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la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder la vase

“La goutte d’eau qui fait déborder la vase” is a French idiom that translates literally to “The drop of water that makes the vase overflow”. Unlike other French idioms that are impossible to guess, this one is pretty easy. This expression is said to have been used by the French writer Stendhal in the 19th century. Here are some English translations:

  • the last straw
  • the straw that broke the camel’s back

Here’s an example sentence:

C’est la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder la vase! Je ne peux plus vivre avec toi! Je déménage! That’s the last staw. I can’t live with you anymore. I’m moving out!

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    David Issokson

    About the Author – David Issokson David Issokson is an online French teacher and the founder of FrenchLearner.com (established 2012). He has been teaching French online since 2014 and brings over 30 years of experience as a passionate French learner and fluent speaker. David creates clear, structured lessons supported by native audio recorded by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional voice artist and native French speaker. A graduate of McGill University in Montreal, he has taught hundreds of learners worldwide and publishes daily French lessons for more than 12,000 email subscribers. 📘 About David » 🌐 David’s personal site » 👍 Follow on Facebook »

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