How do you say “My cup of tea” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is être la tasse de thé de quelqu’un, which literally means “to be someone’s cup of tea”. English speakers use my cup of tea to mean something that suits a person’s tastes or interests. French uses the same image. The negative form “Ce n’est pas ma tasse de thé” is particularly useful for a mild dislike. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
être la tasse de thé de quelqu’un
/ɛtʁ la tas də te də kɛlkœ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to be someone’s cup of tea”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Pas ma tasse de thé” lets you decline without attacking the thing itself. It is about taste, so it leaves room for someone else to enjoy it.
In a positive sentence, a plain “c’est exactement ce que j’aime” can sound more relaxed. The second example uses that option.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity5 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I skipped the horror-film marathon; those films aren’t my cup of tea.
French
J’ai préféré ne pas participer au marathon de films d’horreur ; ce n’est pas ma tasse de thé.
English
A quiet weekend with books is just my cup of tea.
French
Un week-end tranquille avec des livres, c’est exactement ce que j’aime.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13