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sentir le lapin

The French expression “sentir le lapin” translates literally to “to smell the rabbit”.

English meaning:

  • to have one foot in the grave

French meaning:

  • être près de la fin de la vieto be near the end of life

Example sentence:

  • Sylvain est malade depuis très longtemps et il ne va pas bien : ça sent le lapin. Sylvain has been sick for a very long time and he’s not going well. He has one foot in the grave.

Related expression:

  • avoir un pied dans la tombe – Literally: to have one foot in the grave

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.

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