laisser tomber
/lɛ.se tɔ̃.be/
To blow off is translated into French as laisser tomber.
The phrase laisser tomber is used informally to indicate blowing off, abandoning a plan or deciding to stop worrying about or pursuing something (similar to 'forget about it'). Another informal idiom, poser un lapin à quelqu'un, specifically means to stand someone up or fail to show up for a planned meeting or a date.
Meaning: to shirk or disregard (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, laisser tomber means "to let fall".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both laisser tomber and poser un lapin à quelqu'un are informal. Laisser tomber is common in everyday speech when one chooses to disregard something, while poser un lapin à quelqu'un is an idiomatic way to describe the specific act of standing someone up.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /lɛ.se tɔ̃.be/. It consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The verb tomber did not always mean 'to fall'. Its Old French ancestor tumber originally described 'to dance', 'to leap', or 'to do somersaults'.
- While laisser tomber means to blow something off, the specific act of standing someone up is described as poser un lapin, which literally means 'to place a rabbit'.
Examples in context
- Il a choisi d'ignorer mes remarquesHe chose to ignore my remarks
- Il m'a posé un lapin à notre rendez-vousHe blew me off for our meeting
- Il a laissé tomber notre projet à la dernière minuteHe blew off our project at the last minute
- Il m'a laissé tomber.He blew me off.
- Il ne faut pas laisser tomber tes responsabilités.You shouldn't blow off your responsibilities.
- Elle a décidé de laisser tomber son rendez-vous.She decided to blow off her appointment.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are discussing a gym appointment.
- HugoJe suis fatigué, je vais laisser tomber le sport.I'm tired, I'm going to blow off the gym.
- ManonMais nous avions promis d'y aller ensemble !But we promised to go together!
- HugoOn peut y aller demain, Manon.We can go tomorrow, Manon.
- ManonD'accord, mais ne le fais pas encore.Okay, but don't do it again.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry laisser tomber, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries laisser, laisser tomber, tomber, CC BY-SA 4.0.
