faire des siennes
To play up in French is faire des siennes.
The phrase faire des siennes is an idiomatic equivalent to the English phrasal verbs 'to act up' or 'to play up'. It is commonly used to describe children being naughty, but it can also be used for inanimate objects (like a car or a computer) that are malfunctioning or acting up.
Meaning: to misbehave (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means 'to do one's own things' or 'to do one's usual things', implying a return to a known pattern of bad behavior.
How does it change in a sentence?
faire des siennes is an idiomatic verbal expression. You conjugate the verb faire but the des siennes part does not change.
Did you know?
- The word capricieux is used to describe a temperament prone to playing up and is the direct ancestor of the English word 'capricious'.
- The root of the verb faire is the Latin facere, which is also the direct ancestor of the English word 'fact'.
- While faire des siennes is used for people and machines, French also has the phrase faire l'idiot specifically for playing up by pretending to be foolish to escape a chore.
Examples in context
- Il faut mettre en avant les avantages de ce produit lors de la présentation.We need to play up the advantages of this product during the presentation.
- La publicité doit faire valoir les caractéristiques uniques de cette voiture.The advertisement should play up the unique features of this car.
- Arrête de faire du cinéma, tout le monde sait que tu n'as pas mal.Stop playing up, everyone knows you're not in pain.
- Quand elle est malade, elle en fait des tonnes, même pour un simple rhume.When she's sick, she really plays it up, even for a simple cold.
- Le petit chat commence à faire des siennes.The little kitten is starting to misbehave.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries des, faire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
