s'y prendre mal
/si pʁɑ̃dʁ mal/
le (masc.) la (fem.)
Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.
Forms
- present
- s'y prend mal
- past
- s'y est pris mal
- perfect
- pris mal
Meaning
-
to go about it the wrong way
-
Il s'y prend mal pour demander une augmentation.
He goes about it the wrong way to ask for a raise.
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Similar words
"s'y prendre mal" and "se mettre le doigt dans l'œil" are close idioms for going about something the wrong way, largely interchangeable.
"faire fausse route" and "s'y prendre mal" are close idioms for being on the wrong track, largely interchangeable.
Practice
1 What does s'y prendre mal mean?
to go about it the wrong way
2 Fill the gap: Il s'y ___ mal pour demander une augmentation.
Full sentence: Il s'y prend mal pour demander une augmentation. (He goes about it the wrong way to ask for a raise.)
3 Which fingerprint chart matches s'y prendre mal?
s'y prendre mal: neutral register, common frequency, general domain, neutral connotation.
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