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mettre la main à la pâte

“Mettre la main à la pâte” is a lovely French expression that translates literally to “to put the hand at the dough”. The English meaning is:

  • to lend a hand
  • to lend a helping hand
  • to chip in
  • pitch in
  • to muck in (UK)

The idea is that by helping to knead the dough you’re offering a helping hand. Expressio.fr gives a great French definition: to participate in work, in what needs to be one.

Here’s an example sentence:

Tous ce qui assistent à la fete mettent la main à la pate: Jacques prépare la salade, Marie prépare la pizza et Jean prépare le dessert. Everybody who’s attending the party is lending a hand: Jacques is making the salad, Marie is making the pizza and Jean is making the dessert.

more French expressions

David Issokson

David Issokson is the founder and French teacher of Frenchlearner.com. With over 30 years of experience as a French learner and speaker, he is passionate about making the language accessible and enjoyable for everyone. David is dedicated to providing clear, practical, and effective resources to help you master French. Learn more about FrenchLearner on our about us page. Visit davidissokson.com, David's personal website.

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