How do you say “Make ends meet” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is joindre les deux bouts, which literally means “to join the two ends”. English speakers use make ends meet to mean to earn just enough money to pay for basic living expenses. This is the exact, universally used idiomatic equivalent in French. Native speakers use it constantly in everyday conversations about financial strain. It is neutral and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
joindre les deux bouts
/ʒwɛ̃dʁ le dø bu/
- Literal meaning
- “to join the two ends”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
98 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
Both the English "make ends meet" and the French "joindre les deux bouts" share a nearly identical metaphorical origin: bringing two separate ends together to close a gap. Historically, the French idiom originally referred to balancing income and expenditure, or connecting the end of one financial period to the beginning of the next so that resources do not run out in between.
In terms of register, tone, and frequency, the two expressions are perfect counterparts. Neither sounds overly formal nor excessively slangy, making "joindre les deux bouts" appropriate in casual discussions, media reports, and workplace conversations alike.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
boucler les fins de mois
Literally: “to buckle the month-ends”
Very common; focuses specifically on managing until the next monthly paycheck.
s'en sortir
Literally: “to get out of it”
A broader, neutral expression meaning to get by or cope financially.
tirer le diable par la queue
Literally: “to pull the devil by the tail”
More vivid and slightly older, conveying severe financial difficulty.
Don't translate it literally
faire rencontrer les fins
A nonsensical word-for-word calque of 'make ends meet'.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
With rising prices, many families are struggling to make ends meet.
French
Avec la hausse des prix, de nombreuses familles ont du mal à joindre les deux bouts.
English
She works two jobs just to make ends meet.
French
Elle cumule deux emplois rien que pour joindre les deux bouts.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11