French Expression of the Day: Avoir des idées arrêtées
This type of person knows what they like, and more importantly, what they don't like.
Why do I need to know avoir des idées arrêtées ?
Because your friend who will only watch certain movie genres might be described this way.
What does it mean?
Avoir des idées arrêtées – roughly pronounced ah vwar dayz ee-day arr-eh-tay – translates precisely to “to have stopped ideas.”
In its normal usage, the phrase translates more accurately as “to have strong opinions” or "to have fixed ideas" - being uncompromising in your one’s viewpoints.
Another way to describe this type of person in French might be “catégorique” (or ‘categorical’ in English).
You might also hear this expression as “des idées bien arrêtées” - meaning someone who has ‘very’ strong opinions. Depending on context, this phrase might have a bit of a negative connotation, particularly if it is being used to portray someone as being stubborn.
Use it like this
Elle a des idées arrêtées sur les films, comme elle refuse de regarder tout autre film que ceux de Marvel. Elle ne veut même pas regarder les films DC. – She has very strong opinions about films, for instance she only watches Marvel movies. She won’t even watch DC movies.
Tout le monde dit qu'il a des opinions arrêtées, mais je l'ai trouvé flexible sur certaines choses... comme le choix d'un restaurant. – Everyone says he is uncompromising, but I find him to be flexible on some things, like choosing a restaurant.
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Why do I need to know avoir des idées arrêtées ?
Because your friend who will only watch certain movie genres might be described this way.
What does it mean?
Avoir des idées arrêtées – roughly pronounced ah vwar dayz ee-day arr-eh-tay – translates precisely to “to have stopped ideas.”
In its normal usage, the phrase translates more accurately as “to have strong opinions” or "to have fixed ideas" - being uncompromising in your one’s viewpoints.
Another way to describe this type of person in French might be “catégorique” (or ‘categorical’ in English).
You might also hear this expression as “des idées bien arrêtées” - meaning someone who has ‘very’ strong opinions. Depending on context, this phrase might have a bit of a negative connotation, particularly if it is being used to portray someone as being stubborn.
Use it like this
Elle a des idées arrêtées sur les films, comme elle refuse de regarder tout autre film que ceux de Marvel. Elle ne veut même pas regarder les films DC. – She has very strong opinions about films, for instance she only watches Marvel movies. She won’t even watch DC movies.
Tout le monde dit qu'il a des opinions arrêtées, mais je l'ai trouvé flexible sur certaines choses... comme le choix d'un restaurant. – Everyone says he is uncompromising, but I find him to be flexible on some things, like choosing a restaurant.
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