Do you need someone to just get on with something already? Read on for the perfect phrase to give them a kick up the butt.
Why do I need to know bon gré, mal gré?
Sometimes in life, some things just need to be done. Bon gré, mal gré is a great way of conveying inevitability.
So, what does it mean?
The expression bon gré, mal gré means “like it or not”, “willingly or not” or “willy-nilly”.
For example, if you've got a misbehaving child, you might say: Tu dois ranger ta chambre, bon gré mal gré ! – “You have to clean your room, whether you like it or not!”
And if they aren't eating their greens, you could quip: Tu vas manger tes légumes, bon gré mal gré! – “You'll eat your vegetables, whether you like it or not!”
Or, with the meaning “willy-nilly”: Je me suis mariée bon gré mal gré et j'ai eu des enfants. – “I willy-nilly got married and had children.”
The phrase can either be used when giving orders or simply describing something that's already happened.
Did you know?
There's a whole bunch of French phrases that use the “gré” part of bon gré, mal gré.
A son gré means “to one's liking”, de bon gré or de plein gré is “willingly” and de gré à gré is “by mutual agreement”.
For more French phrases, check out our word of the day section.
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