tu m'as brisé le cœur
The English phrase "you broke my heart" is expressed in French as tu m'as brisé le cœur.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they have caused you great emotional pain or grief.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "you to me have broken the heart".
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing one person informally or someone you are intimate with, use the singular/informal form tu m'as brisé le cœur. If you are addressing someone formally or a group of people, use vous m'avez brisé le cœur.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say tu m'as brisé mon cœur. In French, when referring to body parts or organs in this context, you should use the definite article le with the indirect object pronoun m' instead of a possessive adjective.
Did you know?
- The informal pronoun tu is a cognate of the Italian tu and the Russian ты, sharing a common ancestor from Proto-Indo-European.
- In French, the word cœur is used in many idioms that have nothing to do with romance, such as avoir le cœur net, which means to get to the bottom of a matter.
- While 'briser' means to break, it often carries a connotation of shattering something into many small pieces, much like glass.
Examples in context
- Tu m'as brisé le cœur.You broke my heart.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase tu m'as brisé le cœur.Tatoeba #8703661 by Julien_PDC, translation #1895818 by CK
- Vous avez brisé mon cœur en mille morceaux.You broke my heart into a thousand pieces.
- Tu as brisé mon cœur et je ne sais pas comment continuer.You broke my heart, and I don't know how to move on.
- Tu m'as détruit le cœur, et je suis perdu(e) sans toi.You destroyed my heart, and I am lost without you.
- Tu m'as brisé le cœur en partant.You broke my heart by leaving.
- Je t'aime, mais tu m'as brisé le cœur.I love you, but you broke my heart.
Example conversation
Emma is confronting Gabriel about his betrayal during a breakup.
- EmmaTu m'as brisé le cœur, Gabriel.You broke my heart, Gabriel.
- GabrielJe suis vraiment désolé, Emma.I am truly sorry, Emma.
- EmmaTes mensonges ont tout détruit.Your lies destroyed everything.
- GabrielJe ne voulais pas te faire du mal.I did not want to hurt you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cœur, le, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
