The French verb casser literally means « to break » and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to talk about breaking someone, boring someone stiff, warning someone, making an omelette by breaking eggs, and more with this list of expressions with casser.
Possible meanings of casser
- to break
- to crack (a nut)
- to snap (a branch)
- to spoil the flavor (of wine)
- to demote
- to annul
- to lower (prices)
- (familiar)to kill (esp. if motivated by prejudice)
Expressions with casser
crier casse-cou à quelqu’un
to warn someone
casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu’un
to talk about someone behind his back
casser la baraque (informal)
to bring the house down
casser la baraque à quelqu’un (informal)
to screw everything up for someone
casser la croûte (informal)
to have a bite to eat
casser la figure à quelqu’un (informal)
to smash someone’s face in
casser la graine (informal)
to have a bite to eat
casser la gueule à quelqu’un (familiar)
to smash someone’s face in
casser le morceau (familiar)
to spill the beans, come clean to give the game away
casser les oreilles à quelqu’un (informal)
to deafen someone
casser les pieds à quelqu’un (informal)
to bore someone stiff, get on someone’s nerves
casser les reins à quelqu’un
to ruin, break someone
casser la tête à quelqu’un
to deafen someone, to bore someone stiff
casser sa pipe (informal)
to kick the bucket, snuff it
à tout casser
stupendous, fantastic; at the most
Ça / Il ne casse pas des briques (informal)
That’s no great shakes.
Ça / Il ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard (informal)
It / He is nothing special, nothing to get excited about
Ça / Il ne casse rien.
It / He is nothing special, nothing to get excited about
Casse-toi ! (familiar)
Get the hell out of here!
Il ne s’est pas cassé le cul (slang)
He didn’t bust his butt.
Il ne s’est pas cassé la tête (informal)
He didn’t overtax himself, put any effort into it.
Il ne s’est pas cassé le tronc / la nénette (familiar)
He didn’t do much, try very hard.
Il nous les casse ! (familiar)
He’s a pain in the neck!
Tu me casses les bonbons ! (familiar)
You’re a pain in the neck!
un/e casse-cou (informal)
daredevil, reckless person
un/e casse-couilles (slang)
pain in the butt
un casse-croûte
snack
casse-cul (slang adj)
bloody/damn annoying
un casse-dalle (familiar)
snack
un casse-graine (informal)
snack
casse-gueule (fam adj)
dangerous, treacherous
un casse-noisettes/noix
nutcracker(s)
un casse-pattes (informal)
slog, difficult climb
un casse-pieds (informal)
pain in the neck, nuisance, bore
le casse-pipes (informal)
the front
un casse-tête
club, brain-teaser, puzzle
un casse-vitesse
speed bump, sleeping policeman
se casser (familiar)
to split, take off
se casser pour + infinitive (informal)
to strain oneself to do something, to work at something
se casser le cou
to fall flat on one’s face, go bankrupt
se casser la figure (informal)
to fall flat on one’s face, go bankrupt
se casser la figure contre (informal)
to crash into
se casser la jambe/le bras
to break one’s arm/leg
se casser net
to break clean off / through
se casser le nez
to find no one in, to fail
se casser la tête sur (inf)
to wrack one’s brains about
Proverbs with casser
Il faut casser le noyau pour avoir l’amande.
No pain no gain.
On ne fait pas d’omelette sans casser des œufs.
You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.
Qui casse les verres les paie.
As you make your bed, so you must lie on it. You pay for your mistakes.