“Avoir le cafard” is a vivid French idiom that literally means “to have the cockroach”—but figuratively, it expresses feeling down, sad, or depressed, much like saying “I’ve got the blues” in English.
📚 Meaning & Register
- Literal translation: To have the cockroach
- Figurative meaning: To feel gloomy, melancholic, or emotionally low
- Register: Informal and familiar
- Pronunciation: /avwar lə kafaʁ/
Despite the odd imagery, it’s widely used in everyday French to describe a temporary emotional slump.
🧠 Origin & Cultural Notes
- The term cafard originally referred to a hypocrite or tattletale, and later came to mean cockroach.
- The idiom was popularized by Charles Baudelaire in his 1857 poetry collection Les Fleurs du mal, where cafard symbolized dark, creeping thoughts—like cockroaches in the mind.
- It evokes the idea of mental clutter or emotional heaviness, often linked to solitude or existential dread.
💬 Examples in Context
1. Feeling Sad
J’ai le cafard depuis que mon chat est mort.
I’ve been feeling down since my cat died.
2. After a Breakup
Ma copine m’a quitté… j’ai le cafard.
My girlfriend left me… I’m really low.
3. Seasonal Blues
En hiver, j’ai souvent le cafard.
I often get the blues in winter.
4. Casual Concern
Tu vas bien ? On dirait que tu as le cafard.
Are you okay? You seem kind of down.
🔄 Synonyms & Related Expressions
| French Expression | English Equivalent | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Je suis déprimé | I’m depressed | — |
| Je broie du noir | I’m feeling gloomy | I’m grinding black |
| Je n’ai pas le moral | I’m feeling low | I don’t have morale |
| J’ai le blues | I’ve got the blues | Borrowed from English |
| Je ne suis pas dans mon assiette | I’m not feeling myself | I’m not in my plate |
🧩 Mini Dialogue Example
Philippe: Tu veux sortir ce soir ?
Emily: Pas trop… j’ai le cafard.
Philippe: Oh non, qu’est-ce qui se passe ?
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