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French Expression
| Meaning | to have a frog in one’s throat | |
| Literally | to have a cat in the throat | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[a vwah roo(n) sha da(n) la guhrzh] |
| IPA | [a vwa rœ̃ ʃa dã la gɔʀʒ] | |
Usage notes: French and English use two completely different animals to talk about having an obstructed or hoarse throat: the French expression is avoir un chat dans la gorge, while English favors "to have a frog in one’s throat." Neither animal would be particularly welcome in the throat, but you have to admit that a frog would be a lot less agonizing than a cat!
Par exemple…
| Je voulais poser une question, mais j’avais un chat dans la gorge et ne pouvais pas parler. | I wanted to ask a question, but I had a frog in my throat and couldn’t talk. | |
| Je vais acheter un humidificateur – j’en ai marre d’avoir toujours un chat dans la gorge ! | I’m going to buy a humidifier – I’m tired of always having a frog in my throat! |
Related expressions: "to clear one’s throat"
- s’éclaircir la gorge
- s’éclaircir la voix
- se racler la gorge
Related lessons
More French expressions with chat
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