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French Expression
| Meaning | to let in water, leak; to founder | |
| Literally | to take water | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[pra(n) dr(euh) loh] |
| IPA | [pʀã dr(ə) lo] | |
Usage notes: The original meaning of prendre l’eau is literal: to take on or let in water.
Par exemple…
| Va chercher le seau, le bateau prend l’eau ! | Get the bucket, the boat is taking on water! | |
| Ah zut, mes chaussures prennent l’eau. | Shoot, my shoes leak. |
The result of taking on too much water—eventually a boat will sink—leads to the figurative meaning: a company or project will founder, start to collapse.
Par exemple…
| Notre entreprise prend l’eau, il y aura des licenciements. | Our company is foundering, there will be lay-offs. | |
| Nous prenions l’eau l’année dernière, mais ça va mieux maintenant. | We were headed for collapse last year, but things are better now. |
Related expression: prendre de l’eau – to have / drink some water
Related lessons
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