Skip to Content

se faire tirer l’oreille

The French expression translates literally to “se faire tirer l’oreille” to get pulled by the ear”.

English meanings:

  • to get a tongue-lashing
  • to scold somebody severely

French meanings:

  • engueuler, houspillerto tell off, to reprimand
  • réprimander (formal language) – to tell off

Example sentence:

  • L’employé s’est fait tirer par l’oreille quand il n’a pas suivi les indications de son patron. The employee got scolded severely when he didn’t follow his boss’ instructions.

more 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.

See all posts by