time.
For a report covering every point, use un rapport complet or un rapport exhaustif.
- compréhensiblean understanding personunderstandable
La réponse est courte et compréhensible.The reply is short and understandable.
For a person’s sympathetic response, choose compréhensif or compréhensive.
- exhaustif / exhaustiveeasy to understand by itselfexhaustive, covering all relevant elements
Cette liste exhaustive reprend toutes les pièces à fournir.This exhaustive list includes all the documents to be supplied.
For an explanation that is easy to follow, choose claire or compréhensible.
une collègue compréhensivean understanding colleague
Focus: her response to someone’s difficulty
Elle accepte de déplacer la réunion parce que mon train est annulé.
She agrees to move the meeting because my train has been cancelled.
un dossier completa complete file
Focus: all the required elements are present
Le dossier contient le formulaire, le CV et la lettre.
The file contains the form, CV and letter.
une explication compréhensiblean understandable explanation
Focus: the reader can follow the meaning
Chaque étape est expliquée dans un ordre clair.
Each step is explained in a clear order.
- Nora
J’ai reçu votre réponse. Merci d’avoir été si compréhensive.
I received your reply. Thank you for being so understanding.
- Responsable
Prenez le temps de vérifier les pièces manquantes.
Take the time to check the missing documents.
- Nora
Je vous enverrai un dossier complet demain matin.
I’ll send you a complete file tomorrow morning.
- Responsable
Très bien. La liste des pièces est-elle compréhensible ?
Very good. Is the document list understandable?
The feminine of compréhensif is compréhensive: un directeur compréhensif, une directrice compréhensive. Complet becomes complète and exhaustif becomes exhaustive. Compréhensible has the same singular form for both genders; add -s for the plural.
- Merci pour ce rapport compréhensif sur tous les services.Merci pour ce rapport complet sur tous les services.
The intended compliment concerns coverage. In ordinary workplace French, complet expresses that directly.
- Ma responsable a été très compréhensible avec moi.Ma responsable a été très compréhensive avec moi.
She responded with understanding. Compréhensible would concern how easy she or her words were to understand.
- Voici une liste exhaustif des documents.Voici une liste exhaustive des documents.
Liste is feminine, so exhaustif becomes exhaustive.