se faire plaisir
To indulge in French is se faire plaisir.
The phrase se faire plaisir is used when one decides to give way to a habit or a temptation rather than opposing it. It is often used in informal contexts to talk about the act of indulging oneself.
Meaning: to give way to (a habit or temptation), not to oppose or restrain (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, if you are indulging in something particularly flavorful, you can use the phrase se régaler, which means to delight oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a reflexive verb, the pronoun in se faire plaisir must change to match the subject of the sentence. For instance, you would say je me fais plaisir for I indulge myself or tu te fais plaisir for you indulge yourself.
Did you know?
- The structure of se faire plaisir is actually a causative construction. This means you are not just 'feeling' pleasure, but you are literally 'making' pleasure happen for yourself.
- Because French has no single verb that covers all meanings of 'indulge', speakers must choose different phrases depending on whether the indulgence is a harmless treat or a moral vice.
- While se faire plaisir is generally positive, using it to describe a luxury or an expensive treat can carry a negative connotation of hedonism.
Examples in context
- Je me fais plaisir avec un dessertI indulge myself with a dessert
- Je m'accorde des petits plaisirs de temps en tempsI indulge myself in small pleasures from time to time
- Je me fais plaisir avec une pizzaI indulge myself with a pizza
- Je me lâche en vacancesI indulge without restraint while on vacation
- Je me régale avec ce chocolatI indulge in this chocolate and delight myself
- Je vais me faire plaisir avec ce gâteau.I am going to indulge myself with this cake.
- Il faut parfois se faire plaisir.Sometimes you have to indulge yourself.
