The meaning of the French expression “faire un tabac” is impossible to guess in English. While “tabac” means tobacco, it can also mean a big hit or success. Hence, “faire un tabac” has the following meanings:
- to be a big hit
- to be a great success
- to make a splash
- to bring the house down
According to lerobert.com, a French definition for “faire un tabac” is simply “avoir un grand succès”, to have a big success.
Here’s an example sentence:
Le nouveau film a fait un tabac aux Etats-Unis mais malheureusement il n’etait pas bien bien accueilli dans le marché chinois. The movie was a big hit in the United States but unfortunately it was not well received in the Chinese market.
Synonym expressions:
- casser la baraque – Literally “to break the house”
- faire un carton – Literally “to make a box”; box is slang for success”
- rencontrer un franc succès – Literally “to make an honest success”
- faire un malheur – Literally “to make a misfortune”
- rencontrer un vif succès – Literally “to meet a lively success”
