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French Expression of the Day: Chanter faux

The Local France
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French Expression of the Day: Chanter faux
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

This is definitely not lip synching.

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Why do I need to know Chanter faux ?

Because if you were not blessed with a beautiful singing voice, then this might be a good phrase to know. 

What does it mean?

Chanter faux – pronounced shahn-tay foe - literally means to ‘fake sing.’ You might assume this expression would mean ‘lip sync’ in French, but its true meaning is to sing out of tune. (Lip synching is chanter en playback).

It joins a chorus of other French expressions about bad singing, like chanter comme une casserole (to sing like a saucepan) or chanter comme une seringue (to sing like a siren).  

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Chanter faux is actually the most correct way to describe someone being off key, so it might be a better option than comparing another’s voice to a cooking utensil. 

You might have seen this expression pop up recently amid the drought, as people call for rain dances and rain singing (where there is no shame in singing badly).

Use it like this

Pendant l'audition pour la pièce, Sarah a chanté faux. Malheureusement, elle n'a pas obtenu le rôle. – During her audition for the play, Sarah sang out of tune. Sadly, she did not get a role.

Si on fait un karaoké, tu verras comme je chante mal. Je chante vraiment faux, mais je m'en fiche. Il s'agit de s'amuser. – If we do karaoke you will see how badly I sing. I am really out of tune, but I don't care. It's all about having fun.

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