How do you say “Under the weather” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is Ne pas être dans son assiette, which literally means “Not to be in one’s plate”. English speakers use under the weather to mean slightly ill or not feeling well. A familiar way to say someone feels off; it can describe low spirits as well as mild illness. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
Ne pas être dans son assiette
/nə pa ɛtʁ dɑ̃ sɔ̃n‿a.sjɛt/
- Literal meaning
- “Not to be in one’s plate”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
English uses weather to hint that someone feels unwell. The French wording looks odd if read as a modern reference to a plate, but it is an established way to say someone feels unlike themselves.
The French phrase leaves room for emotional unease too. Choose “un peu patraque” when you want the mild illness meaning to be clearer.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 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?
Être un peu patraque
Literally: “To be a little out of sorts”
Casual and particularly useful for feeling mildly ill.
Ne pas être en forme
Literally: “Not to be in shape”
A neutral way to say you are not feeling your best.
Common translation traps
Être sous le temps
This copies the English words without conveying that someone feels unwell.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in French.
In context
English
I’m a bit under the weather today.
French
Je ne suis pas dans mon assiette aujourd’hui.
English
She’s feeling under the weather, so she’s staying home.
French
Elle est un peu patraque, alors elle reste chez elle.
Related expressions
- What “Under the weather” means in English
- Call it a day, To stop for the day, or stop altogether.
Last updated 2026-09-12