Want to dispense a little tough love? French has the perfect phrase . . .
Why do I need to know pleure, tu pisseras moins?
This is an old expression, usually said by grandparents or parents to their children. Make sure to use it appropriately because it can definitely come off as a little dry…
What does it mean?
The French expression pleure, tu pisseras moins, roughly pronounced plur tew pee-suh-ra mwan, literally translates to “cry you’ll pee less”.Â
Figuratively, it’s a sarcastic way of saying “stop complaining”, “suck it up” or “stop feeling sorry for yourself”. The idea is that if you’re crying, you’re supposedly using up your body’s water, so you’ll have less left to urinate.
Whether or not that’s scientifically true isn’t the point – the humour comes from the exaggerated reasoning.
It emerged as a popular saying in informal spoken French, where bodily functions are often used to create expressions. Others include: faire chier quelqu’un (annoy someone), merde (shit), or pisser dans un violon (talking to a wall).Â
The expression pleure, tu pisseras moins is usually said between friends or family members.
It would generally be considered quite rude in a formal setting or when speaking to someone you don’t know well. It’s also quite brutally unsympathetic, which is why it’s best reserved for close friends or family members, who are already confident that they love each other really.
READ ALSO: ‘The neighbours laugh at me’: Should foreigners try swearing in French?
Use it like this
Arrête de ressasser ! Pleure, tu pisseras moins ! – Stop thinking about it over and over again. Have a good cry and move on.Â
Tu as perdu un match, ce n’est pas la fin du monde. Pleure, tu pisseras moins ! – You lost one match. It’s not the end of the world. Dry your eyes!
Ce n’est pas possible de se plaindre autant que lui. Il faut qu’il pleure, il pissera moins. – It’s not possible to complain as much as he does, he needs to stop feeling sorry for himself.Â