How do you say “Pull the wool over someone's eyes” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is rouler quelqu'un dans la farine, which literally means “to roll someone in flour”. English speakers use pull the wool over someone's eyes to mean to deceive someone by keeping them from recognising the truth. An informal match for a trick or false promise. Use “tromper” for a more neutral account. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
rouler quelqu'un dans la farine
/ʁule kɛlkœ̃ dɑ̃ la faʁin/
- Literal meaning
- “to roll someone in flour”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
89 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Rouler dans la farine” fits a trick, a false promise or a dishonest story. It is about fooling someone, not simply teasing them.
“Jeter de la poudre aux yeux” is especially useful for misleading appearances: a luxurious office, for example, that makes a struggling company look successful.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
tromper quelqu'un
Literally: “to deceive someone”
Neutral and broad; useful in serious or formal explanations.
jeter de la poudre aux yeux
Literally: “to throw powder into the eyes”
Especially apt for dazzling appearances that conceal a weaker reality.
In context
English
Don't let those promises pull the wool over your eyes.
French
Ne te laisse pas rouler dans la farine par ces promesses.
English
The luxurious office was meant to pull the wool over investors' eyes.
French
Le bureau luxueux servait à jeter de la poudre aux yeux des investisseurs.
Related expressions
- What “Pull the wool over someone's eyes” means in English
- Pull someone's leg, To tease someone playfully.
- Take it with a pinch of salt, To treat a claim with mild scepticism.
Last updated 2026-09-16