How do you say “Fly the coop” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is se faire la malle, which literally means “to make oneself the trunk”. English speakers use fly the coop to mean to leave or escape from a place. An informal French match for clearing off or escaping. It is more colourful than simply leaving. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
se faire la malle
/sə fɛʁ la mal/
- Literal meaning
- “to make oneself the trunk”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Il s’est fait la malle” suits someone who has disappeared from a place. The phrase can be playful or annoyed, depending on who was left behind.
It is not a neutral way to describe every departure. Keep it for an escape, a sudden exit or a joke about one.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
By the time we started washing up, the guests had flown the coop.
French
Quand on a commencé la vaisselle, les invités s'étaient déjà fait la malle.
English
We looked in his room, but he had already flown the coop.
French
On a regardé dans sa chambre, mais il s'était déjà fait la malle.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01