How do you say “Gravy train” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is une bonne planque, which literally means “a good hiding place”. English speakers use gravy train to mean a source of easy money with little effort. An informal match for an easy, comfortable job. It is narrower than the English, which can describe other ways of making money. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
une bonne planque
/yn bɔn plɑ̃k/
- Literal meaning
- “a good hiding place”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
A “planque” can be a job where little is expected of you. “Une bonne planque” often carries the same suspicion of undeserved comfort as the English.
For easy money outside a job, “de l’argent facile” is clearer. A profitable investment would not normally be called a planque in this job sense.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
That contract was a gravy train: they paid us even when nothing needed doing.
French
Ce contrat était une bonne planque : on nous payait même quand il n'y avait rien à faire.
English
The gravy train ended when the company stopped renewing those easy contracts.
French
La bonne planque a pris fin quand l'entreprise a cessé de renouveler ces contrats faciles.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04