À chacun son goût

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French Expression

Meaning	to each his own, there’s no accounting for taste
Literally	to each one his taste
Register	normal
Pronunciation		[ah shah koo(n) so(n) goo]
IPA		[a ʃa kœ̃ sɔ̃ gu]

Usage notes: The French expression à chacun son goût is an acknowledgement of the fact that people have different tastes – it’s a way of expressing one’s awareness and acceptance of diverse opinions.

Variations

• à chacun ses goûts
• chacun son goût
• chacun ses goûts

Par exemple…

Elle fait du jogging tandis que son mari se baigne. À chacun son goût !		She jogs while her husband swims. To each his own!
J’adore les fraises mais il les déteste – à chacun son goût.		I love strawberries but he hates them – there’s no accounting for taste.

 The above expressions are rare in French – in fact, a couple of native speakers have told me they’ve never heard any of them. Yet two deformations of à chacun son goût are commonly used in English:

1. chacun à son goût – literally, "each one to his taste"
2. chacun a son goût – "each one has his taste"

Synonymous expressions

• Des goûts et des couleurs (on ne discute pas) – Literally, “About tastes and colors (we don’t talk)”
• Des goûts et des couleurs (on ne dispute pas) – “About tastes and colors (we don’t debate)”
• Les goûts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas – "Tastes and colors aren’t talked about””
• Tous les goûts sont dans la nature – “All tastes are in nature”

 Related lessons

• Preposition à
• Chacun and other indefinite pronouns
• Son and other possessive adjectives
• Oh, so French! expressions

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