• merc@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        21
        ·
        10 months ago

        Effectively “shut the fuck up”.

        “Gueule” is a mouth, but that of an animal, mostly a carnivore like a dog or a reptile.

          • merc@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            10 months ago

            Yeah, there are a number of ways of telling someone how to shut up in French, (and Quebec does it differently than France). In France, this is one of the more aggressive / assertive / rude ways. But, the way he said it was a milder version, so it’s more a “stfu” rather than “shut the fuck up”.

            There’s “tais toi” which is basically like “be quiet”. What you might say to kids being annoying. There’s “ferme ta bouche”, which is literally “shut your mouth”. Or, “ferme la”, which is basically “shut it”. He basically picked the rudest form, but said it in the mildest way.

              • merc@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                4
                ·
                10 months ago

                “Ferme ta bouche” (shut your mouth) or “ferme la” (shut it) are not mild, but not as strong as “ferme ta gueule” or “ta gueule”. I don’t know if there’s a real difference between “ferme ta gueule” or “ta gueule”, it probably depends more on how it’s said than the words. Once you start using “gueule” it’s a pretty strong form.

                Really the two words “ta gueule” is shorthand for effectively saying “you have the mouth of an animal (a predator?) not a human, and you should shut it”.

                The closest English equivalent is “shut your hole”.

                • can@sh.itjust.works
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  10 months ago

                  Thank you for elaborating. I think a literal English equivalent could also be “shut your trap”?

                  • merc@sh.itjust.works
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    2
                    ·
                    10 months ago

                    Yeah, that’s a good one. It’s always hard to find exact matches though because of cultural differences.

        • Balinares@pawb.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          10 months ago

          “Oh, ta gueule.”

          Oh, shut the fuck up. It’s really crude language. Which makes it even funnier.