Getting Over a Breakup, French Style
Tell a friend you've been dumped, pour your heart out and get back on your feet with the idioms French people really use.
In France friends usually talk a breakup through over a coffee or an apéro, and the vocabulary is casual: « larguer » for dumping someone, « mon ex », « se remettre de » for getting over it. Friends say tu and drop the « ne » in speech. The classic consolation line is « Un de perdu, dix de retrouvés », France's version of plenty more fish in the sea.
- 1
On a rompu le mois dernier.
We broke up last month.
- 2
Elle m'a largué.
She dumped me.
- 3
J'ai le cœur brisé.
I'm heartbroken.
- 4
J'ai le moral à zéro.
I'm feeling really low.
- 5
Elle me trompait.
She was cheating on me.
- 6
Je l'ai pas vu venir.
I didn't see it coming.
- 7
Ça tournait en rond depuis des mois.
We'd been going round in circles for months.
- 8
Un de perdu, dix de retrouvés.
There are plenty more fish in the sea.
Tip: Literally: one lost, ten found.
- 9
Il faut tourner la page, maintenant.
You have to turn the page now.
- 10
Te prends pas la tête.
Don't overthink it.
- 11
Elle en vaut pas la peine.
She's not worth it.
- 12
Je m'en suis toujours pas remis.
I still haven't got over it.
- 13
Elle me manque trop.
I miss her so much.
- 14
Elle est déjà passée à autre chose.
She's already moved on.
- 15
On reste amis.
We're staying friends.
- 16
C'est mieux comme ça.
It's better this way.
- 17
Viens, on sort, ça te changera les idées.
Come on, let's go out, it'll take your mind off it.
- 18
J'ai pleuré toutes les larmes de mon corps.
I cried my eyes out.
- 19
Ça va passer, tu vas voir.
It'll pass, you'll see.
- 20
J'avais besoin de vider mon sac.
I needed to get it off my chest.