gros bonnet
The English phrase 'big shot' can be translated into French as gros bonnet.
It is used to describe someone with high status or authority within a specific hierarchy or industry.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, gros bonnet translates to 'big hat'.
Which one should you use?
You may use personnage important or personne de haut rang to convey the same meaning in a more formal manner.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term gros bonnet is informal or colloquial. It is not suitable for highly formal professional writing. For formal contexts, use personnage important or personne de haut rang.
Did you know?
- Beyond the colloquial gros bonnet, French speakers might use the term cacique to describe a powerful local leader or 'big shot' who wields authoritarian influence.
- Using gros bonnet to describe someone can actually sound cynical or mocking, suggesting the person is perhaps too full of themselves.
- The word bonnet shares an ancestral root with the English 'bonnet', both tracing back to a Germanic word meaning 'that which is bound' or a 'bundle'.
Examples in context
- Jean est un gros bonnet dans le monde du cinéma.Jean is a big shot in the world of cinema.
- C'est un gros bonnet dans cette entreprise.He is a big shot in this company.
- Il se prend pour un gros bonnet.He thinks he is a big shot.
- Elle est devenue un gros bonnet du milieu.She became a big shot in the industry.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about their boss at a café.
- GabrielTon nouveau patron est un vrai gros bonnet, non ?Your new boss is a real big shot, isn't he?
- ChloéOui, il a beaucoup d'influence ici.Yes, he has a lot of influence here.
- GabrielOn dirait qu'il décide de tout.It looks like he decides everything.
- ChloéC'est vrai, il est très puissant.It's true, he is very powerful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonnet, gros, gros bonnet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
