Why do I need to know sous-côté?

This term is a useful way of expressing your likes and dislikes, and is also often used to talk about cultural trends.

What does it mean?

Sous-coté is made up of sous (under) and coté (rated) which comes from cote (rating, popularity) – not to be confused with côté (side).

The closest translation is therefore ‘underrated’ or ‘underestimated’.

The opposite of sous-coté is surcoté (one of those differences that are often tricky for English speakers to pronounce), which means ‘overrated’ or ‘overpriced’.

This song French Youtoubers McFly and Carlito may help you get your head around the concept:

The expression is frequently used by teenagers, who play a game called “sur ou sous-coté?”, which consists in naming things and classifying them as underrated or overrated. However, the word also often appears in sports journalism, particularly when talking about specific players in team sports like football.

Use it like this

Ce film est complètement sous-côté. – This film is totally underrated.

La réglisse est sous-coté, personne aime ça alors que c’est délicieux. – Licorice is underrated, nobody likes it but it’s delicious.

Certaines professions sont sous-cotés. Elles sont peu valorisés par rapport à leur rôle dans la société. – Some professions are underrated. They are not valued enough, given their role in society.

Synonyms

Sous-estimé – underestimated

Sous-évalué  – undervalued