Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| ayant la gueule de bois |
| ayant mal aux cheveux |
To describe the state of being hungover, French speakers use the expression avoir la gueule de bois. This is the most common way to say one has a hangover. Another informal way to describe feeling groggy, disoriented and generally unwell is avoir la tête dans le cul.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase la gueule de bois literally translates to the mouth of wood.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The expression avoir la gueule de bois is colloquial because it uses gueule (an animal's mouth) instead of bouche (a human's mouth).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, the expression ayant mal aux cheveux is used to describe the discomfort experienced after a night of indulgence.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, you do not 'be' hungover using the verb être. Instead, you 'have' a hangover using the verb avoir.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Oh, ne lui en veux pas, il a vraiment la gueule de bois aujourd'hui !Oh, don't blame him, he's really hungover today!
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking on Sunday morning.
- GabrielSalut Chloé, tu veux aller bruncher ?Hi Chloé, do you want to go for brunch?
- ChloéNon merci, je suis ayant la gueule de bois.No thanks, I'm hungover.
- GabrielMoi aussi, j'ai trop bu hier soir.Me too, I drank too much last night.
- ChloéOn devrait juste boire beaucoup d'eau.We should just drink plenty of water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hungover” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ayant, bois, de, gueule, la, mal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
