The French expression “être dans le pétrin” translates literally to “to be in the kneading trough”.
English meanings:
- to be in a mess
- to be in a fix
- to be in a jam
- to be in a tight spot
French meanings:
- avoir un gros problème – Literally: to have a big problem
- être dans une situation d’où il semble impossible de sortir – to be in a situation that seems impossible to get out of
Example sentence:
- Il a fini par se faire virer par son parton et maintenant il est dans le pétrin. He ended up getting fired by his boss and now he’s in a real mess.
Synonyms:
- être dans de beaux draps – Lit: To be in beautiful sheets
- être dans la mouise – to be in a mess
Related expressions:
- se fourrer dans un sale pétrin – to get yourself into a real mess
- se sortir du pétrin – to get yourself out of a mess
Suggested audio French courses from Frenchtoday.com
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