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mettre quelqu’un en boîte

“Mettre quelqu’un en boîte” is a fun little French expression that translates literally to “to put somebody in a can”. The word “boîte” can translate to both can and box. Here are several English meanings:

  • to make fun of somebody
  • to pull somebody’s leg
  • to josh somebody
  • to have a good laugh at somebody

Expressio.fr offers a very simple definition in French: “to make fun of somebody, particularly his or her naivety and gullibility.

Here’s an example sentence:

  • Je crois tous ce qu’on me raconte. Je suis très naïf. On me met en boite tout le temps. I believe everything people tell me. I’m very gullible. People pull my leg all the time.

There lots of synonymous verbs and expressions:

  • se payer la tete de qqn – Literally to buy yourself somebody’s head
  • taquiner to tease
  • se moquer de qqnto tease somebody
  • faire marcher qqnto tease somebody

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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