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Informal French Expression
| Meaning | hangover | |
| Literally | wooden mouth | |
| Register | informal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[geul d(eu) bwah] |
| IPA | [gœl də bwa] | |
Usage notes: Rough morning? On the oh-so-rare occasions when you might have a hangover, you’ll find the French expression la gueule de bois useful for describing how you feel, particularly that your mouth (gueule) is as dry as wood (de bois). To have a hangover = avoir la gueule de bois.
Par exemple…
| Y a-t-il un remède à la gueule de bois ? | Is there a hangover cure? | |
| Parle doucement, je t’en prie. J’ai la gueule de bois. | Please speak quietly. I have a hangover / I’m hung over. | |
| C’est ma dernière bière, je ne veux pas travailler demain en ayant la gueule de bois. | This is my last beer, I don’t want to have a hangover / be hung over at work tomorrow. |
Conseil concis
Bois also happens to be the first and second person present tense conjugation of boire (to drink).
Related lessons
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