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Informal French Expression
| Meaning | You’ve got some nerve/cheek | |
| Literally | You don’t lack air | |
| Register | informal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[tu neu ma(n)k pa dehr] |
| IPA | [ty nə mãk pa dɛʁ] | |
Usage notes: The French expression manquer d’air literally means "to lack air."
Par exemple…
| On manque d’air – il faut ouvrir la fenêtre. | It’s stuffy / There’s no air in here – we need to open a window. |
Informally, this expression is typically used in the negative, ne pas manquer d’air, to mean "to have nerve/cheek."
Par exemple…
| Tu oses revenir après ce que tu as fait ? Tu ne manques pas d’air ! | You dare come back after what you did? You’ve got some nerve! | |
| Il ne manque pas d’air, lui ! | He’s got some nerve, that guy! |
Variation: ne pas manquer de souffle
Synonyms
- avoir du culot
- être gonflé
- ne pas être un dégonflé
- ne pas manquer d’audace
- ne pas manquer de culot
- ne pas manquer de toupet
Related lessons
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