The French expression “devoir une fière chandelle à quelqu’un” translates literally to: “to owe a proud candle to somebody”.
English meaning:
- to be indebted to somebody
French meaning:
- être redevable à quelqu’un de quelque chose – to be in debt to somebody for something
Example sentence:
- Je dois un une fière chandelle à Timothy: Il m’a loge pendant quatre mois pendant que je cherchais un appartement. I am indebted to Timothy. He put me up for four months while I was looking for an apartment.
Synonymous expressions:
- redevable de quelque chose à quelqu’un – to be forever grateful for something from somebody
- redevable à quelqu’un pour quelque chose – to be forever grateful to somebody for something
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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.
