How do you say “The pot calling the kettle black” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is C'est l'hôpital qui se moque de la charité, which literally means “It is the hospital making fun of the charitable hospital”. English speakers use the pot calling the kettle black to mean criticising someone for a fault you also have. An established French reply to a hypocritical criticism. “Charité” here refers to a charitable institution, not just kindness. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
C'est l'hôpital qui se moque de la charité
/sɛ lopital ki sə mɔk də la ʃaʁite/
- Literal meaning
- “It is the hospital making fun of the charitable hospital”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
French uses two similar institutions where English uses two sooty cooking vessels. In each case, the speaker mocks a fault they share.
The whole sentence can stand alone as a sharp reply. It is not a general way to say that two people disagree.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
He calls me untidy, but his room is worse. That's the pot calling the kettle black.
French
Il me trouve désordonné, mais sa chambre est pire. C'est l'hôpital qui se moque de la charité.
English
You say I interrupt? That's the pot calling the kettle black.
French
Tu dis que je coupe la parole ? C'est l'hôpital qui se moque de la charité.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01