French expression of the day: Ça me barbe
If someone asks you how lockdown was, this could be a fitting way to respond.
Why do I need to know ça me barbe?
It's to be used in those special moments when you're really bored to death.
What does it mean?
Ça me barbe is a wonderfully literate way of expressing boredom.
Translated to 'it beards me', the expression is literally saying that something is so dull that it makes you grow a beard that even Gandalf could be proud of.
Ça me barbe - It bores me to death.
There are several theories as to how barbe came to signify boredom.
One theory bases itself on the expression faire la barbe à quelqu'un - 'making someone grow a beard' - which originally referred to a war practice during the Middle Ages where the winners shaved the loser's head and mocked them. Faire la barbe à quelqu'un meant 'making someone look like a fool'.
It may well also be linked to the gesture where you stroke your index finger and thumb down your cheek like you're stroking your beard.
Use it like this
La barbe ! - What a drag!
On regarde Mad Men ce soir ? Non, franchement cette serie me barbe. - Should we watch Mad Men tonight? No, really, that series bores me witless.
J'en peux plus de confinement, ça me barbe. - I can't stand lockdown anymore, it bores me to death.
Ouf, c'était vraiment barbant. - Ouf, that was a real bore.
Synonyms
Ça m'ennuie - it bores me
Ça me fait chier - it bores me (vulgar version)
Comments
See Also
Why do I need to know ça me barbe?
It's to be used in those special moments when you're really bored to death.
What does it mean?
Ça me barbe is a wonderfully literate way of expressing boredom.
Translated to 'it beards me', the expression is literally saying that something is so dull that it makes you grow a beard that even Gandalf could be proud of.
Ça me barbe - It bores me to death.
There are several theories as to how barbe came to signify boredom.
One theory bases itself on the expression faire la barbe à quelqu'un - 'making someone grow a beard' - which originally referred to a war practice during the Middle Ages where the winners shaved the loser's head and mocked them. Faire la barbe à quelqu'un meant 'making someone look like a fool'.
It may well also be linked to the gesture where you stroke your index finger and thumb down your cheek like you're stroking your beard.
Use it like this
La barbe ! - What a drag!
On regarde Mad Men ce soir ? Non, franchement cette serie me barbe. - Should we watch Mad Men tonight? No, really, that series bores me witless.
J'en peux plus de confinement, ça me barbe. - I can't stand lockdown anymore, it bores me to death.
Ouf, c'était vraiment barbant. - Ouf, that was a real bore.
Synonyms
Ça m'ennuie - it bores me
Ça me fait chier - it bores me (vulgar version)
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