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Informal French Expression
| Meaning | to misunderstand, be way off the mark | |
| Literally | to be next to the target/goal | |
| Register | informal | |
| Pronunciation | [eh tra ko tay deu la plahk] | |
| IPA | [ɛ tra ko te də la plak] | |
Usage notes: The idiomatic French expression être à côté de la plaque means "to misunderstand." Une plaque is an all-purpose word for any slab of material, so you can think of it as a bullseye target. When you’re next to the target, you’ve missed your mark.
Par exemple…
| Non, ce n’est pas ça. Tu es à côte de la plaque. | No, it’s not that. You’re way off the mark. | |
| J’avais pensé tout comprendre, mais j’étais à côté de la plaque. | I’d thought I understood everything, but I was way off the mark. |
Variations
- être complètement à côté de la plaque – to be completely off the mark
- être un peu à côté de la plaque – to be a little lost, to not quite follow/understand
- mettre à côté de la plaque – to be way off the mark
Related lesson
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