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    manger son chapeau (to eat one's hat, idiom)

    Grammar & Usage

    idiomatic verbal phrase
    informal

    How it works

    This idiom consists of the verb 'manger' followed by a possessive adjective and the noun 'chapeau'. The verb inflects regularly according to tense and subject, and the possessive determiner must agree with the subject (e.g., 'je mange mon chapeau', 'tu manges ton chapeau'). It is frequently used in conditional sentences or betting contexts to express extreme certainty that an event will not happen.

    Sample sentences

    S'il réussit cet examen sans réviser, je mange mon chapeau !

    If he passes this exam without studying, I'll eat my hat!

    Elle a dû manger son chapeau quand les chiffres officiels ont contredit ses prédictions.

    She had to eat humble pie when the official figures contradicted her predictions.

    Prépare-toi à manger ton chapeau, car notre équipe va remporter la finale.

    Get ready to eat your hat, because our team is going to win the final.

    Quick facts

    origin:Often regarded as a calque of the English idiom 'to eat one's hat'
    verbGroup:First group (-ger verb, requires 'e' before 'a' and 'o' like 'nous mangeons')
    possessiveAgreement:Mon/ton/son/notre/votre/leur chapeau depending on the subject

    Mnemonic

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    Example

    S'il réussit cet examen sans réviser, je mange mon chapeau !

    If he passes this exam without studying, I'll eat my hat!

    Elle a dû manger son chapeau quand les chiffres officiels ont contredit ses prédictions.

    She had to eat humble pie when the official figures contradicted her predictions.

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