C’est La Vie – Meaning And How To Use It

A well-known French idiom, “C’est la vie” pronounced as “say-la-vee”) is one of the most often used French expressions throughout the world.

As in France, it’s still used as a stoic reminder that life is what it is, and there is nothing you can do about it. We can expect a shrug of the shoulders and a bemused look if someone uses this expression.

For whatever reason, C’est La Vie is one of the most commonly used French idioms by English speakers.

C’est La Vie is well-known even though most people who know it don’t speak French and are just familiar with the expression’s general connotation rather than the specific meaning of each word.

What’s interesting is that even though you can use C’est La Vie with French speakers, C’est La Vie is used far more frequently in English than in French.

It’s not clear why this is the case, but theories include the desire of English speakers to appear sophisticated (since French is stereotyped as such) and the fact that the French themselves have many more ways to communicate the same thought than just C’est La Vie.

C’est La Vie – Meaning And How To Say It

What is C’est la vie?

C’est la vie is an idiomatic expression meaning “that is how life is,” or simply “that’s life.” It can be used either as a single sentence as well as a subordinate clause.

The most obvious translation of c’est la vie at’s life” (c’est – that’s, la vie – life), and the statement is commonly used when confronted with something unfavorable still must be accepted.

C’est La Vie diminishes a slight disappointment that isn’t worth dwelling on or acknowledges a slightly dismayed but unsurprising development.

It has the same meaning as the English expressions “that’s how it is,” “that’s the way it is,” “that’s simply how it is,” “oh well,” “such is life,” and, of course, “that’s life.”

An example is if you auditioned for a role in a play and didn’t get the part that you thought you were going to get. You worked hard to prepare for the audition and thought you were the right person for the role, but someone else got it.

You might say c’est la vie because, although unfortunate, it’s something that many actors go through in their careers.

Here are examples of how you can use C’est La Vie in a sentence:

• C’est la vie, mon amie! – That’s life, my friend!
• Alternate Versions of ‘C’est la Vie’ – Bref, c’est la vie! – Anyway, that’s life!
• Je sais que c’est frustrant, mais c’est la vie.​ – I know it is frustrating, but that’s life.
• Alors il n’y a rien à faire. C’est la vie! –  There’s nothing to be done then. C’est la vie!

Other Uses For C’est La Vie

We already know that c’est la vie is what you say for bad, but often unavoidable, events in life. However, this does not necessarily have to be the case all the time.

There are instances when you would say C’est La Vie, and you don’t have to be talking about anything terrible.

As A Statement That Describes Certain Lifestyles

Another way to use C’est La Vie is as a sweeping statement regarding certain kinds of situations or individuals – could be your age (kid, teenager, adult), your job, etc. 

You simply say C’est La Vie De (in this case, it means “that’s the life of..”) and then add whatever it is that you’re referring to. Let’s look at a few examples to understand this better.

• Étudier 24h/24, c’est la vie d’étudiant – Studying 24/7, That’s student life (that’s the life of a student)

• Être célèbre et gagner beaucoup d’argent, c’est la vie de supermodel – Being famous and making lots of money, that’s supermodel life (that’s a supermodel’s life)

• Vivre dans le besoin, c’est la vie d’artiste. –  Living in poverty is the life of an artist.

• Dormir et se faire caresser, c’est la vie de chien – Sleeping and getting pet, that’s dog life (that’s a dog’s life)

As A Way to Express Passion About Something

In some instances, you may be so invested in something that you refer to it as your life. Yes, you can use C’est La Vie in this situation. Let’s look at a few examples.

• Le foot, c’est la vie – Football (soccer) is life

• La musique, c’est la vie – Music is life

• C’est La Vie would only be appropriate in this case if you were really into or a massive fan of something.

Expressions Using C’est La Vie

C’est la vie de château – This means “That’s castle life”. It means to live “the life” or live an extravagant life. Another way of saying it is C’est La Vie Au Château, which pretty much has the same meaning.

C’est la vie de château, pourvu que ça dure – That’s life, as long as it lasts. This expression originated from a relatively popular French song called “C’est la vie d’château avec toi”, which translates to  “being with you is like living a life of luxury”.

C’est la vie, c’est la guerre, c’est la pomme de terre which –  its direct transmission is “that’s life, that’s war, that’s the potato”. This is merely a flippant expression that’s like an expanded version of “it’s the way things are” The French words “guerre” and “terre” rhyme; therefore, that could be a factor in how this one came to be.

C’est La Vie In Popular Culture

Not only is C’est La Vie a well-known expression, but it has also inspired writers to use it as the title of their film and song.

• Film – Diane Kurys wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical French drama “C’est la vie,” released in France in 1990. The plot dwells on the subject of divorce and its ramifications.
  
  The story is set in the summer of 1958 at the French beach town of La Baule-les-Pins, and it is told through voice-over from the diary of thirteen-year-old Frédérique.

“C’est la Vie!” is also the title of a 2017 French comedy film written and directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache. In 2017, the film was part of the Gala Presentations section of the Toronto International Film Festival.

• Music – “C’est La Vie”, a pop and r&b song written by Robbie Nevil in 1986, is about how life will always try to drag us down, but it is not our fate to remain there. “C’est La Vie” was also the title of the debut single by the Irish girl group B*whitched, released in 1998.
  
  The bouncy pop song reached the top of the UK charts. Meanwhile, in 2010, Algerian rai musician Khaled used “C’est La Vie” as the title of his comeback song.
  
  The infectious dance track features lyrics in Algerian Darja Arabic and a chorus in French. In 2013, American singer Marc Anthony did a salsa version of this song.

Want to learn more French phrases? Check out our language guides below:

• Gender In French
• Body Parts in French
• Dates In French
• Numbers In French
• Colors In French
• Family In French Vocabulary
• Beautiful In French
• Common French Swear Words and Insults