How do you say “Bite the bullet” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is serrer les dents, which literally means “to clench one's teeth”. English speakers use bite the bullet to mean to accept something unpleasant that cannot be avoided, and get on with it. "Serrer les dents" is the most natural idiom for gritting your teeth and enduring an unavoidable hardship. For the decision aspect of finally doing an unpleasant task, French speakers also frequently use "prendre son courage à deux mains". It is neutral, informal and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
serrer les dents
/sɛ.ʁe le dɑ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to clench one's teeth”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
"Bite the bullet" comes from the military practice of having wounded soldiers bite on a soft lead bullet to endure painful surgery without anesthesia. It carries a sense of bracing for acute discomfort, steeling oneself, and getting an ordeal over with.
"Serrer les dents" mirrors the physical reaction of biting down hard to withstand pain or difficulty. While it leans slightly more toward enduring ongoing adversity than the precise moment of making a tough call, it captures the exact physical metaphor and grit of the English expression in everyday speech.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
prendre son courage à deux mains
Literally: “to take one's courage in both hands”
Focuses more on steeling oneself to perform an unpleasant or daunting action.
avaler la pilule
Literally: “to swallow the pill”
Closer to "swallow the bitter pill"; focuses on accepting a harsh reality.
faire le dos rond
Literally: “to round one's back”
Implies waiting out a storm or enduring a tough period until it passes.
Don't translate it literally
mordre la balle
This is a word-for-word calque that makes no sense in French.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
I hate going to the dentist, but I just have to bite the bullet and go.
French
Je déteste aller chez le dentiste, mais je dois serrer les dents et y aller.
English
We'll have to bite the bullet and pay the fine.
French
On va devoir serrer les dents et payer l'amende.
Related expressions
- What “Bite the bullet” means in English
- Get cold feet, To become nervous and back out.
- A blessing in disguise, A misfortune that turns out well.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11