être en panne

ByFast French

“Être en panne” is a French saying that means to be damaged, to be broken, to be defective, to have broken down, or to have stopped an activity.

This expression dates back to the 16th century, to the world of sailing ships. “Mettre en panne” meant to adjust the sails in such a way that the boat doesn’t move forward. It could also mean to heel the vessel to one side so that water could not enter through a leak on the other side.

Since the advent of the automobile, “être en panne” was used to referred to car breakdowns, but its use has since been extended to other machines (eg dishwashers) and other concepts, such as being out of money.

English equivalents include to break down, to be out of order, to be on the fritz, to be on the blink. A well known German equivalent is “kaputt.”

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

  • laid comme un pou

    ByFast French

    The French saying “laid comme un pou” translates literally as “(as) ugly as a louse.” It means “very ugly.” This idiom dates back to the end of the 18th century. Although there are plenty of other insects that are uglier than a louse, which is responsible for head lice infestations, the effects of this insect…

  • Poisson d’avril

    ByFast French

    The French idiom “poisson d’avril” literally means “fish of April”, which sounds meaningless and nonsensical. But in fact it refers to the name of any April Fool’s Day joke or prank, carried out on the 1st April in any year. It was first used towards the end of the 17th century, because the word “poisson”…

  • verb: marcher

    ByFast French

    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

  • piger

    ByFast French

    The verb “piger” is a colloquial term in French that means “to understand” or “to grasp.” It is often used in informal contexts, instead of the usual verb “comprendre,” meaning “to understand.” The verb “piger” is conjugated like a regular -er verb in French, with forms such as “je pige” (I understand), “tu piges” (you…