Welcome back to Expressions bien de chez nous! Today we are sharing some knowledge about an expression that may sound ancient but is actually more recent than you might think: c’est la fin des haricots. Beans, sailors and board games all play a role in this one.

Where does it come from?

Despite looking like it could have come from the Middle Ages, c’est la fin des haricots only made its first appearance in the 19th century. Its origins are not entirely certain, but two main theories help explain the image behind it.

The oldest reference points to sailors in the 17th century. On long sea voyages, food was rationed and managed carefully according to how long it would keep. Fresh produce and animals were eaten first, followed by dry biscuits, then salted or smoked products, and finally ham and dried beans. The beans always came last. When the beans ran out, it was the signal that the crew needed to land and resupply the ship. No more beans meant no more provisions, and no more provisions meant the journey had to stop.

A second theory places the expression around family board games in the 20th century. In many households, people played with dried beans instead of money or tokens. When the last bean was played, the game was over. La fin des haricots became the end of the game, and by extension, the end of everything, a situation of last resort with no hope left.

What does it mean?

The expression is built from two simple words: la fin (the end) and les haricots (the beans). When someone says c’est la fin des haricots, they mean it is the end of everything: a situation where nothing is going well anymore, where there is no way out and no more hope. It describes a critical moment of total collapse, whether personal, financial or collective.

It carries a tone that is both dramatic and slightly resigned. The French often use it with a sigh, or sometimes with dark humour, to acknowledge that things have reached their lowest point.

How to use it?

During an economic crisis, whether personal, family or national, it can be hard to see any way forward. When hope runs out entirely, people reach for this expression:

“Avec cette crise économique, c’est la fin des haricots.”
With this economic crisis, it’s all over.

The expression can also be used to comment on broader political or social situations. When a leader announces a dramatic change or shortage, someone in the street might say:

“C’est vraiment la fin des haricots cette fois-ci.”
This really is the end of everything this time.

You can also use it on a more personal scale. Failed an important exam? Lost a job? Run out of options? C’est la fin des haricots captures that feeling of hitting rock bottom with nothing left to fall back on.

Keep exploring French expressions

C’est la fin des haricots is a wonderful example of how everyday objects, beans in this case, can end up carrying the weight of an entire philosophy. From sailors rationing their last provisions to families playing board games on a winter evening, the image has survived the centuries and remains perfectly vivid in modern French.

How would you express the same idea in your own language? Discover more colourful French expressions in our French expressions from Bordeaux series. And if you want to use them naturally in conversation, our French language courses in Bordeaux are the perfect place to practise. You can also test yourself with our online quizzes on French expressions.

Coming to Bordeaux is anything but la fin des haricots. It is the beginning of something wonderful. Discover the city through our cultural activities in Bordeaux.

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