French word of the Day: Tanguy
If you hear somebody referred to as Tanguy, even though that’s not their name, it’s probably a reference to a popular French film.
Why do I need to know Tanguy?
Because you will impress acquaintances with your knowledge of French popular culture
What does it mean?
A ‘Tanguy’ is somebody (usually a man) who lives with his parents long into adulthood.
The term originated with the 2001 film Tanguy, directed by Étienne Chatiliez. The title character, played by Éric Berger, is a brilliant and affable PhD student, who can’t bring himself to leave the comfort and luxury of the family home even at the age of 28, much to the chagrin of his exasperated parents.
Like ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in English, ‘Tanguy’ has taken on a life of its own, and is now used to describe any adult who is still living at home well into their late twenties or early thirties. This applies whether it’s a conscious choice, or a result of financial constraints, even though the original Tanguy had no real barriers to flying the nest.
While it’s not necessarily an insult, you should be careful when using it because people might take offence at the implication that they are a bit of a mummy's boy.
Of course, in times of financial crisis, it is more common for people to move out at an older age, or to return home after their studies. In April 2020, Le Figaro published an article headlined Coronavirus: Le retour à la maison de la génération Tanguy (Coronavirus: The return home of the Tanguy generation).
Although its original meaning was people who never left the parental home, rather than people who moved out and then moved back.
Don't confuse it with
Colonel Rol-Tanguy was a prominent figure in the French Resistance during World War II who masterminded the liberation of Paris. He has several monuments in the capital including a street named after him and, as far as we know, did not live with his parents during adulthood. You can find more about him here.
Use it like this
Il a quarante ans et il habite toujours chez ses parents. C’est un vrai Tanguy. – He’s forty and still lives with his parents. He’s a real kiddult.
Il est grand temps que je déménage, je ne veux pas devenir un Tanguy. – I really need to move out, I don’t want to become one of those grown men still living with their parents.
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Why do I need to know Tanguy?
Because you will impress acquaintances with your knowledge of French popular culture
What does it mean?
A ‘Tanguy’ is somebody (usually a man) who lives with his parents long into adulthood.
The term originated with the 2001 film Tanguy, directed by Étienne Chatiliez. The title character, played by Éric Berger, is a brilliant and affable PhD student, who can’t bring himself to leave the comfort and luxury of the family home even at the age of 28, much to the chagrin of his exasperated parents.
Like ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in English, ‘Tanguy’ has taken on a life of its own, and is now used to describe any adult who is still living at home well into their late twenties or early thirties. This applies whether it’s a conscious choice, or a result of financial constraints, even though the original Tanguy had no real barriers to flying the nest.
While it’s not necessarily an insult, you should be careful when using it because people might take offence at the implication that they are a bit of a mummy's boy.
Of course, in times of financial crisis, it is more common for people to move out at an older age, or to return home after their studies. In April 2020, Le Figaro published an article headlined Coronavirus: Le retour à la maison de la génération Tanguy (Coronavirus: The return home of the Tanguy generation).
Although its original meaning was people who never left the parental home, rather than people who moved out and then moved back.
Don't confuse it with
Colonel Rol-Tanguy was a prominent figure in the French Resistance during World War II who masterminded the liberation of Paris. He has several monuments in the capital including a street named after him and, as far as we know, did not live with his parents during adulthood. You can find more about him here.
Use it like this
Il a quarante ans et il habite toujours chez ses parents. C’est un vrai Tanguy. – He’s forty and still lives with his parents. He’s a real kiddult.
Il est grand temps que je déménage, je ne veux pas devenir un Tanguy. – I really need to move out, I don’t want to become one of those grown men still living with their parents.
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