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censé

supposed to, meant to

adjective sahn-SEH Less Common

Usage Note

Censé is almost always used in the construction être censé + infinitive, meaning to be supposed to do something or to be expected to do something. It is formal; in casual speech devoir is more common. The feminine form is censée. A common phrase: tu es censé savoir ça — you're supposed to know that.

Examples

"Tu es censé être là à midi."

Natural Translation

You are supposed to be there at noon.

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