Common mistakes
Ignorer in French: not knowing or deliberately ignoring?
Read ignorer accurately in emails and conversations. Contrast missing information with deliberate disregard, then interpret and repair six contextual examples.
- B2
- 2 corrections
- Examples and fixes
- Learn this in the B2 notebook →
In short
Ignorer can mean “not know”: J’ignore son adresse. It can also mean “deliberately ignore”: Elle m’a vu, puis elle m’a ignoré. Read the object and the surrounding action before deciding that someone was rude.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
- ignorer une informationnecessarily to reject information deliberatelyto be unaware of information
J’ignorais que la réunion avait changé d’heure.I didn’t know the meeting time had changed.
For an explicit lack of knowledge, ne pas savoir is very clear.
- ignorer une personnenecessarily not to know who someone isto ignore someone, with context showing deliberate disregard
Il m’a reconnu, mais il m’a ignoré.He recognised me but ignored me.
To say you do not know a person, use ne pas connaître cette personne.
| French extract | Likely reading | Useful clue |
|---|---|---|
| Nous ignorons encore la cause. | We still do not know the cause. | Encore keeps the investigation open. |
| J’ignore où elle habite. | I do not know where she lives. | An indirect question gives the missing information. |
| Il a lu le rappel et l’a volontairement ignoré. | He deliberately disregarded the reminder. | Volontairement makes intention explicit. |
| Elle a ignoré mon message. | She ignored my message. | Often disregard, but the sentence gives no reason. |
A missing reply alone tells you little about someone’s intention. Elle n’a pas répondu reports the observable action. Elle a choisi de ne pas répondre adds a deliberate choice. Keep that difference when translating a tense email.
Does ignorer mean “ignore” or “not know”?
J’ignorais votre nouvelle adresse ; mon courrier est revenu.
I didn’t know your new address; my letter came back.
Je connaissais votre nouvelle adresse, mais j’ai choisi de ne pas vous écrire.
I knew your new address, but I chose not to write to you.
- J’ignore Paul : nous ne nous sommes jamais rencontrés.Je ne connais pas Paul : nous ne nous sommes jamais rencontrés.
For unfamiliarity with a person, use connaître. Ignorer Paul suggests disregarding him.
- Elle a ignoré l’horaire, car personne ne l’en avait informée.Elle ignorait l’horaire, car personne ne l’en avait informée.
The intended background state is lack of knowledge, so the imparfait fits.
- Je ne sais pas sa remarque et je continue.Je ne tiens pas compte de sa remarque et je continue.
The intended meaning is disregarding a comment. Ne pas tenir compte de states that clearly.