How do you say “Jump down someone's throat” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is sauter à la gorge de quelqu'un, which literally means “to jump at someone's throat”. English speakers use jump down someone's throat to mean to react to someone with sudden, harsh criticism. French has a similar throat image for an aggressive response. The context should make clear that the attack is verbal. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
sauter à la gorge de quelqu'un
/sote a la ɡɔʁʒ də kɛlkœ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to jump at someone's throat”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Tu me sautes à la gorge” can describe someone reacting angrily to what you have just said. It is a forceful complaint.
The wording can also describe a physical attack. A mention of a question or explanation keeps the intended meaning clear.
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
I only asked where the keys were; there was no need to jump down my throat.
French
J'ai seulement demandé où étaient les clés ; ce n'était pas la peine de me sauter à la gorge.
English
She jumped down his throat before he could explain the mistake.
French
Elle lui a sauté à la gorge avant qu'il puisse expliquer son erreur.
Related expressions
- What “Jump down someone's throat” means in English
- Blow a fuse, to suddenly lose your temper
Last updated 2026-10-01