In 15 Sekunden
- Used when someone fails to show up for a planned meeting.
- Literally translates to 'placing a rabbit' on someone.
- Best for social situations, dates, and casual appointments.
Bedeutung
This phrase is used when someone stands you up for a date or a meeting. It means they simply didn't show up without telling you.
Wichtige Beispiele
3 von 6Waiting at a restaurant
Je suis au resto, mais il m'a posé un lapin.
I am at the restaurant, but he stood me up.
Complaining to a friend
J'ai attendu une heure, elle m'a posé un lapin !
I waited for an hour, she stood me up!
Texting a sibling
Ton pote m'a posé un lapin, c'est pas cool.
Your buddy stood me up, that's not cool.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In France, 'poser un lapin' is often discussed in the context of 'le savoir-vivre.' It is considered much more offensive than in some other cultures where 'flakiness' is more tolerated. Quebecers use the phrase exactly like the French, but they might also use the English-influenced 'se faire watcher' (to be left watching/waiting), though 'poser un lapin' remains the standard idiom. In Belgium, the phrase is common, but you might also hear 'planter quelqu'un' (to plant someone), which is similar to the Spanish equivalent. In many West African French-speaking countries, social time is more fluid, but 'poser un lapin' is still used to describe a formal breach of a meeting, often with a more humorous tone.
The 'Se Faire' Trick
Always use 'Je me suis fait poser un lapin' to sound like a native when you are the victim.
Not for Objects
Don't use it for trains, buses, or weather. Only for people!
In 15 Sekunden
- Used when someone fails to show up for a planned meeting.
- Literally translates to 'placing a rabbit' on someone.
- Best for social situations, dates, and casual appointments.
What It Means
Imagine you are waiting at a café. You have been there for thirty minutes. Your friend is not answering their phone. In French, you would say they 'placed a rabbit' on you. It means being stood up. It is that annoying feeling of waiting in vain. You are ready, but the other person is a ghost.
How To Use It
You use the verb poser. It works just like 'to stand someone up'. You usually need a pronoun like lui or me. For example: Il m'a posé un lapin. This means 'He stood me up'. You can use it in the past tense mostly. Nobody plans to do it in the future! It is a very common everyday expression.
When To Use It
Use it when a friend misses a coffee date. Use it if a romantic interest disappears. It works for professional meetings that were forgotten too. It is perfect for venting to your roommates later. It captures the frustration of wasted time perfectly. You can even use it if a doctor misses an appointment.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use it if someone cancels in advance. If they call to say they are sick, it is not a lapin. Only use it if they just don't show. Avoid using it in very high-level legal documents. It is a bit too colorful for a courtroom. Do not use it for inanimate objects. Your bus cannot 'pose a rabbit' on you.
Cultural Background
This phrase has a funny history from the 19th century. Back then, a 'rabbit' was slang for a small payment. It specifically referred to not paying a woman for her company. Over time, the meaning shifted from money to time. By the late 1800s, it meant leaving someone waiting. Now, it is one of France's favorite idioms. Everyone from teenagers to grandparents uses it daily.
Common Variations
You might hear se faire poser un lapin. This means 'to be stood up' (passive). You can also say un gros lapin if it was a big deal. Some people say poser un lapin à quelqu'un. It is a very flexible and stable expression. It hasn't changed much in a hundred years. It remains the gold standard for social flakiness.
Nutzungshinweise
This is an informal idiom. It is perfectly acceptable in 90% of daily life, but avoid it in high-stakes professional environments or legal contexts.
The 'Se Faire' Trick
Always use 'Je me suis fait poser un lapin' to sound like a native when you are the victim.
Not for Objects
Don't use it for trains, buses, or weather. Only for people!
The 15-Minute Rule
In France, if someone is 15 minutes late without a text, you can start suspecting a 'lapin'.
Beispiele
6Je suis au resto, mais il m'a posé un lapin.
I am at the restaurant, but he stood me up.
A classic use for a romantic date gone wrong.
J'ai attendu une heure, elle m'a posé un lapin !
I waited for an hour, she stood me up!
Expresses frustration about wasted time.
Ton pote m'a posé un lapin, c'est pas cool.
Your buddy stood me up, that's not cool.
Very common in informal text messages.
Le client nous a posé un lapin pour la réunion.
The client stood us up for the meeting.
Slightly informal but used in offices to describe flakiness.
Encore un lapin ? Tu devrais ouvrir une ferme !
Another rabbit? You should start a farm!
A joke played on the literal meaning of the word.
Ils m'ont tous posé un lapin ce soir.
They all stood me up tonight.
Used when multiple people fail to show up.
Teste dich selbst
Choose the correct form to say 'She stood me up.'
Elle ______ un lapin.
We use the passé composé 'a posé' with the object pronoun 'm'' before the verb.
Complete the sentence with the missing word.
J'ai attendu Paul au cinéma, mais il m'a posé un _______.
The idiom is specifically 'poser un lapin.'
Match the situation to the correct expression.
Your date didn't show up at the restaurant.
This is the passive form used when you are the victim of the situation.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Pourquoi tu es triste ? B: Parce que Julie ______.
The speaker is explaining that Julie stood them up.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenElle ______ un lapin.
We use the passé composé 'a posé' with the object pronoun 'm'' before the verb.
J'ai attendu Paul au cinéma, mais il m'a posé un _______.
The idiom is specifically 'poser un lapin.'
Your date didn't show up at the restaurant.
This is the passive form used when you are the victim of the situation.
A: Pourquoi tu es triste ? B: Parce que Julie ______.
The speaker is explaining that Julie stood them up.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, it's not rude to use the phrase, but the action it describes is very rude!
Yes, but only if the meeting is somewhat informal or if you are talking to a friend about it.
There isn't one. Even if a woman stands you up, it's still 'un lapin'.
Yes, it is perfectly understood and used in Quebec.
You say 'Je lui ai posé un lapin.'
Yes, 'mettre un plan' is very common among young people.
It comes from 19th-century slang where a rabbit represented a fake promise or a story.
Technically yes, but usually it's for when you don't say anything at all.
It is always 'un lapin'.
'Faire faux bond' is slightly more formal and can apply to more general promises.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Faire faux bond
synonymTo let someone down by not showing up.
Rester en plan
builds onTo be left stranded.
Mettre un plan
synonymTo stand someone up (slang).
Lâcher quelqu'un
similarTo drop someone or bail on them.
Poser une colle
contrastTo ask a very difficult question.
