crève-cœur
/kʁɛv.kœʁ/
Heartbreak in French is crève-cœur.
While crève-cœur can mean the emotional anguish of a breakup, it is most commonly used to describe a situation that is deeply distressing or a 'heartbreaking' event/decision. For example, you might say un crève-cœur to mean 'a heartbreak'.
Meaning: anguish (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term crève-cœur is a compound of the verb crever (to burst/pop) and cœur (heart).
How do you pronounce it?
/kʁɛv.kœʁ/. The word has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The verb crever used in this phrase is extremely blunt and, in many contexts, considered vulgar, as it is often used to describe the death of animals or the popping of a tire.
- While crève-cœur describes a heartbreaking event, the physical sensation of a broken heart is often called le mal de cœur, which can also mean feeling nauseous.
- In French, the word cœur is used in the expression avoir le cœur gros, meaning to be on the verge of tears.
Examples in context
- Il ressent une telle peine de cœurHe feels such heartbreak.
- Elle a vécu de nombreuses déceptions amoureusesShe has experienced many heartbreaks.
- Il a le cœur briséHe has a broken heart.
- Elle est anéantie depuis sa ruptureShe is devastated since her breakup.
- C'est un véritable crève-cœur de voir ce château détruit.It is a real heartbreak to see this castle destroyed.
- Son départ a été un crève-cœur pour toute la famille.His departure was a heartbreak for the whole family.
- Quel crève-cœur de perdre ces photos de famille !What a heartbreak to lose these family photos!
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are discussing the closing of a local library.
- ManonLa fermeture de la bibliothèque est un crève-cœur.The closing of the library is a heartbreak.
- GabrielJe suis d'accord, Manon, c'est très triste.I agree, Manon, it is very sad.
- ManonLes enfants vont beaucoup regretter cet endroit.The children are going to miss this place a lot.
- GabrielC'est vrai, c'est un vrai crève-cœur pour le quartier.It's true, it's a real heartbreak for the neighborhood.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heartbreak” translations and entries crève-cœur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
