Learn French: Elle s'entend dire que ce projet financier est risqué. - She is told that this financial project is risky.

Elle s'entend dire que ce projet financier est risqué.

She is told that this financial project is risky.

Breakdown of Elle s'entend dire que ce projet financier est risqué.

Questions & Answers about Elle s'entend dire que ce projet financier est risqué.

Why use s'entendre dire instead of translating 'is told' as est dite?

In French, you cannot use the standard passive voice with être for a verb that takes an indirect object. Because you say dire à quelqu'un (to tell someone), you cannot say elle est dite. Instead, you use the indirect passive structure: s'entendre or se voir plus the infinitive.

Why is it the infinitive dire and not the past participle dit?

The structure literally translates to 'She hears (someone) say to her...'. Verbs of perception like entendre and voir are followed by the infinitive to show an action happening. The reflexive pronoun s' acts as the indirect object receiving the action of dire.

Could I use se voit dire instead of s'entend dire in this sentence?

Yes, elle se voit dire works perfectly and also means 'she is told'. While both are used for the indirect passive, s'entendre is especially natural with verbs of verbal communication like dire, reprocher, or demander, since it literally involves hearing the words.

Why does the adjective financier come after projet?

Financier is a classifying adjective, meaning it tells us the objective category or type of the project. In French, adjectives that define strict categories, such as professional, technical, or relational fields, always follow the noun.