How do you say “On tenterhooks” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is être sur des charbons ardents, which literally means “to be on burning coals”. English speakers use on tenterhooks to mean to be anxiously waiting to find out what will happen. A French expression for intense impatience or anxiety. It fits waiting that makes it hard to relax. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
être sur des charbons ardents
/ɛtʁ syʁ de ʃaʁbɔ̃ aʁdɑ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to be on burning coals”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Je suis sur des charbons ardents” gives an anxious wait the image of burning coals. It sounds stronger than merely being curious.
For a gripping story, “tenir en haleine” is a more natural choice. It means keep someone in suspense, as in the second example.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
We were on tenterhooks until the audition results arrived.
French
Nous étions sur des charbons ardents jusqu’à l’arrivée des résultats de l’audition.
English
The final chapter kept me on tenterhooks until the last page.
French
Le dernier chapitre m’a tenu en haleine jusqu’à la dernière page.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13