Mon petit doigt m’a dit

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Informal French Expression

Meaning	A little bird told me, a little birdie told me
Literally	My pinky / little finger told me
Register	informal, baby talk
Pronunciation		[mo(n) peu tee dwah ma dee]
IPA		[mɔ̃ pə ti dwa ma di]

Usage notes: The French expression mon petit doigt m’a dit is a playful way of announcing that you know something when you don’t want to specify who told you or how you found out. Even more so than its English equivalent "a little bird told me," mon petit doigt m’a dit tends to be reserved for talking to children.

Par exemple…

Mon petit doigt m’a dit que tu n’as pas fait ton lit.		A little birdie told me that you didn’t make your bed.
– Comment tu le sais ? – Mon petit doigt me l’a dit.*		– How do you know (that)? – A little bird told me.

 It can also mean "to have a feeling" or "to suspect" something without having been told by anyone, similar to "by the pricking of my thumbs" found in Macbeth (Act 4, Scene 1).

Somewhat synonymous: Entendre dire

* Grammar note: Why l’a dit? It’s the neuter object pronoun.

 Related lessons

• Dire conjugations
• Mon and other possessive adjectives
• Me and other indirect objects
• French baby talk

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