entendu

Entendu is a French word that can have different meanings depending on the context. It is often used as a past participle of the verb entendre or as an adjective/interjection.

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As a past participle of entendre (to hear):

• Meaning:
  • "Heard" or "understood."
• Verb: entendre — to hear, to listen, to understand (in some contexts).
• Example:
  • J'ai bien entendu ce que tu as dit. — "I have clearly heard what you said."
• Usage:
  • Used in compound tenses (passé composé) with avoir:
    Il a entendu un bruit. — "He heard a noise."

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As an adjective / expression (entendu):

• Meaning:

  • When used as an adjective or short phrase, entendu can mean agreed, understood, or accepted.
  • Equivalent to saying "OK," "Understood!," "Agreed!" in conversation.

• Examples:

  • Person A: Nous ferons cela demain.
    Person B: Entendu.
    ("We will do it tomorrow." "Agreed/Understood.")

• It's a way to confirm understanding or agreement.

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Etymology and parts:

• From the verb entendre, composed of
  • en- (a prefix, intensifying),
  • tendre (to stretch, to tend).
• The original idea is to stretch the ear, i.e., to hear.

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Synonyms:

• For “heard”:
  • écouté (listened) — more active listening, whereas entendre can simply mean "to hear."
• For “understood/agreed” (in expressions):
  • d'accord (agreed),
  • compris (understood),
  • accepté (accepted).

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Antonyms:

• For “heard”:

  • ignoré (ignored/not heard),
  • mal entendu (misheard)

• For “understood/agreed”:

  • refusé (refused),
  • mal compris (misunderstood)

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Summary:

• Entendu primarily means "heard" (past participle) or "understood/agreed" (as an interjection/response).
• It relates to hearing physically, and metaphorically to understanding or agreement.
• Used frequently in both formal and informal French conversation.

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