How do you say “Pay through the nose” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is payer la peau des fesses, which literally means “to pay the skin of the buttocks”. English speakers use pay through the nose to mean to pay much more than something should cost. A familiar but coarse French complaint about paying a huge amount. It is stronger in tone than the English. Register: informal, coarse. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
payer la peau des fesses
/peje la po de fɛs/
- Literal meaning
- “to pay the skin of the buttocks”
- Register
- informal, coarse
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
This French body image is ruder than the English one. It suits an annoyed comment among friends rather than a formal price comparison.
For a neutral version, “payer un prix excessif” means paying too much. Use that when writing to a hotel or a ticket seller about the price.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
We paid through the nose for a tiny room near the station.
French
On a payé la peau des fesses pour une minuscule chambre près de la gare.
English
You will pay through the nose if you buy the tickets at the last minute.
French
Tu vas payer la peau des fesses si tu achètes les billets à la dernière minute.
Related expressions
- What “Pay through the nose” means in English
- Cost an arm and a leg, To be very expensive.
Last updated 2026-10-01