Why do I need to know coup de coeur?
This commonly used expression might become your new favourite way to talk about things you love.
So, what does coup de coeur mean?
The noun un coup translates as ‘a blow’ or ‘a hit’, but it is also used in a very wide variety of phrases where the blow is more of the metaphorical variety.
READ ALSO: Coup: The French word that can mean a punch, true love, a one-night-stand and much more✎
Le coeur means ‘the heart’ so, putting the two halves of the expression together, coup de coeur - roughly pronounced coo de kerr - literally means ‘a blow to the heart.’
Although this might sound like cause for medical concern, this phrase is actually used to describe having a sudden strong attraction to something, ‘falling for something’ or even ‘love at first sight.’
This could include books, films, places, properties, food, restaurants.
Although it can be used to refer to people it's more commonly used to describe objects. The phrase coup de foudre is the more usual way to talk about love at first sight between two people.
Un coup de coeur is often used with the verb avoir, for example Elle a vraiment eu un coup de coeur pour la robe - She really fell in love with the dress)
Ouf, j’ai eu un coup de coeur pour cette appartement - Wow, I really fell for that apartment.
But it can also be used as a stand-alone noun phrase, such as Coup de coeur assuré pour cette appartement de 4 pièces! - Love at first sight guaranteed for this 4-room apartment!
In print it often takes on a meaning closer to ‘favourites’ or ‘crushes’ and it is widely used in advertising.
How can I use coup de coeur?
C'est l'histoire d'un coup de coeur, celle d'un homme avec une region authentique et sauvage - It is a story of love at first sight, that of a man with a wild, authentic region.
Vous éprouvez un coup de coeur pour une maison ou pour un appartement? - Have you fallen in love with a house or flat?
Comments