Avoir le cafard
Example: Après cette mauvaise nouvelle, il a vraiment eu le cafard toute la journée.
Definition
"Avoir le cafard" is a French expression meaning to feel downhearted, gloomy, or depressed. It describes a state of melancholy or sadness, often after receiving bad news or experiencing disappointment, as in "Après cette mauvaise nouvelle, il a vraiment eu le cafard toute la journée."
Translations
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To feel down -
Estar deprimido -
In de put zitten -
Estar desanimat -
Trübsal blasen
Etymology
The expression "avoir le cafard" literally means 'to have the cockroach.' In French slang, 'cafard' (cockroach) came to symbolize a feeling of gloom or depression. The phrase likely arose because cockroaches are associated with unpleasantness and darkness, metaphorically representing a heavy mood. Did you know? The exact origin is uncertain, but the imagery stuck and became a popular idiom for feeling down.
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"Avoir le cafard" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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