How do you say “A wild goose chase” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is Une recherche vaine, which literally means “A vain search”. English speakers use a wild goose chase to mean a long search that leads nowhere. A clear descriptive equivalent; it is less conversational and colourful than the English. It is neutral and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
Une recherche vaine
/yn ʁə.ʃɛʁʃ vɛn/
- Literal meaning
- “A vain search”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
82 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
English turns a pointless search into an animal chase. French can describe the failure directly, without an animal image.
“Une recherche vaine” suits a written account. In conversation, “chercher pour rien” often feels closer to the English complaint.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 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?
Suivre une fausse piste
Literally: “To follow a false trail”
Use when a clue or address sends someone the wrong way.
Chercher pour rien
Literally: “To search for nothing”
A simple spoken choice that stresses wasted effort.
Don't translate it literally
Une chasse à l’oie sauvage
This suggests hunting a bird rather than wasting time on a fruitless search.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
Looking for that old receipt was a wild goose chase.
French
La recherche de ce vieux reçu a été vaine.
English
The wrong address sent us on a wild goose chase.
French
La mauvaise adresse nous a fait chercher pour rien.
Related expressions
- What “A wild goose chase” means in English
- Barking up the wrong tree, To be completely mistaken.
- Miss the boat, To be too late for an opportunity.
Last reviewed 2026-09-12