impertinent

impertinent, cheeky

adjective an-pehr-tee-NAHN Rare

Origin: Latin impertinens, not pertinent

Usage Note

Impertinent describes behaviour or remarks that show disrespect or a lack of appropriate deference, especially towards authority or elders. The feminine form is impertinente. The related noun impertinence means a rude or out-of-place remark. The word can sometimes carry a mildly affectionate tone when applied to a witty child.

Examples

"Sa réponse impertinente choqua le professeur."

Natural Translation

His impertinent reply shocked the teacher.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Noun Gender: Rules to Guess Right 80%

Guess French noun gender right 80% of the time using word endings: -age, -ment, -eau are masculine; -tion, -té, -ette are feminine. A high-yield system.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Object Pronouns: le, la, lui, leur Order

Le lui or lui le? Use the à-name test to pick le/la vs lui/leur, then one slot chart to order two French object pronouns — plus the command exception.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Liaison Rules: When to Link Words (and Not To)

French liaison links a silent final consonant to the next vowel. Learn the obligatory, forbidden, and optional rules, plus the s→z and d→t sound shifts.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read