c’est l’hôpital qui se fout de la charité !

“C’est l’hôpital qui se fout de la charité !” is a French idiom that literally means “It is the hospital that does not care about charity!” In French it is means “you are not in a position to talk,” or “you make fun (of someone or something) but you don’t do any better yourself.”

In the 12th century, a hospital was a religious building meant to welcome the poor, to provide them with charity in the form of food or shelter. It was not specifically a medical centre in the modern use of the term hospital.

In the 17th century, the word came to describe a medical establishment. But hospitals and charities were still virtually the same thing in those days.

This saying dates back to the late 19th century – surprisingly late, given the ancient origins of hospitals as described above.

The closest English equivalent is “the pot calling the kettle black.”

Don’t miss out on new posts – subscribe now!

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • vert, vers & ver

    Homonyms are words that sound the same. Vert, vers and ver are three French homonyms with completely different meanings. 1. Vert: Meaning:“Vert” is an adjective in French that translates to “green” in English. It is used to describe the color that is often associated with nature, foliage, and growth. “Vert” is a versatile term and…

  • Grammar: Possessive Adjectives

    French possessive adjectives are used to describe to whom something or someone belongs. Their English equivalents are words like “my,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “our,” and “their.” They replace articles They are used instead of an article. Articles are words like “un,” “une,” “le,” “la,” “l’” (l + apostrophe), “de,” “du,” “de la,” “de l’” (de…

  • verb: marcher

    The French verb “marcher” has a variety of meanings, including “to walk,” “to function,” “to work,” “to tread,” “to go,” “to go for it,” and even “to fall for it.” To walk To tread To go To work, to function To go for it To fall for it Expressions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *