How do you say “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is s'en sortir par ses propres moyens, which literally means “to get out of it by one's own means”. English speakers use pull yourself up by your bootstraps to mean to improve your circumstances through your own efforts, with little or no outside help. Keep any criticism in the surrounding sentence; these words can otherwise sound like praise. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
s'en sortir par ses propres moyens
/sɑ̃ sɔʁtiʁ paʁ se pʁɔpʁ mwajɛ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to get out of it by one's own means”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
87 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“S'en sortir par ses propres moyens” focuses on managing without outside help. “Réussir à la force du poignet” puts more emphasis on hard work and often sounds admiring.
If the English sentence criticises a demand for self-reliance, keep that criticism clear. Turning it into praise would change the point.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
réussir à la force du poignet
Literally: “to succeed by the strength of the wrist”
More idiomatic and admiring, with emphasis on personal effort.
se faire tout seul
Literally: “to make oneself all alone”
Often used about a self-made person; can simplify the role of outside help.
In context
English
She pulled herself up by her bootstraps after losing her job.
French
Après avoir perdu son emploi, elle s'en est sortie par ses propres moyens.
English
They told him to pull himself up by his bootstraps instead of asking for help.
French
Ils lui ont dit de s'en sortir par ses propres moyens au lieu de demander de l'aide.
Related expressions
- What “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” means in English
- Make ends meet, Have just enough money to live on
- Go the extra mile, To make an extra effort.
Last updated 2026-09-16