We wanted to tell you something today. We had it all planned. And then… we forgot. It is right there, we can almost feel it. We just need a little more time. Sound familiar? Then this week’s expression from Expressions bien de chez nous was made for you: avoir quelque chose sur le bout de la langue.

What does it mean?

Let’s break it down word by word. Quelque chose is the indefinite pronoun meaning “something”. Sur is the preposition “on”. Le bout means “the tip”, and la langue means “the tongue”. Put it all together and you get: to have something on the tip of your tongue.

If you speak English, you almost certainly recognise this image. The French and English expressions are near-identical, and they describe exactly the same frustrating experience: you know a word, a name or a piece of information, you are absolutely certain you know it, and yet in that moment you simply cannot retrieve it. It is right there, hovering just out of reach, on the very tip of your tongue.

This expression has only one meaning, and it has kept that meaning consistently since the 16th century. The sense is clear, immediate and universally recognisable.

Where does it come from?

There is no specific historical event or text that marks the birth of this expression. It began appearing in French in the 16th century and has carried the same meaning ever since. The image is intuitive: the tongue is where words come from, where they take shape before being spoken. When a word is on the tip of your tongue, it has almost made it out. It is at the very threshold of being said, but not quite there yet.

Scientists have a name for this phenomenon: the tip-of-the-tongue state, or in French, le phénomène du mot sur le bout de la langue. It happens to everyone, in every language, and it is especially common when learning a foreign language. So if it happens to you in your French lessons, you are in very good company.

Some examples

You are in the middle of a French conversation and you suddenly blank on a word you have definitely learnt before. Instead of giving up, you say:

“Attendez, je l’ai au bout de la langue.”
Wait, I’ve got it on the tip of my tongue.

Now imagine you are on a TV game show. You are one question away from winning. The final question comes up and you know the answer. You are absolutely certain you know it. But the clock is ticking and the word will not come. You look at the host and say:

“Attendez, je sais ce que c’est, je l’ai sur le bout de la langue. Laissez-moi réfléchir un peu.”
Wait, I know what it is, it’s on the tip of my tongue. Just give me a moment to think.

Perhaps the host takes pity on you and gives you a little extra time. With any luck, the word finally makes that short journey from the tip of your tongue to the air.

Keep exploring French expressions

Avoir quelque chose sur le bout de la langue is one of those expressions that every language learner will use sooner or later, probably sooner. The good news is that the more French you learn, the less often you will need it. And our French language courses in Bordeaux are designed to give you the vocabulary and confidence to find your words when you need them.

In the meantime, discover more expressions like this one in our French expressions from Bordeaux series, and practise with our online quizzes on French expressions.

Oh, and what was it we wanted to tell you at the start? We remember now. Come and join us in Bordeaux. Discover the city, the language and the culture through our cultural activities in Bordeaux. It was worth the wait.

Channel Trotters: French in Bordeaux