French Word of the Day: Gloups
This is a useful word for when you realise you have made a mistake
Why do I need to know gloups?
Because no one is perfect.
What does it mean?
Gloups, pronounced gloops, is an onomatopoeic word that is the French equivalent of saying 'gulp' or 'glug'.
French people think that the sound of someone gulping down a drink is: gloups, gloups, gloups.
READ MORE How to say ‘OUCH’ in French (and ten other sounds)
It is common from French people to say gloups when they realise they have made some kind of mistake or are embarrassed by a situation. It is used in a similar sense to 'oops'
Gloups, je crois que je viens de faire une bourde - Oops, I believe I made a mistake
Gloups, je crois que j'ai cassé une assiette - Oops, I think I broke a plate
J'ai demandé de la confiture 'sans préservatifs'. Je voulais dire de la confiture sans conservateurs. Gloups - I asked for jam 'without condoms', I meant to say preservative-free jam. Oops
Je viens de voir un fantôme. Gloups - I have just seen a ghost. Gulp.
Synonyms
There are many words to evoke the idea of gulping, guzzling or swallowing something:
Avaler - to swallow/gulp
Engloutir - to swallow/devour/gobble
To express the fact that you have made a mistake, the most common word used in French is Oups (oops)
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See Also
Why do I need to know gloups?
Because no one is perfect.
What does it mean?
Gloups, pronounced gloops, is an onomatopoeic word that is the French equivalent of saying 'gulp' or 'glug'.
French people think that the sound of someone gulping down a drink is: gloups, gloups, gloups.
READ MORE How to say ‘OUCH’ in French (and ten other sounds)
It is common from French people to say gloups when they realise they have made some kind of mistake or are embarrassed by a situation. It is used in a similar sense to 'oops'
Gloups, je crois que je viens de faire une bourde - Oops, I believe I made a mistake
Gloups, je crois que j'ai cassé une assiette - Oops, I think I broke a plate
J'ai demandé de la confiture 'sans préservatifs'. Je voulais dire de la confiture sans conservateurs. Gloups - I asked for jam 'without condoms', I meant to say preservative-free jam. Oops
Je viens de voir un fantôme. Gloups - I have just seen a ghost. Gulp.
Synonyms
There are many words to evoke the idea of gulping, guzzling or swallowing something:
Avaler - to swallow/gulp
Engloutir - to swallow/devour/gobble
To express the fact that you have made a mistake, the most common word used in French is Oups (oops)
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