French Word of the Day: Arriviste
You might heard this one in English too, from time to time.
Why do I need to know arriviste?
Because we all have come across someone like this.
What does it mean?
Arriviste, pronounced ah-reev-east, is a French noun and adjective that you sometimes hear in English too. It's a relatively rare example of a French term that has kept the exact same meaning when used in English (a rendez-vous with your bank manager carries a different inference in English than it does in France, for example).
Arriviste is a pejorative term used to describe an upstart, a pushy person, a social climber new to the group or someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
It stems from the verb, arriver (to arrive) which in French can also be used as a term of succeeding or managing to do something:
J'arrive à ganger de l'argent - I have managed to make money
J'arrive à écrire cet article - I have succeeded in writing this article
How do I use it?
L'arriviste était prêt à tout pour faire progresser sa carrière - The upstart was ready to do anything to advance his career
Nous ne voulons pas dire qu'il faut être un arriviste pour réussir dans la vie - We don't want to say that you need to be pushy to succeed in life
Il est un peu arriviste - He is a bit of a social climber
Elle vient de découvrir notre mouvement. On dirait qu'elle est arriviste - She has only just discovered our movement. She is jumping on the bandwagon.
Synonyms
There are a range of adjectives that can be substituted for arriviste: ambitieux (ambitious), carriériste (career-driven), intrigant (scheming), mégalomane (megalomanic).
The equivalent idiom to 'jumping on the bandwagon' is prendre le train en marche.
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Why do I need to know arriviste?
Because we all have come across someone like this.
What does it mean?
Arriviste, pronounced ah-reev-east, is a French noun and adjective that you sometimes hear in English too. It's a relatively rare example of a French term that has kept the exact same meaning when used in English (a rendez-vous with your bank manager carries a different inference in English than it does in France, for example).
Arriviste is a pejorative term used to describe an upstart, a pushy person, a social climber new to the group or someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
It stems from the verb, arriver (to arrive) which in French can also be used as a term of succeeding or managing to do something:
J'arrive à ganger de l'argent - I have managed to make money
J'arrive à écrire cet article - I have succeeded in writing this article
How do I use it?
L'arriviste était prêt à tout pour faire progresser sa carrière - The upstart was ready to do anything to advance his career
Nous ne voulons pas dire qu'il faut être un arriviste pour réussir dans la vie - We don't want to say that you need to be pushy to succeed in life
Il est un peu arriviste - He is a bit of a social climber
Elle vient de découvrir notre mouvement. On dirait qu'elle est arriviste - She has only just discovered our movement. She is jumping on the bandwagon.
Synonyms
There are a range of adjectives that can be substituted for arriviste: ambitieux (ambitious), carriériste (career-driven), intrigant (scheming), mégalomane (megalomanic).
The equivalent idiom to 'jumping on the bandwagon' is prendre le train en marche.
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