How do you say “A pet peeve” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is une bête noire, which literally means “a black beast”. English speakers use a pet peeve to mean a particular habit or small thing that repeatedly annoys you. A French match for a particular disliked thing. It can suggest stronger dislike than a small English pet peeve. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
une bête noire
/yn bɛt nwaʁ/
- Literal meaning
- “a black beast”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
84 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Ma bête noire” identifies something you especially dislike. It can also describe a person or a subject you find difficult, so the meanings do not always overlap.
For a mild annoyance, “ce qui m’agace particulièrement” is more precise. That means what particularly annoys me.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
People playing loud videos on the train are a pet peeve of mine.
French
Ma bête noire, ce sont les gens qui regardent des vidéos avec le son trop fort dans le train.
English
Her pet peeve is finding empty cartons left in the fridge.
French
Sa bête noire, ce sont les cartons vides laissés dans le réfrigérateur.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04