mal du pays
The English word 'homesick' is translated into French as mal du pays.
In English, 'homesick' is an adjective, but in French, le mal du pays is used as a noun phrase meaning 'homesickness'.
Meaning: missing one's home or family (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mal du pays literally translates to 'pain of the country'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, you do not use the verb 'to be' to say you are homesick. Instead, you use the verb avoir (to have) with the phrase, as in avoir le mal du pays.
Did you know?
- The word pays in mal du pays is a distant relative of the English word 'page', as both stem from the Latin 'pāgus' meaning a district or territory.
- The structure of mal du pays mirrors mal de mer for seasickness and mal des montagnes for altitude sickness. In French, these physical and emotional ailments are grouped as 'pains'.
- While mal du pays describes the feeling of missing home, French speakers use the term nostalgie to describe a more general longing for the past or a lost time.
Examples in context
- J'ai souvent le mal du pays.I often feel homesick.This sentence shows how to express that you often feel homesickness using mal du pays.Tatoeba #3443676 by felix63, translation #3443095 by bandeirante
- Il doit avoir le mal du pays.He must be homesick.This sentence shows how to express that someone must be feeling homesickness using mal du pays.Tatoeba #1410542 by sacredceltic, translation #527211 by blay_paul
- La fille avait le mal du pays.The girl was homesick.This sentence shows how to express that a girl had homesickness using mal du pays.Tatoeba #5143152 by sacredceltic, translation #5144362 by strangeanalyst
- Loin de ma famille, j'ai souvent le mal du pays.Far from my family, I often feel homesick.
- Je suis en déplacement pour le travail, et j'éprouve souvent la nostalgie de mon pays.I am traveling for work, and I often feel homesick for my country.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are talking about their life abroad.
- ManonEst-ce que tu as le mal du pays ?Are you feeling homesick?
- LucasOui, ma famille me manque beaucoup.Yes, I miss my family a lot.
- ManonC'est normal quand on voyage autant.It is normal when one travels so much.
- LucasJe vais bientôt appeler mes parents.I am going to call my parents soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, mal, pays, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
