How do you say “Go through the motions” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is faire quelque chose sans conviction, which literally means “to do something without conviction”. English speakers use go through the motions to mean to do the expected actions without real interest, care or effort. Keeps the lack of real commitment, rather than just repetition. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
faire quelque chose sans conviction
/fɛʁ kɛlkə ʃoz sɑ̃ kɔ̃viksjɔ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to do something without conviction”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Sans conviction” suggests that the person does the activity but does not really believe in it or put much feeling into it.
“Machinalement” can describe automatic actions without that criticism. Choose it only when the English emphasis is on an empty routine rather than a half-hearted effort.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 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
The team went through the motions at training.
French
L'équipe s'est entraînée sans conviction.
English
He apologised, but he was just going through the motions.
French
Il s'est excusé, mais il l'a fait sans conviction.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19