How do you say “Play devil's advocate” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is se faire l'avocat du diable, which literally means “to make oneself the devil's advocate”. English speakers use play devil's advocate to mean to argue against an idea, even if you do not agree with the argument, just to test whether the idea is good. This is a direct historical equivalent that native speakers use across formal, professional, and casual contexts. French favors the reflexive construction 'se faire' over 'jouer'. It is neutral and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
se faire l'avocat du diable
/sə fɛʁ la.vɔ.ka dy djabl/
- Literal meaning
- “to make oneself the devil's advocate”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
98 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
Both the English and French idioms originate from the historical Roman Catholic office of the *advocatus diaboli*, an official appointed to argue against the canonization of a candidate to ensure rigorous scrutiny. Because of this shared etymology, the meaning, register, and pragmatic function in both languages are identical.
The only notable difference lies in the choice of verb. English relies on 'to play', whereas standard French uses the reflexive 'se faire' (literally 'to make oneself'). While 'jouer l'avocat du diable' has become frequent under English influence, 'se faire l'avocat du diable' remains the standard, most natural formulation for native speakers.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
jouer l'avocat du diable
Literally: “to play the devil's advocate”
Commonly heard due to English influence, but considered slightly less polished than 'se faire'.
prendre le contre-pied
Literally: “to take the opposite stance”
A neutral alternative meaning to argue the opposite side, though it lacks the specific nuance of devil's advocate.
Don't translate it literally
jouer à l'avocat du diable
Using the preposition 'à' sounds like you are playing a child's game rather than adopting a role.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
Just to play devil's advocate, what happens if our main supplier goes bankrupt?
French
Juste pour me faire l'avocat du diable, qu'est-ce qui se passe si notre fournisseur principal fait faillite ?
English
I agree with your proposal, but let me play devil's advocate for a second.
French
Je suis d'accord avec ta proposition, mais laisse-moi me faire l'avocat du diable une seconde.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11