French Expression of the Day: De l’eau a coulé sous les ponts
The phrase 'water under the bridge' has quite a different meaning to its English equivalent.
Why do I need to know de l’eau a coulé sous les ponts ?
Because this phrase seems to feel more relevant with age.
What does it mean?
De l’eau a coulé sous les ponts – usually pronounced duh low ah koo-lay soo lay pohn - translates to ‘the water has flowed below the bridges.’
If that sounds quite similar to the English expression, ‘water under the bridge’ then you would be correct!
In English it's used to reference how a past conflict or disagreement is no longer relevant, as enough time has passed to render it unimportant.
It can be used in this way in French too, but the big difference is that in French it can also be used to simply remark on how time has passed.
Just as water flows uninterrupted, so too does time. You could use this expression to remark on it’s been a long time since you’ve practised a particular sport or how many years have gone by since you last saw your childhood best friend. In this sense, it’s quite similar to the French expression ‘ça fait longtemps…’ (it has been a long time…)
Hundreds of years worth of water have flowed under bridges since the French version of this expression first appeared in the French dictionary, which was 1696. However, this phrase is likely even older than that.
Use it like this
Je ne peux pas jouer du piano, j'ai trop peur. De l'eau a coulé sous les ponts, cela fait très, très longtemps que je n'ai pas joué. – I can't play the piano, I'm too scared. Water under the bridge, it's been a long, long time since I've played.
Ne t'inquiète pas pour ça. On n’était pas d'accord dans les années 90, mais de l'eau a coulé sous les ponts. Je suis marié avec trois enfants, je ne me souviens même pas de la dispute. – Don’t worry about it. We disagreed in the 90s, but it’s all water under the bridge now. I am married with three kids, I don’t even remember the argument.
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Why do I need to know de l’eau a coulé sous les ponts ?
Because this phrase seems to feel more relevant with age.
What does it mean?
De l’eau a coulé sous les ponts – usually pronounced duh low ah koo-lay soo lay pohn - translates to ‘the water has flowed below the bridges.’
If that sounds quite similar to the English expression, ‘water under the bridge’ then you would be correct!
In English it's used to reference how a past conflict or disagreement is no longer relevant, as enough time has passed to render it unimportant.
It can be used in this way in French too, but the big difference is that in French it can also be used to simply remark on how time has passed.
Just as water flows uninterrupted, so too does time. You could use this expression to remark on it’s been a long time since you’ve practised a particular sport or how many years have gone by since you last saw your childhood best friend. In this sense, it’s quite similar to the French expression ‘ça fait longtemps…’ (it has been a long time…)
Hundreds of years worth of water have flowed under bridges since the French version of this expression first appeared in the French dictionary, which was 1696. However, this phrase is likely even older than that.
Use it like this
Je ne peux pas jouer du piano, j'ai trop peur. De l'eau a coulé sous les ponts, cela fait très, très longtemps que je n'ai pas joué. – I can't play the piano, I'm too scared. Water under the bridge, it's been a long, long time since I've played.
Ne t'inquiète pas pour ça. On n’était pas d'accord dans les années 90, mais de l'eau a coulé sous les ponts. Je suis marié avec trois enfants, je ne me souviens même pas de la dispute. – Don’t worry about it. We disagreed in the 90s, but it’s all water under the bridge now. I am married with three kids, I don’t even remember the argument.
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