-
Learning French: the origins and meaning of c’est de la daube
Find out how to express dislike in the manner of a native French speaker
-
Learning French: when and why do we say être sage comme une image?
A rhyming phrase which often describes well-behaved children
-
Learning French: when and why do we say rendre la monnaie de sa pièce?
This money-based expression can refer to a bid for revenge or a reminder that actions have consequences
Learning French: what does j'en ai marre mean and when to say it
This expression is common in France and even more so when voices are raised
J'en ai marre is a very common expression in France that you will often hear in public when voices are raised.
The expression has no word-for-word translation but essentially means 'I have had enough'.
Other English equivalents would be 'I'm fed up' or 'I've had it up to here'.
What is marre?
The adverb marre is actually only used in the phrasal expression:
En avoir marre
J'en ai marre
T'en as marre
Il en a marre
Nous en avons marre
Vous en avez marre
Ils en ont marre
The precise meaning and origin of marre are widely debated.
Some linguists have linked the word marre to marrement, a word used in the 11-13th Centuries to mean unhappiness.
Others claim it could also have devolved from marence, which meant suffering in the 14th and 15th Centuries, or marrissement, used to mean displeasure in the 16th Century.
A fourth theory, put forward by linguist Alain Rey, one of the major original creators of the iconic dictionary Le Robert, suggested that the origins lie in the slang term mar or maré.
Read more: French linguist Alain Rey dies aged 92
This word first emerged in the 15th Century, meaning a token or chip, then evolved to mean profit or share.
By the 19th Century, to have your share – avoir son mar – meant to have what you deserved or needed.
Take this one step further and you have not the right amount, but too much: j’en ai marre – I’ve had enough.