Meaning & use
c'est la vie
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Meaning
interjectionfixed phraseinformal
A French expression, used in English to say that something unfortunate has happened and has to be accepted, because that is how life is.
Grammar: Stands alone as a comment, often after a shrug or a pause.
We missed the train by one minute, but c'est la vie.
I didn't get the job. Oh well, c'est la vie.
The picnic was rained out, but c'est la vie, we'll try again next week.
Common combinations
- shrug and say c'est la vie
- She shrugged and said c'est la vie.
- c'est la vie, as they say
- It's raining again, but c'est la vie, as they say.
- oh well, c'est la vie
- Oh well, c'est la vie, we can try again tomorrow.
- that's c'est la vie
- Losing a game now and then, that's c'est la vie.
Synonyms and how they differ
- that's life
- This is the plain English equivalent, while 'c'est la vie' adds a slightly stylish, light tone.
- such is life
- This is a little more formal and philosophical.
- oh well
- This is shorter and mildly resigned, but says less about life in general.
- it is what it is
- This is a modern, blunter expression of acceptance.
Word family
- vie noun
- the French word for life
- joie de vivre phrase
- a French phrase meaning enjoyment of life
- la dolce vita phrase
- an Italian phrase for the sweet life
- vive interjection
- French for long live
Commonly confused: c'est la vie or c'est la guerre?
c'est la vie vs c'est la guerre
This French phrase means 'that's war' and is used to accept a bad outcome as part of a difficult situation, not about life in general.
Practice
'Our flight was canceled, but there is nothing we can do about it. ____!' Which phrase fits best?
Choose one answer.
'C'est la vie' accepts an unavoidable setback. 'Bon voyage' wishes someone a good trip and does not express acceptance.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “c'est la vie”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.