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French expression of the day: Jetez un œil

The Local France
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French expression of the day: Jetez un œil

You will probably be invited to do this at one time or another if you spend time in France, so best figure out what it involves (which is not chucking body parts around).

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Why do I need to know jetez un œil?
 
It's a fairly common phrase, particularly in the world of work in France.
 
What does it mean?
 
Its literal translation is 'throw an eye' but fortunately it doesn't involve flinging any body parts around. If somebody invites you to do this they're asking you to take a look at something, have a glance or maybe cast your eye over something.
 
You might also hear people saying Jetez un coup d'œil, which also means to look at but sometimes has an additional sense of a fast glance or even a sneaky glance, roughly equivalent to 'take a peek at'.
 
So you might hear people telling you to Jetez un œil sur le site internet pour plus d'information - Take a look at the website for more information.
 
Or a Paris estate agent might tell you (as he's showing you a glorified cupboard) Jetez un œil à l'intérieur : tout est rangé, tout est à sa place. c'est le résultat d'un aménagement intérieur bien pensé - Take a look inside: everything is tidy and in its place thanks to the well thought-out interior.
 
It's particularly common in the workplace, where your colleagues might ask you to Jetez un coup d'œil à ces comptes s'il vous plaît - Take a quick glance at these accounts, please.
 
And you will also see it in promotional emails or adverts, inviting you to Jetez un œil à nos dernières collections - Take a look at our latest collections. 
 
For more French words and phrases, check out our French world of the Day section.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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