How do you say “Put on a brave face” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is faire bonne figure, which literally means “to make a good face”. English speakers use put on a brave face to mean to appear cheerful or confident while feeling upset or worried. A close fit for keeping up appearances during a difficult moment. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
faire bonne figure
/fɛʁ bɔn fiɡyʁ/
- Literal meaning
- “to make a good face”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
French keeps the idea of showing a composed face. It suits someone trying to behave cheerfully despite disappointment or worry.
It can also mean making a respectable showing in a competition. A sentence about feelings or bad news makes the intended sense clear.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Ella put on a brave face, though she was worried about the results.
French
Ella faisait bonne figure, même si elle s'inquiétait des résultats.
English
He put on a brave face in front of the guests after the bad news.
French
Après la mauvaise nouvelle, il a fait bonne figure devant les invités.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19