Why do I need to know s'éclipser?
This French word is good to know if you want to slip away from something without making a fuss.
What does it mean?
The expression s'éclipser, roughly pronounced say-kleep-say (listen here), means to slip away, sneak off, leave discreetly or quietly disappear. It is often used when someone leaves without making a fuss, sometimes without telling anyone.
The word éclipse comes from the Greek ékleipsis, meaning “abandon” or “departure”, and this astronomical phenomenon inspired the French verb s’éclipser.
Just as the light disappears when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun during a solar eclipse, someone who s’éclipse quietly removes themselves from a situation. The verb can therefore mean both to leave abruptly and, more figuratively, to disappear discreetly or furtively.
Use it like this
Je vais m'éclipser, j'ai du travail demain matin. - I'm going to slip away, I've got work tomorrow morning.
Il s'est éclipsé avant la fin de la soirée. - He left discreetly before the end of the evening.
Le soleil s'est éclipsé derrière les nuages. - The sun disappeared behind the clouds.
Other French expressions related to space:
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