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Laisser - French Expressions with Laisser

Idiomatic French expressions

By Laura K. Lawless, About.com

The French verb laisser literally means "to leave" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to abandon something, to leave room to maneuver, drop everything, and more with this list of expressions with laisser.

Possible meanings of laisser
Expressions with laisser

laisser + infinitive (semi-auxiliary)
to let someone do something


laisser à désirer
to leave s.t. to be desired

laisser dans son erreur
to not tell someone his/her mistake

laisser dire
to let people talk

laisser du champ à qqun
to leave s.o. room to maneuver

laisser en plan
to leave in the lurch, to abandon

laisser la porte ouverte
to leave the door open

laisser la vie à qqun
to spare s.o.'s life

laisser le champ libre à qqun
to leave s.o. a clear field

laisser le meilleur pour la fin
to leave the best for last

laisser pour (mort)
to leave for (dead)

laisser qqch/qqun
to leave s.t./s.o. (somewhere)

laisser qqch pour 5$
to let something go for $5

laisser qqun dans l'ignorance
to leave s.o. in the dark, to not enlighten s.o.

laisser qqun debout
to leave/keep s.o. standing up

laisser qqun faire qqch
to let s.o. do s.t.

laisser qqun mijoter dans son jus
to let someone stew in his own juices

laisser tomber
to drop

laisser une bonne impression
to make a good impression

laisser un message
to leave a message

laisser vivre
to live for the day, to take each day as it comes

laisser voir
to show, reveal, let show

laisser voir ses sentiments
to let one's feelings show

tout laisser en plan
to drop everything


n'en pas se laisser
to not be taken in / fooled easily

ne pas laisser de...
to not fail to...; to not refrain from...

ne pas laisser qqun faire sans réagir
to not let s.o. get away with

ne rien laisser à désirer
to be all that one could hope for

ne rien laisser voir
to show no sign/inkling of


Cela ne laisse pas d'être vrai.
It's true nonetheless.

Cela ne laisse pas de me surprendre.
That couldn't fail to surprise me.

C'est à prendre ou à laisser.
Take it or leave it, That's my final offer.

Il faut laisser faire le temps.
Let things take/follow their (natural) course.

Je vous laisse.
I'm leaving.

Je vous laisse à penser...
You can imagine...; I don't need to tell you...

Laisse, Laissez
Let it go, forget it.

Laisse faire !
Never mind! Don't bother!

Laisse-moi !
Leave me alone!

Laisse-moi rire !
Don't make me laugh!

Laisse-toi faire !
Come on, try it, it won't hurt you!

On lui a laissé son...
We left his ... alone; We didn't argue with him about his...

On ne va pas le laisser faire sans réagir !
We're not going to let him get away with that!


se laisser + infinitive
to let o.s. be + past participle

se laisser aller
to let oneself go

se laisser aller à + infinitive
to stoop to + gerund

se laisser boire (informal)
to go down nicely, taste nice

se laisser dire que...
to hear/be told that...

se laisser faire
to let oneself be persuaded/talked into; to get pushed around

se laisser surprendre par
to get caught / be surprised by

se laisser vivre
to live for the day, live one day at a time

s'en laisser conter
to be easily taken in / fooled


le laisser-aller
casualness, carelessness, sloppiness

le laisser-faire
laissez-faire, non-interventionism (French expressions in English)

le laissez-passer
pass


Laisser conjugations

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