How do you say “Let someone off the hook” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is laisser quelqu'un s'en tirer, which literally means “to let someone get out of it”. English speakers use let someone off the hook to mean to free someone from blame, punishment or an obligation. Best when someone avoids consequences, rather than a routine task. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
laisser quelqu'un s'en tirer
/lɛse kɛlkœ̃ sɑ̃ tiʁe/
- Literal meaning
- “to let someone get out of it”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
87 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
French focuses on the person getting away without consequences. It often fits mistakes or bad behaviour better than a cancelled favour.
For an obligation, be direct: “Tu n'es plus obligé de venir” tells someone they no longer have to come. That avoids suggesting they did something wrong.
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
I'm not letting him off the hook after that lie.
French
Je ne vais pas le laisser s'en tirer après ce mensonge.
English
They let her off the hook without even asking for an explanation.
French
Ils l'ont laissée s'en tirer sans même demander d'explication.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19