“Poser un lapin à quelqu’un” has long been one of my favorite French expressions. Literal translations are “To put a rabbit to somebody” or more loosely, “to give somebody a rabbit”. Meanings of this idiom are:
- to stand somebody up
- to keep an appointment
A simple French-to-French definition is ne pas aller à un rendez-vous, or to not go to an appointment or meeting.
Here’s a sample sentence:
- On s’est donné rendez-vous au restaurant à 18h00. Je l’ai attendue jusqu’à 17h00 et elle n’est pas venue. Elle m’a posé un lapin. We had an appointment at the restaurant at 6.00pm. I waited for her until 7.00pm and she didn’t come. She stood me up.
Watch Alexa teach the expression, poser un lapin à quelqu’un.
Video source: Learn French With Alexa
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David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.
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Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
