avoir le cafard
to feel down; to have the blues
Intermediate Phrase
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Pronunciation
/a.vwaʁ lə ka.faʁ/
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Cultural Note
Literally meaning 'to have the cockroach,' this colorful expression was popularized by Charles Baudelaire. It captures a specifically French sense of mild depression or the blues, less severe than clinical depression but more than simple sadness.
📝 Example Sentences
J'ai le cafard depuis qu'il est parti.
I've been feeling down since he left.
Le dimanche soir, j'ai toujours le cafard.
On Sunday evenings, I always get the blues.