How to Say ‘It seems off.’ in French
Il semble arrêté.
eel sahmbl ah-reh-tay
[eel sahmbl ah-reh-tay]
💬 Usage Tip: [Il semble arrêté] literally means "It seems stopped." French often uses [il semble + adjective/past form] for a cautious guess, like [Il semble cassé] — "It seems broken."
Phrase Breakdown
Il
[eel]
it
Here il refers to a device or system, meaning 'it'.
Il ne répond plus quand on l'allume.
It no longer responds when turned on.
semble
[sahmbl]
seems
Used to give an impression rather than a certainty.
Le moteur semble silencieux d'un coup.
The motor suddenly seems quiet.
arrêté
[ah-reh-tay]
stopped
Means no longer moving, running, or working.
L'appareil paraît arrêté depuis hier.
The appliance appears stopped since yesterday.
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