Published August 29, 2024 • Updated October 17, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Quitte à meaning
Quitte à is a C1 French expression meaning “even if it means” or “at the risk of.” It is followed by an infinitive and expresses a willingness to accept a possible negative consequence. For example, “Je vais essayer, quitte à échouer” (I’ll try, even if it means failing). The construction “quitte à… autant…” means “might as well.”
Quitte à pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of quitte à is /ki.t‿a/, which sounds approximately like “kee-tah.”
Quitte à example sentences
Je vais lui dire la vérité, quitte à perdre mon boulot.
I’m going to tell him the truth even if it means losing my job.
Quitte à vous ennuyer, j’ai besoin de vous demander un service.
I need to ask you a favor even if it means bothering you.
Quitte à visiter Paris, autant aller au Louvre.
If we’re visiting Paris, we might as well go to the Louvre.
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- même si — even if
- en dépit de — despite
- tant pis — too bad, so be it
- au risque de — at the risk of
- autant — might as well
- à tout prix — at all costs
- coûte que coûte — whatever the cost
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