The French expression “avoir la langue bien pendue” translates literally to “to have a well hanging tongue”. This expression has multiple usages.
English meaning:
- to be a gossip
- to be a chatterbox
- to have a sharp tongue
French meaning:
- parler facilement et trop – to speak easily and too much
- être impertinent – to not show repect
Example sentence:
- Patty a la langue bien pendue : elle parle dans le dos de tout le monde. Patty is a gossip. She talks behind everybody’s back.
- L’élève a la langue bien pendue et est toujours en train de déconner en cours. The student has a sharp tongue and is always acting out in class.
Related expression:
- casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu’un – to talk about somebody behind their back
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David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.
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Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
