How do you say “Rain on someone’s parade” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is gâcher le plaisir de quelqu’un, which literally means “to spoil someone’s pleasure”. English speakers use rain on someone’s parade to mean to spoil someone’s pleasure, excitement or plans. A straightforward French match. It describes the disappointment without using the English parade image. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
gâcher le plaisir de quelqu’un
/ɡɑʃe lə plɛziʁ də kɛlkœ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to spoil someone’s pleasure”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Je ne veux pas te gâcher le plaisir, mais…” works before a warning that may disappoint someone. It is less colourful than the English.
“Gâcher” can also describe spoiling an event through your behaviour. A phrase about the pleasure or excitement makes the intended effect clear.
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.
In context
English
I don’t want to rain on your parade, but that concert is already sold out.
French
Je ne veux pas te gâcher le plaisir, mais ce concert affiche déjà complet.
English
She rained on my parade by pointing out how much the trip would cost.
French
Elle m’a gâché le plaisir en soulignant combien le voyage coûterait.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13