Bedeutung
Deep down, privately in one's mind or conscience; in secret.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The 'for intérieur' is a central theme in the French 'roman d'analyse' (psychological novel), from Madame de La Fayette to Marcel Proust. It focuses on the minute movements of the soul. The phrase has roots in the 'forum internum' of canon law, where the priest acts as a guide for the believer's conscience during confession. In modern France, the 'for intérieur' is the space where religious belief is allowed to exist freely, as long as it remains private and doesn't interfere with the public 'for extérieur'. French jurors are asked to judge based on their 'intime conviction', which is essentially a judgment made in their 'for intérieur' after seeing all evidence.
The 'No-T' Rule
Always double-check your spelling. If you write 'fort', you are talking about a castle or strength, not your conscience.
Possessive Agreement
Don't forget to change 'son' to 'mon' if you are the one thinking!
Bedeutung
Deep down, privately in one's mind or conscience; in secret.
The 'No-T' Rule
Always double-check your spelling. If you write 'fort', you are talking about a castle or strength, not your conscience.
Possessive Agreement
Don't forget to change 'son' to 'mon' if you are the one thinking!
The Secret Garden
French people value their privacy. Using this phrase shows you respect the boundary between public and private life.
Literary Flair
Use this in your DELF/DALF exams to impress the examiners with your high-level vocabulary.
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct possessive adjective.
Je sais, en ___ for intérieur, que j'ai pris la bonne décision.
The subject is 'Je', so the possessive must be 'mon'.
Which spelling is correct?
Il se sentait coupable en son ___ intérieur.
'For' comes from the Latin 'forum'. 'Fort' means strong and is incorrect here.
Match the sentence to the most likely context.
« En son for intérieur, il méprisait ses collègues. »
The phrase describes a private, unexpressed emotion.
Choose the best response to complete the dialogue.
A: Est-ce qu'il a vraiment changé d'avis ? B: Il dit que oui, mais...
This correctly uses the idiom to show a contrast between public words and private thoughts.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Public vs. Private
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenJe sais, en ___ for intérieur, que j'ai pris la bonne décision.
The subject is 'Je', so the possessive must be 'mon'.
Il se sentait coupable en son ___ intérieur.
'For' comes from the Latin 'forum'. 'Fort' means strong and is incorrect here.
« En son for intérieur, il méprisait ses collègues. »
The phrase describes a private, unexpressed emotion.
A: Est-ce qu'il a vraiment changé d'avis ? B: Il dit que oui, mais...
This correctly uses the idiom to show a contrast between public words and private thoughts.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenYes, but mostly in writing, news, or formal discussions. You won't hear it much at a loud party.
Yes, it is common and understood, but 'en mon for intérieur' is considered more 'correct' in high literature.
It is 'en leurs fors intérieurs', but it is very rare to use the plural.
It's an old French evolution of the Latin word. Many legal terms in French shortened Latin words this way.
Usually, yes. It refers to things you don't share or things that are part of your deepest moral compass.
Yes! 'En mon for intérieur, je savais que j'allais réussir' (Deep down, I knew I would succeed).
Yes, it's almost a synonym for 'conscience', but it emphasizes the *location* of the thought (the inner forum).
No, in modern French, 'for' only exists in this specific expression.
Exactly like the word 'fort' (strong) or the English word 'for' but with a French 'r'.
No, it's actually quite good for a job interview if you're discussing your values or motivations.
'Au fond' is like saying 'basically' or 'deep down'. 'En son for intérieur' is more about the moral self.
Only if you're being dramatic or very serious with a close friend.
Verwandte Redewendungen
au fond de soi
synonymDeep down inside oneself
âme et conscience
similarIn all honesty and awareness
jardin secret
similarSecret garden / private life
intime conviction
specialized formDeepest conviction
à part soi
similarTo oneself
