Literally translated, this expression means “What do you want?” or “What do you want to do?” Its English equivalent is “What can you do?” Trois examens le même jour, mais que voulez-vous, c’est le lycée ! – Three tests on the same day, but that’s life in high school! Meaning: When posed as a question, que voulez-vous means “what do you want?” But when used as an exclamation or mid-sentence it means “what can I do?” or “such is life.” English: It’s clearly a well-known expression worldwide in pop culture, as we show in another fun post where we review every C’est La Vie song we could find on YouTube (with 40 videos!).

An example is if you auditioned for a role in a play and didn’t get the part that you thought you were going to get. You worked hard to prepare for the audition and thought you were the right person for the role, but someone else got it.

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That may sound negative, and in many contexts, it is. I’ve eve heard of people calling it a de-motivating phrase, because essentially, it means why fight. You can’t do anything about the situation, right? No superhero is going to say it – or at least, no typical one; they would try to change things, as would lots of everyday inspirational figures. Ici vient la partie de la vie parisienne que la plupart des citoyens détestent. Les transports en commun, le métro parisien, le bus, le RER, le tram… l’expression « métro-boulot-dodo » est très connue de la vie parisienne car les gens ont l’impression de prendre le métro, d’aller au boulot, et de rentrer pour faire dodo. Et puis c’est tout. Another way to use C’est La Vie is as a sweeping statement regarding certain kinds of situations or individuals – could be your age (kid, teenager, adult), your job, etc. Olivier and Deborah Megret own and operate C’est la Vie to exceptionally high standards. Oliver is a trained chef as well as captain, and grew up in Burgundy where his parents owned a restaurant (other members of the Megret family also combine cuisine with boating hospitality). Deborah brings her own professional experience to the mix, providing the highly successful combination that makes C’est la Vie one of the top hotel barges in France. Example: J’essaie de faire un régime mais que veux-tu – on habite au dessus de la meilleure pâtisserie de la ville! (I’m trying to diet but what can you do? We live above the best bakery in town!)

The phrase c’est la vie de can be used to express the nature of a profession or position. The literal translation of c’est la vie de is that’s the life of, so we simply follow it with the position we’re generalizing about. But if you’re looking for a few other c’est la vie alternatives, here are some great ones in both French and English: French: For example, in the United States it’s common for grocery stores and drug stores to be open 24/7, but in France that is not the case. Most grocery stores and pharmacies in France close around 8 or 9pm. And some pharmacies will even close during lunchtime. For whatever reason, C’est La Vie is one of the most commonly used French idioms by English speakers. In this post, our focus is on the literal and figurative meanings of this popular French phrase, explaining the various scenarios where it might be used. We’ll round out the lesson with some French synonyms for c’est la vie. Now let’s get started! C’est la vie in English: Literal meaning

À partir du 3 Janvier,

C’est la Vie offers a fabulous chance to float serenely through the French countryside and escape the demands of everyday life. Drift past infinite landscapes, famous vineyards, historic towns and pretty villages and reflect on times past and present. With four routes to choose from you can return again to savour the fine wines of famous vineyards of a different region. But overall, the French do seem to take a C’est la vie approach to tragedy. Maybe it’s a bit like the British “stiff upper lip” idea, or its current incarnation, “Keep calm and carry on.” When a sad or tragic event is covered on the French national news, the newscasters may seem slightly moved, but we are nowhere close to Jimmy Kimmel (who, granted, isn’t exactly a newscaster) crying over Cecil the Lion. The story is covered in a neutral way, without seeking out drama. Even the saddest details are recounted in a calm, informative voice.

In some instances, you may be so invested in something that you refer to it as your life. Yes, you can use C’est La Vie in this situation. Let’s look at a few examples. You simply say C’est La Vie De (in this case, it means “that’s the life of..”) and then add whatever it is that you’re referring to. Let’s look at a few examples to understand this better. J’ai perdu €100 en rien de temps au casino, mais que veux-tu faire, c’est ça le jeu. – I lost €100 in no time flat at the casino, but what are you going to do, that’s how the game goes. C’est La Vie is well-known even though most people who know it don’t speak French and are just familiar with the expression’s general connotation rather than the specific meaning of each word. If you’re trying to comment on the positive moments in life, you can say something like “ La vie est belle,” or “life is good.” C’est La Vie AlternativesIls étaient en grève encore ce matin, donc j’ai dû marcher. Que veux tu?– They were on strike again this morning, so I had to walk. What can you do? There were many times when I first moved to France where I found myself forgetting this cultural difference and I would arrive at the store and find it closed. This is one of many moments where I’d have to tell myself “ c’est la vie.” How to Use C’est La Vie in French vs. English

There are instances when you would say C’est La Vie, and you don’t have to be talking about anything terrible. As A Statement That Describes Certain Lifestyles We started off by discussing the meaning of c’est la vie in English, looking at both the literal and figurative meanings including that’s life, such is life, that’s how it is, or it is what it is. We covered some of the common contexts where we can use c’est la vie in French, including a couple of positive circumstances where we use it to refer to something we love.

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The French actually use the expression c’est la vie less frequently than you do in English. Is this because English speakers like to sound cultured by using French phrases? Or perhaps it’s simply that, compared with English, the French language has more ways to express the idea of life’s inflexible nature? The French often use the expression c’est la vie, or even its possessive version c’est ma vie, to express a great passion for something. In this context, a better English translation would be it’s my life or that’s what life is all about.