Published November 10, 2023 • Updated August 9, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Se débrouiller meaning
Se débrouiller is a French reflexive verb meaning “to manage,” “to cope,” “to get by,” or “to figure things out”. It describes being able to handle a situation or solve a problem on your own. Le système D is an informal French expression meaning “resourcefulness,” “making do,” or “finding a way to manage with what you have.” The D comes from se débrouiller.
Se débrouiller pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of se débrouiller is /sə de.bʁu.je/, which sounds approximately like “suh day-broo-yay.”
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Se débrouiller example sentences
Thomas se débrouille très bien en français.
Thomas gets by very well in French.
Je ne parle pas couramment, mais je me débrouille plus ou moins.
I don’t speak fluently, but I get by more or less.
Si tu as un problème, débrouille-toi tout seul !
If you have a problem, figure it out yourself!
A fun usage is the informal expression système D, which is basically short for système débrouiller or “system figure it out”.
Le système D
Personne ne m’aide. Alors, c’est système D cette fois !
Nobody is helping me. So, I’ll figure it out myself this time!
👉 See also: French reflexive verbs guide »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- s’occuper – to take care of
- s’en sortir — to manage, to get by, to cope
- se tirer d’affaire — To get out of a tricky situation
- se dépanner — To get by, find a solution
- trouver une solution — to find a solution
- faire face à — to face a situation or to cope with
- se débrouiller comme un chef — to manage well
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