French Expression of the Day: Ça va pas la tête?
The person asking you this is probably not wondering about your migraine.
Why do I need to know ça va pas la tête ?
Because you might have someone ask you this question, and you’ll want to have a snarky response prepared ahead of time.
What does it mean?
Ça va pas la tête – pronounced sah vah pah lah tett – translates word for word to ‘It is not okay the head?’ which makes little sense. In reality, the phrase means “are you out of your mind?” or “are you mad/ crazy/ mental?” or "are you not right in the head?"
These English equivalents might sound a bit harsh, but the expression can be used jokingly or in light situations too.
It is certainly much nicer than the other way to ask someone if they are insane - “T’es malade ou quoi?” (Are you sick or what?). The expression is almost always posed as a hypothetical question or side comment and can be quite aggressive.
While you could also say “t’es fou?” (are you crazy?) there is something humorous about ça va pas la tête for the English speaker whose mind conjures up the direct translation and pictures a person’s head simply not functioning properly.
Parents might use this expression to cajole their child for doing something silly or bizarre, pet owners might decry their animal who begs for food every five minutes, and managers annoyed with their intern’s mix-ups might all use this expression. That being said, it can of course be used in genuine anger, so tone and context will always be important for being able to decipher how serious someone’s ça va pas la tête really is.
Use it like this
Tu as fait tout le tour du parc au lieu de juste le traverser ? Ça t'a probablement pris une demi-heure de plus, ça va pas la tête ? – You walked all the way around the park instead of just walking through it? That probably took you a half hour extra, are you mad?
Mais ça va pas la tête ! Comment peut-il espérer que je finisse trois jours de travail dans la matinée ? – Has he lost his mind? How can he expect that I finish three days worth of work in just one morning?
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Why do I need to know ça va pas la tête ?
Because you might have someone ask you this question, and you’ll want to have a snarky response prepared ahead of time.
What does it mean?
Ça va pas la tête – pronounced sah vah pah lah tett – translates word for word to ‘It is not okay the head?’ which makes little sense. In reality, the phrase means “are you out of your mind?” or “are you mad/ crazy/ mental?” or "are you not right in the head?"
These English equivalents might sound a bit harsh, but the expression can be used jokingly or in light situations too.
It is certainly much nicer than the other way to ask someone if they are insane - “T’es malade ou quoi?” (Are you sick or what?). The expression is almost always posed as a hypothetical question or side comment and can be quite aggressive.
While you could also say “t’es fou?” (are you crazy?) there is something humorous about ça va pas la tête for the English speaker whose mind conjures up the direct translation and pictures a person’s head simply not functioning properly.
Parents might use this expression to cajole their child for doing something silly or bizarre, pet owners might decry their animal who begs for food every five minutes, and managers annoyed with their intern’s mix-ups might all use this expression. That being said, it can of course be used in genuine anger, so tone and context will always be important for being able to decipher how serious someone’s ça va pas la tête really is.
Use it like this
Tu as fait tout le tour du parc au lieu de juste le traverser ? Ça t'a probablement pris une demi-heure de plus, ça va pas la tête ? – You walked all the way around the park instead of just walking through it? That probably took you a half hour extra, are you mad?
Mais ça va pas la tête ! Comment peut-il espérer que je finisse trois jours de travail dans la matinée ? – Has he lost his mind? How can he expect that I finish three days worth of work in just one morning?
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