PLAIN - Translation from English into French

Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary

I. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn] N

1. plain GEOG:

plain: plaine f

on the plain: dans la plaine

the (Great) Plains Am: les Grandes Plaines

2. plain (knitting stitch):

plain: maille f à l'endroit

a row of plain: un rang à l'endroit

II. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn] ADJ

1. plain (simple):

plain dress, decor, food, living, language: simple

plain building, furniture: sobre

plain cooking: cuisine f simple

she's a good plain cook: elle fait une bonne cuisine simple

a plain man: un homme simple

2. plain (of one colour):

plain background, fabric: uni

plain envelope: sans inscription

a sheet of plain paper (unheaded): une feuille de papier libre

a sheet of plain paper (unlined): une feuille de papier non reglé

a plain blue dress: une robe toute bleue

under plain cover (of a letter): sous pli discret

3. plain (unattractive) euph:

plain woman: quelconque

she's rather plain: elle a un visage quelconque, elle n'a rien d'une beauté

4. plain (clear):

plain line, marking: net/nette

in plain view of sb: sous les yeux de qn

5. plain (obvious):

plain: évident, clair

it was plain to everyone that he was lying: il était évident pour tout le monde qu'il mentait

it's a plain fact that …: il est bien clair que …

it is plain from this report that …: il est clair d'après ce rapport que …

she's jealous, it's plain to see: elle est jalouse, ça saute aux yeux

her suffering was plain to see: on ne pouvait pas ignorer sa souffrance

to make it plain to sb that …: faire comprendre clairement à qn que …

let me make myself quite plain, I'm not going: que ce soit bien clair, je n'y vais pas

do I make myself plain?: suis-je bien clair?

she made her irritation quite plain: elle n'a pas caché son irritation

6. plain (direct):

plain answer, language: franc/franche

can't you speak in plain English?: tu ne peux pas parler en termes simples?

in plain English, this means that …: en clair, ceci veut dire que …

the plain truth of the matter is that …: la vérité est que …

7. plain (downright):

plain tjrs attr common sense: simple

plain attr ignorance, laziness: pur et simple

8. plain (ordinary):

I knew him when he was plain Mr Spencer: je l'ai connu quand il s'appelait M. Spencer tout court

9. plain (unflavoured):

plain yoghurt, crisps, rice: nature

10. plain (in knitting):

plain: à l'endroit

III. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn] ADV

1. plain (completely):

plain stupid, wrong: tout bonnement, tout simplement

plain lazy: tout bonnement paresseux

2. plain (directly):

I can't put it any plainer than that: je ne peux pas être plus clair

IV. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn]

to be as plain as day: être clair comme l'eau de roche

to be plain sailing project, task etc:: marcher comme sur des roulettes

plain-spoken ADJ

plain-spoken: direct

plain text N

plain text COMPUT, TELEC: texte m en clair

plain speaking N U

plain speaking: franchise f

there was plenty of plain speaking: tout le monde a eu son franc-parler

I. plain clothes N npl

to wear plain clothes , to be in plain clothes: être en civil

II. plain-clothes ADJ

plain-clothes tjrs attr policeman, customs officer:

plain-clothes: en civil

plain dealing N

plain dealing: honnêteté f

plain Jane N inf

she's rather a plain Jane: ce n'est pas une beauté

plain flour N FOOD

plain flour: farine f (sans levure)

plain chocolate N

plain chocolate: chocolat m à croquer

plain speaker N

plain speaker: personne f qui a son franc-parler

in the PONS Dictionary

English

French

I. plain [pleɪn] ADJ

1. plain (one colour):

plain: uni(e)

2. plain (unflavoured):

plain yoghurt: nature

plain chocolate: chocolat m noir

3. plain (uncomplicated):

plain clothes, cookery: très simple

a plain wooden table: une table en bois toute simple

plain and simple: pur(e) et simple

4. plain (clear, obvious):

plain: clair(e)

in plain language: en langage clair

it's plain that ...: il est clair que ...

to be plain enough: être assez clair

to make sth plain: ne pas faire mystère de qc

to make oneself plain to sb: se rendre clair à qn

to be plain with sb: être clair avec qn

5. plain (mere, pure):

plain truth, torture: pur(e)

it's plain selfishness: c'est de l'égoïsme pur

6. plain (unattractive):

plain: sans attraits

Phrases:

to be as plain as the nose on your face: se voir comme le nez au milieu de la figure

II. plain [pleɪn] ADV

1. plain (done in unadorned style):

plain: clairement

2. plain inf (downright):

plain: vraiment

III. plain [pleɪn] N

1. plain GEO:

plain: plaine f

the plains: la prairie

2. plain (knitting stitch):

plain: maille f

plain sailing N fig

to be plain sailing: être simple comme bonjour

I. plain clothes LAW N

plain clothes: vêtements mpl de civil

in plain clothes: en civil

II. plain clothes LAW ADJ (of non-uniformed police)

plain clothes: en civil

plain-spoken ADJ

to be plain-spoken: être franc

flood plain N

flood plain: plaine f inondable

as plain as a pikestaff Brit: clair(e) comme le jour

French

English

plaine: plain

sans fioritures: plain (and unadorned)

sans ornements: plain

uni(e) (sans motifs): plain

in the PONS Dictionary

English

French

I. plain [pleɪn] ADJ

1. plain (clear, obvious):

plain: clair(e)

in plain language: en langage clair

it's plain (to see) that ...: il est clair que ...

to be plain enough: être assez clair

to make sth plain: ne pas faire mystère de qc

to make oneself plain to sb: se rendre clair à qn

to be plain with sb: être clair avec qn

2. plain (unflavored):

plain yogurt, bagel: nature inv

3. plain (uncomplicated):

plain clothing, envelope: très simple

a plain wooden table: une table en bois toute simple

plain and simple: pur(e) et simple

4. plain (mere, pure):

plain truth, torture: pur(e)

it's plain selfishness: c'est de l'égoïsme pur

5. plain (one color):

plain fabric: uni(e)

6. plain (unattractive):

plain: sans attrait

II. plain [pleɪn] ADV

1. plain (clearly):

plain: clairement

2. plain inf (downright):

plain: vraiment

III. plain [pleɪn] N

1. plain GEO:

plain: plaine f

the plains: la prairie

2. plain (knitting stitch):

plain: maille f

I. plain clothes LAW N

plain clothes: vêtements mpl de civil

in plain clothes: en civil

II. plain clothes LAW ADJ

plain clothes police officer:

plain clothes: en civil

plain sailing N fig

to be plain sailing: être simple comme bonjour

French

English

plaine: plain

sans fioritures: plain (and unadorned)

sans ornements: plain

uni(e) (sans motifs): plain

nature yaourt: plain

pur(e) vérité: plain

tu ne comprends pas/vous ne comprenez pas le français? inf: don't you understand plain English?

Present
I	plain
you	plain
he/she/it	plains
we	plain
you	plain
they	plain

Past
I	plained
you	plained
he/she/it	plained
we	plained
you	plained
they	plained

Present Perfect
I	have	plained
you	have	plained
he/she/it	has	plained
we	have	plained
you	have	plained
they	have	plained

Past Perfect
I	had	plained
you	had	plained
he/she/it	had	plained
we	had	plained
you	had	plained
they	had	plained

See further verb tables

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Examples from the PONS Dictionary (editorially verified)

a plain wooden table: une table en bois toute simple

plain and simple: pur(e) et simple

to make oneself plain to sb: se rendre clair à qn

it's plain selfishness: c'est de l'égoïsme pur

under plain cover: sous pli simple

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

At both far edges of the flood plain, especially on the eastern side, the old mountains created dark shadows on the horizon.

en.wikipedia.org

More than of flood plain agricultural fields were flooded across the counties.

en.wikipedia.org

However, several storms after 1100 flooded the land, turning it into a flood plain.

en.wikipedia.org

The flood plain in general and associated villus in particular have a high diversity of both smaller and larger plant species.

en.wikipedia.org

The terrain here is very flat, because it used to be in the river's flood plain.

en.wikipedia.org

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Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary

I. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn] N

1. plain GEOG:

2. plain (knitting stitch):

II. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn] ADJ

1. plain (simple):

2. plain (of one colour):

3. plain (unattractive) euph:

4. plain (clear):

5. plain (obvious):

6. plain (direct):

7. plain (downright):

8. plain (ordinary):

9. plain (unflavoured):

10. plain (in knitting):

III. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn] ADV

1. plain (completely):

2. plain (directly):

IV. plain [Brit pleɪn, Am pleɪn]

plain-spoken ADJ

plain text N

plain speaking N U

I. plain clothes N npl

II. plain-clothes ADJ

plain-clothes tjrs attr policeman, customs officer:

plain dealing N

plain Jane N inf

plain flour N FOOD

plain chocolate N

plain speaker N

in the PONS Dictionary

I. plain [pleɪn] ADJ

1. plain (one colour):

2. plain (unflavoured):

3. plain (uncomplicated):

4. plain (clear, obvious):

5. plain (mere, pure):

6. plain (unattractive):

Phrases:

II. plain [pleɪn] ADV

1. plain (done in unadorned style):

2. plain inf (downright):

III. plain [pleɪn] N

1. plain GEO:

2. plain (knitting stitch):

plain sailing N fig

I. plain clothes LAW N

II. plain clothes LAW ADJ (of non-uniformed police)

plain-spoken ADJ

flood plain N

I. plain [pleɪn] ADJ

1. plain (clear, obvious):

2. plain (unflavored):

3. plain (uncomplicated):

4. plain (mere, pure):

5. plain (one color):

6. plain (unattractive):

II. plain [pleɪn] ADV

1. plain (clearly):

2. plain inf (downright):

III. plain [pleɪn] N

1. plain GEO:

2. plain (knitting stitch):

I. plain clothes LAW N

II. plain clothes LAW ADJ

plain clothes police officer:

plain sailing N fig

PONS OpenDict

Would you like to add a word, a phrase or a translation?

Examples from the PONS Dictionary (editorially verified)

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

Browse the dictionary

Look up "plain" in other languages