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    un coup de bleu

    Grammar & Usage

    noun phrase / fixed expression
    informal

    How it works

    Formed by the indefinite masculine singular article 'un', the noun 'coup' (denoting a sudden strike, bout, or onset), the preposition 'de', and the color noun 'bleu' (symbolizing melancholy). It functions syntactically as a direct object or predicate noun, most frequently governed by the verb 'avoir' (to have). In Swiss French, it specifically denotes homesickness (mal du pays), while in broader French usage it is synonymous with a sudden feeling of gloominess.

    Sample sentences

    Après trois mois loin de sa famille, il a eu un gros coup de bleu.

    After three months away from his family, he had a major bout of homesickness.

    Ne t'inquiète pas pour elle, c'est juste un petit coup de bleu passager.

    Don't worry about her, it's just a temporary bout of the blues.

    L'arrivée de l'hiver me donne toujours un coup de bleu.

    The arrival of winter always gives me a feeling of melancholy.

    Quick facts

    gender:masculine
    etymology:Calqued from or influenced by the symbolic association of blue with sadness (comparable to English 'the blues')
    regional_usage:Common in Swiss French (Romandie) specifically for homesickness; also used colloquially across the Francophonie for temporary depression or melancholy

    Mnemonic

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    Example

    Après trois mois loin de sa famille, il a eu un gros coup de bleu.

    After three months away from his family, he had a major bout of homesickness.

    Ne t'inquiète pas pour elle, c'est juste un petit coup de bleu passager.

    Don't worry about her, it's just a temporary bout of the blues.

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