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French Word of the Day: bon gré, mal gré

The Local France
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French Word of the Day: bon gré, mal gré

Convey a sense of inevitability with flair thanks to today's expression of the day.

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Do you need someone to just get on with something already? Read on for the perfect phrase to give them a kick up the butt.

Why do I need to know bon gré, mal gré?

Sometimes in life, some things just need to be done. Bon gré, mal gré is a great way of conveying inevitability. 

So, what does it mean?

The expression bon gré, mal gré means "like it or not", "willingly or not" or "willy-nilly". 

For example, if you've got a misbehaving child, you might say: Tu dois ranger ta chambre, bon gré mal gré ! - "You have to clean your room, whether you like it or not!"

And if they aren't eating their greens, you could quip: Tu vas manger tes légumes, bon gré mal gré! - "You'll eat your vegetables, whether you like it or not!"

Or, with the meaning "willy-nilly": Je me suis mariée bon gré mal gré et j'ai eu des enfants. - "I willy-nilly got married and had children."

The phrase can either be used when giving orders or simply describing something that's already happened. 

Did you know?

There's a whole bunch of French phrases that use the "gré" part of bon gré, mal gré

A son gré means "to one's liking", de bon gré or de plein gré is "willingly" and de gré à gré is "by mutual agreement". 

For more French phrases, check out our word of the day section.

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