How do you say “Do someone’s head in” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is prendre la tête à quelqu’un, which literally means “to take someone’s head”. English speakers use do someone’s head in to mean to make someone feel very annoyed, confused or mentally overwhelmed. An informal French match for something annoying or mentally tiring. “Ça me prend la tête” is a useful everyday form. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
prendre la tête à quelqu’un
/pʁɑ̃dʁ la tɛt a kɛlkœ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to take someone’s head”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
91 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
The phrase suits a problem that demands too much patience or thought. It can also complain about a person who keeps bothering you.
Do not confuse it with “prendre la tête de”, which can mean taking the lead or becoming the head of an organisation.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
That dripping tap is doing my head in.
French
Ce robinet qui goutte me prend la tête.
English
These instructions are doing my head in; every diagram seems to contradict the last one.
French
Ce mode d’emploi me prend la tête ; chaque schéma semble contredire le précédent.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13