recevoir at C2 — literary & formal
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Receipts, admissibility and administrative French.
The written register
Administrative French does not say « on a reçu votre lettre ». It says « nous accusons réception de votre courrier du 3 mars » — receipt acknowledged, date pinned, no person involved. Courts go further: from recevoir comes « recevable ». A claim that cannot even be examined is « irrecevable », rejected on procedure, before anyone has looked at whether it is right.
Legal drafting also lets texts receive: « cette disposition ne reçoit application que dans les cas prévus » — the rule applies only there. And watch the pronominal « se recevoir », which sports writing uses for landing: « le perchiste s’est mal reçu ». Four faces of one verb, and not one of them belongs in an ordinary conversation — the last survives only in sports reporting.
💡 Focus at this level: Formal — accuser réception, irrecevable, recevoir application
👨🏫 How to use « recevoir » at this level
1. « Accuser réception de » = to acknowledge receipt. Standard admin opener.
2. « Irrecevable » = inadmissible. Court language, built on recevoir.
3. « Recevoir application » = to apply, said of a text. Pure legal French.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
Which is more formal: « On a bien reçu votre lettre » ou « Nous accusons réception de votre lettre » ?
Show answer
« Nous accusons réception de votre lettre ». It is the fixed administrative formula; the first is spoken French.
A judge rejects a claim on procedure, not on the facts. Which word: « irrecevable » ou « infondée » ?
Show answer
« Irrecevable ». It says the claim cannot even be received; « infondée » judges the substance.
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🧩 Sentence builder put the words in the right order