French Expression of the Day: Fermer sa boîte à camembert
This is not just a complaint over stinky cheese
Why do I need to know fermer sa boîte à camembert?
Because you might want a cheeky way to ask for a bit of quiet
What does it mean?
Fermer sa boîte à camembert – pronounced fair-may sah bwat ah cam-uhm-berr – translates precisely to “close one’s camembert box.”
While you might be told to do this literally - if the person you’re sharing a table with is not a fan of cheese - this expression is most commonly used by adults looking to tell a child to be quiet.
It is a synonym of the more commonly known expression “tais-toi” which means “be quiet!”
In English, an equivalent might be “shut your cake hole.”
You might also hear this used amongst adults - though most often in a joking manner, as the expression is not very serious in nature.
Use it like this
Je lui ai dit de fermer sa boîte à camembert et d'arrêter de se moquer de sa petite sœur. – I told him to quiet down and to stop making fun of his little sister.
Ferme ta boîte de camembert ! Tu ne vas pas gagner, même si tu continues à faire des blagues. – Shut up! You won’t win, even if you keep making jokes.
Comments
See Also
Why do I need to know fermer sa boîte à camembert?
Because you might want a cheeky way to ask for a bit of quiet
What does it mean?
Fermer sa boîte à camembert – pronounced fair-may sah bwat ah cam-uhm-berr – translates precisely to “close one’s camembert box.”
While you might be told to do this literally - if the person you’re sharing a table with is not a fan of cheese - this expression is most commonly used by adults looking to tell a child to be quiet.
It is a synonym of the more commonly known expression “tais-toi” which means “be quiet!”
In English, an equivalent might be “shut your cake hole.”
You might also hear this used amongst adults - though most often in a joking manner, as the expression is not very serious in nature.
Use it like this
Je lui ai dit de fermer sa boîte à camembert et d'arrêter de se moquer de sa petite sœur. – I told him to quiet down and to stop making fun of his little sister.
Ferme ta boîte de camembert ! Tu ne vas pas gagner, même si tu continues à faire des blagues. – Shut up! You won’t win, even if you keep making jokes.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.