qu'ils mangent de la brioche
The English phrase "let them eat cake" is translated into French as qu'ils mangent de la brioche.
The phrase is used to express the sentiment of "let them eat cake". In French, the specific word for brioche is used rather than a generic word for cake to maintain the historical context of the expression.
Meaning: Translations (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, qu'ils mangent de la brioche translates to "that they eat some brioche", where brioche is a specific type of enriched bread.
Which one should you use?
While qu'ils mangent de la brioche is the standard way to express this, you may encounter the informal version Qu'ils bouffent du gâteau, which translates to "let them gobble down cake".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the conjunction que followed by the subjunctive mood mangent to express a command or a wish.
Did you know?
- The attribution of this phrase to Marie Antoinette appeared in the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who wrote it when the Queen was only a child.
- The word brioche is etymologically linked to the Old French verb brier, which means 'to break' or 'to pound'.
- While English uses the generic 'cake', French uses brioche because this enriched bread was historically a luxury item that commoners could not afford.
Examples in context
- Qu'ils mangent de la brioche.Let them eat cake.This sentence is a direct translation of the phrase using qu'ils mangent de la brioche.Tatoeba #2093321 by gleki, translation #10134386 by espamatics
- La phrase « Qu'ils mangent de la brioche ! » a été attribuée à tort à Marie-Antoinette.The phrase "Let them eat cake!" was misattributed to Marie Antoinette.This sentence explains that the phrase qu'ils mangent de la brioche was wrongly attributed to Marie Antoinette.Tatoeba #13722072 by Adelpa, translation #11715798 by ddnktr
- Ils n'ont qu'à bouffer du gâteau.They just have to gobble down cake.
- « Qu'ils mangent de la brioche » est une expression célèbre."Let them eat cake" is a famous expression.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are discussing a wealthy politician's comment.
- GabrielIl ne comprend pas la pauvreté.He does not understand poverty.
- EmmaOui, c'est presque : qu'ils mangent de la brioche.Yes, it's almost: let them eat cake.
- GabrielC'est vraiment choquant.It is truly shocking.
- EmmaC'est très arrogant, Gabriel.It's very arrogant, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “let them eat cake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brioche, de, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
