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The French phrase "L'herbe est toujours plus verte chez le voisin"

Get ready to find out everything you have to know about the basic proverb "L'herbe est toujours plus verte chez le voisin". To be more specific, it includes a detailed definition of what it mean and how you can use it in a conversation with an audio example. Together with the cool informations we added like slow pronunciation audio, synonyms, dialogue example and more!


English translation

  • Translation : What we don't have is always more appealing than what we have

  • Literal meaning : The neighbour's grass is always greener

  • Register : Neutral - Basic

Pronunciation

Slow

Normal

  • IPA : / lɛʁb‿ ɛ tuʒuʁ ply vɛʁtə ʃe lə vwazɛ̃ /

aesthetic french quote lherbe est toujours plus verte chez le voisin

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What does it mean exactly?

Definition

The literal meaning is:

This expression means that appearances can be misleading and that we should be happy with what we have.

The allusion to the greenness of the grass is a sign of abundance and prosperity. Also, the adverb "always" is used ironically to insist on the fact that things are never as we imagine them.The origin of this expression remains blurry and seems born from a deceptive optical effect, giving the grass a perfect shine when observed from a distance. But seen up close, not so much.

How to use it

Use this expression when someone imagines that the situation in another place (often undetermined) is better than the one he/she is living in right now.

Fun facts

It's very similar to the English expression "The grass is always greener on the other side"

Synonyms / Related

↓ Example in a story with slow audio ↓

Finally, let's see an example in a parallel story with slow audio.

Un petit-déjeuner typique

A typical breakfast

Samedi matin, Joe et Angèle se réunissent pour le petit déjeuner.
Saturday morning, Joe and Angèle gather for breakfast.
Ils ont décidé de se retrouver dans un café.
They decided to meet in a cafe.
Pendant la conversation, Joe avoua à Angèle :
During the conversation, Joe confesses to Angèle:
JoeTu sais, avant de venir en France je rêvais d'un petit-déjeuner typiquement français, avec juste un café et un croissant.
You know, before coming to France I was dreaming of a typical French breakfast, with just a coffee and a croissant.
AngèlePourquoi ?
Why?
JoeSûrement parce que je voyais beaucoup de belles photos comme ça sur Internet.
Probably because I saw a lot of beautiful pictures like this on internet.
AngèleJe vois ce que tu veux dire. C'est la même chose pour moi avec les In-N-Out Burgers...
I see what you mean. It's the same thing for me with the In-N-Out Burgers...

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