How do you say “Get down to brass tacks” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is entrer dans le vif du sujet, which literally means “to enter the heart of the subject”. English speakers use get down to brass tacks to mean to focus on the practical details that matter. Fits moving into the main substance of a discussion. It does not always imply practical details, so name those when needed. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
entrer dans le vif du sujet
/ɑ̃tʁe dɑ̃ lə vif dy syʒɛ/
- Literal meaning
- “to enter the heart of the subject”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Entrons dans le vif du sujet” works after an introduction or general discussion. It announces that the important part is beginning.
For the English phrase here, follow it with the budget, dates or decisions. The French expression can also introduce a deeper theoretical discussion.
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.
In context
English
Let's get down to brass tacks: how much can we spend on the trip?
French
Entrons dans le vif du sujet : combien pouvons-nous dépenser pour le voyage ?
English
After sharing ideas, we got down to brass tacks and chose the dates.
French
Après avoir échangé des idées, nous sommes entrés dans le vif du sujet et avons choisi les dates.
Related expressions
- What “Get down to brass tacks” means in English
- Cut to the chase, Get directly to the main point.
Last updated 2026-11-04