va au diable
The English phrase 'go to hell' can be expressed in French as va au diable. Wiktionary also lists aller se faire voir and allez au diable.
Meaning: interjection (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| va au diable | |
| aller se faire voir | /a.le s(ə) fɛʁ vwaʁ/ |
| allez au diable | |
| va mourir |
While va au diable is a direct equivalent to 'go to hell', the expression aller se faire voir is a common colloquial way to tell someone to 'get lost'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase va au diable literally translates to 'go to the devil'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the form va au diable when addressing a single person with whom you use the informal 'tu' form.
Did you know?
- The expression aller se faire voir is quite ironic because it literally means 'to go get oneself seen'.
- The word diable comes from the Greek diábolos, which originally meant 'slanderer' or 'accuser'.
- Unlike English, where 'go to hell' is a common idiom, the French va au diable can sometimes sound slightly old-fashioned or literary compared to aller se faire voir.
Examples in context
- Va au diable !Go to hell!This sentence shows the exclamation 'Go to hell!' using va au diable.Tatoeba #1462551 by sacredceltic, translation #607840 by Eldad
- Va au diable.Go to hell.This sentence shows the command 'Go to hell.' using va au diable.Tatoeba #12369922 by Rovo, translation #6099231 by mailohilohi
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are having a heated argument.
- ManonJe ne veux plus jamais te voir !I never want to see you again!
- GabrielC'est toi qui as tort, Manon.You are the one who is wrong, Manon.
- ManonVa au diable, Gabriel !Go to hell, Gabriel!
- GabrielTrès bien, je m'en vais.Fine, I'm leaving.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go to hell” translations and entries aller se faire voir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aller, diable, faire, mourir, se, va, voir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
