Example: Elle fait la sourde oreille quand on lui parle de ses erreurs.
Definition
"Faire la sourde oreille" means deliberately ignoring or pretending not to hear something, often to avoid facing an unpleasant truth or responsibility. It is used when someone chooses not to acknowledge what is being said, as in the example: 'She turns a deaf ear when spoken to about her mistakes.'
The phrase "faire la sourde oreille" literally translates to 'make the deaf ear.' It originates from the idea of intentionally acting as if one cannot hear, to avoid responding. This expression has been used in French since at least the 17th century to describe willful ignorance.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Faire la sourde oreille" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
Would you like to not only understand these expressions, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select French as the language you want to learn.
To turn a deaf ear