How do you say “Cut to the chase” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is aller droit au but, which literally means “to go straight to the goal”. English speakers use cut to the chase to mean get directly to the main point without wasting time on unimportant details. "Aller droit au but" is the standard, natural French phrase used across informal and professional settings. It directly mirrors the idea of dropping the preamble to address the core topic. It is informal, neutral and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
aller droit au but
/a.le dʁwa o byt/
- Literal meaning
- “to go straight to the goal”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
The English idiom "cut to the chase" originated in the early days of silent cinema, where scripts instructed editors to skip dialogue or exposition scenes and cut straight to the climactic chase sequence. Over time, it entered everyday speech as a way to urge someone to get to the main point without wasting time on fluff or preamble.
In French, "aller droit au but" relies on a spatial or sporting metaphor of heading directly toward the target or goal rather than taking detours. While the imagery differs from cinema to navigation, both expressions share identical pragmatic function, register, and frequency across both casual conversations and business meetings.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
en venir au fait
Literally: “to come to the fact”
Commonly used in the imperative ('Viens-en au fait !') when telling someone to stop rambling.
passer aux choses sérieuses
Literally: “to move on to serious things”
Used when moving past small talk to get to business.
abréger
Literally: “to shorten / abbreviate”
More abrupt and colloquial, meaning 'make it quick'.
Don't translate it literally
couper à la chasse
This is a literal translation of the English film-editing term and makes zero sense in French.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
We don't have much time, so let's cut to the chase.
French
On n'a pas beaucoup de temps, alors allons droit au but.
English
Stop beating around the bush and cut to the chase.
French
Arrête de tourner autour du pot et va droit au but.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11