faire faux bond
To be close to
Literalmente: To make a false leap
Use this to describe the frustration of being stood up or let down by a no-show.
En 15 segundos
- Used when someone fails to show up to an appointment.
- Equivalent to 'standing someone up' or 'flaking' on plans.
- Combines the idea of a 'false' move with a 'leap'.
Significado
This phrase is used when someone lets you down by not showing up to a planned meeting or event. It is the French way of saying someone 'stood you up' or 'flaked' on you at the last minute.
Ejemplos clave
3 de 6A friend doesn't show up for coffee
J'ai attendu Julie pendant une heure, mais elle m'a fait faux bond.
I waited for Julie for an hour, but she stood me up.
A business partner misses a meeting
Le fournisseur nous a fait faux bond au dernier moment.
The supplier let us down at the last minute.
A car failing to start in winter
Ma vieille voiture m'a encore fait faux bond ce matin.
My old car failed me again this morning.
Contexto cultural
The expression dates back to the 17th century and originally described a ball that bounced in an unexpected direction, making it impossible to catch. Over time, it evolved from a literal physical mishap into a social metaphor for someone whose reliability 'bounces' away at the last second. It reflects the French value of social etiquette and the frustration felt when someone breaks the 'contrat social' of a meeting.
The 'To' is Key
Always remember the 'à'. It's 'faire faux bond À quelqu'un'. If you forget the 'à', the sentence won't make sense to a native speaker.
Not just for people
You can use this for things like your health, your car, or even your luck. If it fails you unexpectedly, it 'fait faux bond'.
En 15 segundos
- Used when someone fails to show up to an appointment.
- Equivalent to 'standing someone up' or 'flaking' on plans.
- Combines the idea of a 'false' move with a 'leap'.
What It Means
Imagine you are waiting at a café. Your friend promised to be there at 2 PM. It is now 2:30 PM. They aren't answering texts. That feeling of being let down is faire faux bond. It means failing to meet an obligation. You expected someone to show up. They simply did not. It is more than just being late. It is a no-show. It implies a broken promise or a missed appointment.
How To Use It
You use this phrase with the person who was stood up. You say faire faux bond à [someone]. For example, Il m'a fait faux bond. This means 'He stood me up.' You can use it for people or even things. Sometimes a car battery might faire faux bond on a cold morning. It just means something failed you when you needed it most. It is a very versatile and common expression.
When To Use It
Use it when a friend cancels five minutes before dinner. Use it when a colleague misses a crucial Zoom call. It works perfectly for romantic dates that never happen. It is great for venting to other friends. You can use it in professional settings too. Just keep the tone slightly more serious there. It highlights the disappointment of the situation clearly.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use it if someone is just five minutes late. That is just being en retard. Do not use it if the person canceled weeks ago. That is a standard cancellation. This phrase needs that 'sting' of a sudden letdown. Avoid using it for very tragic or heavy life events. It is a bit too light for a major betrayal. Keep it for social and professional flakiness.
Cultural Background
The phrase comes from the world of sports and hunting. Specifically, it refers to a ball or an animal's movement. A bond is a leap or a bounce. A faux bond is an irregular, unpredictable bounce. Think of a tennis ball hitting a rock. It goes the wrong way. In the 17th century, it moved into social life. It described someone whose behavior was unpredictable. Today, it is the ultimate 'flaker' phrase.
Common Variations
You might hear poser un lapin as well. That is the more slang version of standing someone up. Faire faux bond is slightly more elegant. You can also say faire défection. That sounds much more formal and political. If you want to be very casual, just say il m'a planté. That means 'he ditched me.' Stick to faire faux bond for the perfect middle ground.
Notas de uso
The phrase is neutral and widely understood across all age groups. It is less slangy than 'poser un lapin' but less formal than 'faire défection'. It requires the indirect object pronoun (me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur) before the verb 'fait'.
The 'To' is Key
Always remember the 'à'. It's 'faire faux bond À quelqu'un'. If you forget the 'à', the sentence won't make sense to a native speaker.
Not just for people
You can use this for things like your health, your car, or even your luck. If it fails you unexpectedly, it 'fait faux bond'.
The Rabbit Alternative
If you are with very close friends, use 'poser un lapin'. It literally means 'to put a rabbit' and is the most common slang for standing someone up.
Ejemplos
6J'ai attendu Julie pendant une heure, mais elle m'a fait faux bond.
I waited for Julie for an hour, but she stood me up.
Standard social usage for a friend flaking.
Le fournisseur nous a fait faux bond au dernier moment.
The supplier let us down at the last minute.
Professional context where a commitment was broken.
Ma vieille voiture m'a encore fait faux bond ce matin.
My old car failed me again this morning.
Personification of an object that is unreliable.
Tu crois qu'il va encore nous faire faux bond ce soir ?
Do you think he's going to flake on us again tonight?
Expressing doubt about someone's reliability.
C'était notre premier rendez-vous et il m'a fait faux bond.
It was our first date and he stood me up.
Emotional weight of being let down on a date.
Ma santé m'a fait faux bond, je ne pourrai pas venir.
My health let me down, I won't be able to come.
Using the phrase to explain an involuntary absence.
Ponte a prueba
Complete the sentence to say 'They stood me up'.
Ils m'ont ___ faux bond.
The verb used with this expression is always 'faire'.
Choose the correct preposition to follow the phrase.
Elle a fait faux bond ___ son avocat.
We say 'faire faux bond à quelqu'un' to indicate who was stood up.
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Ayudas visuales
Formality of 'Faire faux bond'
Poser un lapin / Planter quelqu'un
Il m'a planté !
Faire faux bond
Il m'a fait faux bond.
Faire défection / Manquer à ses engagements
Il a fait défection.
When to use 'Faire faux bond'
Dating
Being stood up at a restaurant.
Work
A client missing a scheduled call.
Daily Life
Your internet cutting out during a movie.
Social
A friend flaking on a party invitation.
Preguntas frecuentes
11 preguntasIt means to fail to show up for an appointment or to let someone down at the last minute. For example, Il m'a fait faux bond au resto.
Not at all! It is a neutral-to-informal way to describe a rude situation. It is perfectly acceptable in most conversations.
Yes, but it's better for internal emails with colleagues you know. For a CEO, use ne pas pouvoir honorer le rendez-vous instead.
Poser un lapin is more slangy and specifically used for social/romantic dates. Faire faux bond is slightly more versatile and polished.
No, you can use it for objects or abstract concepts. You could say Ma mémoire m'a fait faux bond if you forgot something important.
It literally means 'to make a false leap.' It comes from the idea of a ball bouncing in an unpredictable way.
No, that would be être en retard. This phrase is specifically for when you don't show up at all or cancel at the very last second.
Yes, if you are talking about multiple instances, you would write des faux bonds with an 's' on bond.
Extremely common. You will hear it in movies, read it in novels, and use it in daily life frequently.
Usually, we don't use the article 'un'. We just say faire faux bond. Adding 'un' sounds slightly unnatural.
The opposite would be être au rendez-vous (to be there as expected) or tenir sa promesse (to keep one's promise).
Frases relacionadas
Poser un lapin (To stand someone up)
Planter quelqu'un (To ditch someone)
Faire défection (To defect/fail to appear)
Lâcher quelqu'un (To let someone down/drop someone)
Manquer à l'appel (To be missing from the roll call)
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