Informal French Expression
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Meaning | It’s not that big a deal, it’s not that difficult | |
Literally | It’s not the sea to drink | |
Register | informal | |
Pronunciation | [seu neh pah lah meh rah bwar] | |
IPA | [sə nɛ pa la mɛ ʀa bwaʀ] |
Usage notes: When someone complains about the impossibility of a task, the French expression ce n’est pas la mer à boire is the answer; you can use it to let that person know that whatever they have to do, it’s not as difficult as drinking the entire sea would be.
Par exemple…
Je dois tout refaire mais ce n’est pas la mer à boire. | I have to redo everything but it won’t be that difficult. | |
Ce n’est pas la mer à boire d’aller au boulot en vélo. | It’s not such a big deal to ride my bike to work. | |
– J’ai trois rapports à écrire en trois jours ! – Allez, arrête, ce n’est pas la mer à boire ! |
– I have three reports to write in three days! – Come on, knock it off, it’s not that hard! |
Origin: Tout cela, c’est la mer à boire, Les deux chiens et l’âne mort, by Jean de La Fontaine
Somewhat synonymous
Ce n’est pas grave | It’s not serious (not a serious problem) | |
Ce n’est pas la fin du monde | It’s not the end of the world | |
Ce n’est pas la mort (du petit cheval) | literally, "It’s not the death (of the little horse)" | |
se faire une montagne d’une taupinière | to make a mountain out of a molehill | |
se faire une montagne de rien / d’un rien | to make a mountain out of a molehill (literally, “to make a mountain out of nothing”) |
Related lessons
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