le
/bɔʁdɛl/
Translation
mess, chaos (vulgar)
Word origin
From Old French bordel ('small hut, cabin'), a diminutive of borde ('plank hut'), of Frankish origin. It came to mean 'brothel' and, colloquially, 'a mess'.
- Origin
- Frankish
- Root
- borda
- English cognates
- bordello, board
Grammar
Examples
! .
What a mess in your room! Clean that up immediately.
C' .
It is complete chaos at the office since the boss has been on holiday.
comportez- adultes.
Stop this chaos and behave like adults.
.
Tidy up this mess before your father gets home.
métro !
What chaos on the metro this morning!
Bordel est un nom masculin populaire ou vulgaire selon le contexte. Son sens premier est un bordel (brothel), mais dans la langue parlee contemporaine il designe avant tout un desordre ou un chaos (quel bordel ! - what a mess!). Il est courant dans les transcriptions de dialogues de films et series.
Foutre le bordel (to mess everything up) et c'est le bordel (it's a mess, it's chaos) sont des expressions tres frequentes a l'oral. En tant que juron, bordel ! exprime la frustration ou la surprise. A eviter dans les contextes formels ou professionnels.
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 15.