French Expression of the Day: Syndrome de la page blanche
Procrastinators know this French expression well.
Why do I need to know syndrome de la page blanche?
Because everyone experiences it from time to time, but it’s especially frustrating when on a deadline.
What does it mean?
Syndrome de la page blanche - roughly pronounced sahn-drome duh lah pahj blahnsh - translates as ‘the syndrome of the white page’. Some might instead say l’angoisse de la page blanche (anxiety of the white page).
The expression is not to be taken literally - there is no medical condition specifically related to visualising a blank sheet of paper.
Instead, it is the equivalent of ‘writer’s block’. The French expression aptly describes the frustration that many people feel when they sit down to finish a project or article but find themselves staring at an empty page, unable to write any more or come up with new ideas.
You might also hear someone say je n'arrive pas à écrire, j'ai un blocage (I cannot get myself to write, I’m stuck). The phrase avoir un blocage is a bit more casual and can be used in more settings, outside of just writing.
Use it like this
J'ai eu le syndrome de la page blanche. Je n'arrivais pas à écrire deux phrases. - I had writer’s block. I could not write more than two sentences.
Le syndrome de la page blanche est particulièrement pénible quand on essaie de passer une nuit blanche. - Writer’s block is especially annoying when trying to pull an all-nighter.
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Why do I need to know syndrome de la page blanche?
Because everyone experiences it from time to time, but it’s especially frustrating when on a deadline.
What does it mean?
Syndrome de la page blanche - roughly pronounced sahn-drome duh lah pahj blahnsh - translates as ‘the syndrome of the white page’. Some might instead say l’angoisse de la page blanche (anxiety of the white page).
The expression is not to be taken literally - there is no medical condition specifically related to visualising a blank sheet of paper.
Instead, it is the equivalent of ‘writer’s block’. The French expression aptly describes the frustration that many people feel when they sit down to finish a project or article but find themselves staring at an empty page, unable to write any more or come up with new ideas.
You might also hear someone say je n'arrive pas à écrire, j'ai un blocage (I cannot get myself to write, I’m stuck). The phrase avoir un blocage is a bit more casual and can be used in more settings, outside of just writing.
Use it like this
J'ai eu le syndrome de la page blanche. Je n'arrivais pas à écrire deux phrases. - I had writer’s block. I could not write more than two sentences.
Le syndrome de la page blanche est particulièrement pénible quand on essaie de passer une nuit blanche. - Writer’s block is especially annoying when trying to pull an all-nighter.
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