How do you say “Bite off more than you can chew” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre, which literally means “to have eyes bigger than the belly”. English speakers use bite off more than you can chew to mean this means trying to do something that is too difficult or taking on too much work. Native speakers readily use this food idiom metaphorically to describe someone taking on far more work, responsibility, or ambition than they can actually manage. It is informal, neutral and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre
/a.vwaʁ le z‿jø ply ɡʁo kə lə vɑ̃tʁ/
- Literal meaning
- “to have eyes bigger than the belly”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
The English idiom 'bite off more than you can chew' relies on the imagery of mastication to describe overcommitting oneself or attempting an insurmountable task. In everyday French, the most natural counterpart sharing culinary imagery is 'avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre' (literally 'to have eyes bigger than one's stomach'). While originally referring to piling too much food onto a plate, native speakers routinely apply it to professional, financial, and personal overreach where ambition outstrips capability.
In contexts requiring a more formal or serious register, French speakers generally pivot to 'présumer de ses forces' (to overestimate one's strength). Alternatively, if the core issue is juggling too many responsibilities at the same time rather than tackling one excessively hard task, the proverb 'qui trop embrasse mal étreint' serves as an apt warning.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
présumer de ses forces
Literally: “to overestimate one's strength”
A more formal and neutral option, focusing directly on capacity rather than appetite.
s'attaquer à un trop gros morceau
Literally: “to tackle too big a piece”
Retains the culinary metaphor and emphasizes that the specific task is too difficult.
qui trop embrasse mal étreint
Literally: “he who grasps too much binds poorly”
A traditional proverb warning against undertaking too many projects simultaneously.
Don't translate it literally
mordre plus qu'on ne peut mâcher
This is an unnatural, word-for-word calque of the English idiom that native French speakers do not use.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
I think he bit off more than he could chew by taking on two jobs.
French
Je crois qu'il a eu les yeux plus gros que le ventre en acceptant deux emplois.
English
Don't bite off more than you can chew; start with a small project.
French
N'aie pas les yeux plus gros que le ventre ; commence par un petit projet.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11