Are you ready to discover all the things you ever wanted to know about the funny French expression "C'est pas tes oignons"? This include a detailed definition of what it is and how you can use it in everyday life with an audio example.In addition, we also added super useful stuff like synonyms, slow pronunciation audio, dialogue example and more!
Translation : None of your business
Literal meaning : It's not your onions
Register : Informal - Funny
Slow
Normal
IPA : / sɛ pa tez‿ ɔɲɔ̃ /
The literal meaning is:
This French saying is a way to express "Mind your own business / It's none of your business". Because it's informal, the closest expression in English would be "None of your beeswax".
But what's the link with onions?!
This expression comes from the 20th century, where the term "Oignon" (Onion) was slang for both the feet and the ass. It also referred to a mark of independence from women who had a piece of land to grow their onions and sell them.
So "C'est pas tes oignons" became a way to say "Mind your own business. My onion(s), my life".
Use it like you would use "Mind your own business" in English, but beware that it's familiar, so avoid using it in formal situations. For a formal version, I recommend you to use "Ça ne vous concerne pas" (It doesn't concern you).
Dialogue
Ton premier rendez-vous s'est bien passé ?
Did your first date went well?
C'est pas tes oignons
It's not your onions*
I'm sorry
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