How do you say “Clear the air” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is Mettre les choses à plat, which literally means “To lay the things flat”. English speakers use clear the air to mean to discuss a problem openly so that tension or misunderstanding can end. Natural for discussing a situation openly, especially to sort out a disagreement. It is informal, neutral and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
Mettre les choses à plat
/mɛtʁ le ʃoz a pla/
- Literal meaning
- “To lay the things flat”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
89 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
English clears something unpleasant from the air. French lays things out so everyone can see and discuss them.
The French phrase stresses an open discussion more than the relief afterwards. It can also describe calmly reviewing a complicated situation.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
S’expliquer
Literally: “To explain oneself”
Use when people need to talk through what happened between them.
Dissiper les malentendus
Literally: “To dispel the misunderstandings”
More formal and specifically about misunderstandings.
Don't translate it literally
Nettoyer l’air
This suggests cleaning the physical air rather than addressing tension between people.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
We need to clear the air after yesterday’s argument.
French
Nous devons mettre les choses à plat après la dispute d’hier.
English
We met for coffee to clear the air.
French
On s’est retrouvés autour d’un café pour s’expliquer.
Related expressions
- What “Clear the air” means in English
- Water under the bridge, A past problem that no longer matters.
- The elephant in the room, An obvious issue nobody mentions.
Last reviewed 2026-09-12