At the A1 level, you can think of 'le fiasco' as a very strong way to say 'it is bad' or 'it did not work.' Even though it is a B1 word, you might hear it in movies or news. Imagine you are making a cake and you forget the flour, the oven catches fire, and the dog eats the remains. That is 'un fiasco.' It is a masculine word, so we say 'le fiasco' or 'un fiasco.' You can use it simply: 'La fête est un fiasco.' This means the party is a big disaster. It is a good word to know because it sounds like the English word 'fiasco,' so it is easy to remember. Just remember that in French, it is always a noun (a thing), not an adjective (a description). You cannot say 'The party is fiasco,' you must say 'The party is *a* fiasco.' Focus on the idea of a 'big mess.'
At the A2 level, you can start using 'le fiasco' to describe events that didn't go as planned. You are moving beyond simple words like 'mauvais' (bad). If you organized a picnic and it rained and no one came, you can tell your friends, 'Le pique-nique était un fiasco.' This shows you have a more expressive vocabulary. You should also notice that it is often used with 'un' or 'le.' At this level, you can also start pairing it with simple adjectives like 'total' or 'complet.' For example, 'C'est un fiasco total.' This means 'It's a total disaster.' It's a useful word for talking about school projects or small social events that went wrong. It helps you express disappointment in a clear and dramatic way that French speakers will immediately understand.
At the B1 level, you should understand the nuance of 'le fiasco' compared to 'un échec.' An 'échec' is a failure, like failing a test. A 'fiasco' is more public and often more embarrassing. It implies that something was expected to be good but turned out to be a mess. You should start using the verb 'tourner au fiasco' (to turn into a fiasco). For example, 'La réunion a tourné au fiasco.' This describes the process of something going wrong. You should also be comfortable using it in professional or social contexts. If a company launch goes poorly, it is a 'fiasco commercial.' At this level, you are expected to use the word to describe complex situations, not just simple mistakes. It is a key word for participating in discussions about news, politics, or office life where things don't always go according to plan.
At the B2 level, 'le fiasco' becomes a tool for more sophisticated critique. You will see it frequently in French media (newspapers like Le Figaro or Le Monde). You should be able to use it with more advanced verbs like 'se solder par' (to result in). For example, 'Les négociations se sont soldées par un fiasco.' This sounds much more formal and professional than 'étaient un fiasco.' You should also understand its use in different domains: a 'fiasco diplomatique,' a 'fiasco industriel,' or a 'fiasco électoral.' At this level, you can use the word to analyze why something failed, perhaps mentioning the 'causes du fiasco.' You should also be aware of synonyms like 'un bide' (informal) or 'un four' (theatrical) and know when to choose 'fiasco' over them for the right level of formality and impact.
At the C1 level, you can use 'le fiasco' with precision and irony. You understand that calling something a 'fiasco' can be a powerful rhetorical device. You might use it in an essay to describe a historical event or a failed social movement. You are familiar with collocations like 'un fiasco retentissant' (a resounding fiasco) or 'un fiasco sans précédent.' You can also use it to describe abstract concepts, such as 'le fiasco de la pensée moderne' in a philosophical discussion. At this level, you should also be sensitive to the rhythm of the sentence, using 'le fiasco' to provide a strong, definitive conclusion to a point. You are also capable of discussing the etymology (the Italian 'bottle' origin) and how that metaphor evolved in French literature and theater.
At the C2 level, 'le fiasco' is a word you use with complete mastery of its stylistic weight. You can use it in high-level academic writing, political oratory, or literary analysis. You might explore the 'esthétique du fiasco' in modern art or theater—the idea that failure itself can be a form of expression. You understand the subtle differences between a 'fiasco,' a 'déroute,' and a 'naufrage,' and you choose the one that perfectly fits the metaphorical landscape of your speech or writing. You can use the word in complex grammatical structures, such as 'Il s'en est fallu de peu que l'opération ne tournât au fiasco,' showing mastery of the subjunctive and formal syntax. Your use of 'le fiasco' is not just about failure, but about the social, cultural, and historical dimensions of that failure.

le fiasco در ۳۰ ثانیه

  • Le fiasco is a masculine noun meaning a complete, public, and often humiliating failure of a project or event.
  • It is stronger than 'échec' and implies a sense of disaster or a total mess that everyone can see.
  • Commonly used with verbs like 'tourner au fiasco' (turn into a fiasco) or 'se solder par un fiasco' (result in a fiasco).
  • Applicable in politics, business, arts, and social life to describe situations where everything goes wrong.

The term le fiasco is a powerful masculine noun in French that denotes a failure of significant proportions. Unlike a simple mistake or a minor error, a fiasco implies a sense of public embarrassment, a total collapse of expectations, or a situation where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. When you use this word, you are signaling that the event was not just unsuccessful, but spectacularly so. It is often used to describe events, projects, performances, or social gatherings that failed to meet their objectives in a way that is highly visible or particularly disappointing.

Register
Standard to Formal. While it can be used in casual conversation, it carries a certain weight that makes it suitable for journalism and professional critiques.

In French culture, the word carries a dramatic flair. It is not just that a cake didn't rise; it's that the entire wedding banquet was a fiasco because the cake exploded and the caterer disappeared. It is the word of choice for critics reviewing a disastrous play or citizens discussing a failed government policy. The essence of the word lies in the gap between the initial ambition and the final, dismal result.

La première représentation de l'opéra a été un véritable fiasco.

Historically, the word has theatrical roots, which explains why it often describes situations with an audience. If you try something privately and fail, you might call it an échec. If you fail in front of others or in a way that affects many people, it becomes a fiasco. It is also frequently paired with adjectives like total, complet, or retentissant (resounding) to emphasize the scale of the disaster.

Common Contexts
Politics, business launches, theatrical premieres, and large-scale social events.

Le voyage organisé s'est transformé en un fiasco logistique dès le premier jour.

Furthermore, the word is versatile. It can describe an abstract concept like a 'diplomatic fiasco' or a concrete event like a 'fiasco at the box office.' Because it is a masculine noun, remember to use le or un. It does not change based on the gender of the people involved; it is the event itself that is the fiasco. In modern French, it remains one of the most expressive ways to dismiss an effort as a total loss.

Malgré un budget colossal, le film fut un fiasco critique.

Synonym Hint
Think of 'un échec' as a simple 'fail' and 'un fiasco' as a 'disaster'.

Toute la stratégie marketing s'est soldée par un fiasco.

La réunion a tourné au fiasco quand le directeur a perdu ses nerfs.

Using le fiasco correctly in French requires understanding its grammatical role as a noun and the common verbs it pairs with. Most frequently, you will see it following verbs like être (to be), tourner au (to turn into), or se solder par (to result in). These constructions help convey the progression of an event from a potential success to a definitive failure.

Verb Pairing: Être
Used for a direct statement of failure. 'Le projet est un fiasco.'

When you want to describe the process of something becoming a failure, tourner au fiasco is the most idiomatic choice. This suggests a shift in momentum. For example, 'La fête a tourné au fiasco quand la pluie a commencé.' Here, the word 'au' is a contraction of 'à le', which is necessary because fiasco is masculine. You would never say 'tourner à la fiasco'.

Leur tentative de réconciliation a tourné au fiasco total.

Another sophisticated verb to use is se solder par. This is often found in news reports or business summaries. It indicates the final tally or result of an endeavor. 'L'opération s'est soldée par un fiasco financier.' This implies a formal evaluation of the failure. It is more clinical than 'tourner au fiasco'.

Verb Pairing: Éviter
To avoid a fiasco. 'Nous avons tout fait pour éviter le fiasco.'

Adjectives play a major role in how we use this word. To describe a failure that everyone knows about, use un fiasco retentissant (a resounding fiasco). To describe something that was a failure from start to finish, use un fiasco total or un fiasco complet. If the failure was so bad it was almost funny, you might call it un fiasco monumental.

Personne ne s'attendait à un tel fiasco de la part d'un expert.

In terms of sentence structure, le fiasco often acts as the attribute of the subject. 'Cette soirée fut un fiasco.' However, it can also be the object of a preposition. 'Il a peur d'un fiasco.' Notice that in the plural, it becomes des fiascos, although the word is more commonly used in the singular to describe a specific event.

Après plusieurs fiascos successifs, l'entreprise a déposé le bilan.

Intensity Scale
Échec (Failure) < Fiasco (Disaster) < Désastre (Catastrophe).

La presse n'a pas tardé à qualifier l'événement de fiasco national.

Si nous ne changeons pas de plan, ce sera un fiasco assuré.

You will encounter le fiasco in a variety of high-stakes environments in France. One of the most common places is in the media, particularly in political journalism. When a government reform fails to pass or a diplomatic mission yields no results, French news anchors and editorialists often use the term 'fiasco' to highlight the incompetence or the scale of the failure. It is a word that sells newspapers because of its dramatic impact.

In the News
'Le fiasco de la réforme des retraites' or 'Un fiasco diplomatique au sommet'.

The world of arts and entertainment is another primary domain for this word. French culture places a high value on theater, cinema, and music. When a highly anticipated film flops or a play is booed off the stage, it is described as a fiasco. In this context, it often refers to the audience's negative reaction rather than just the financial loss. If you are reading a review in Le Monde or Télérama, look for this word to identify a scathing critique.

Le concert a été un tel fiasco que le chanteur a quitté la scène.

In business and tech, le fiasco is used to describe product launches that go wrong. For example, if a new app crashes on its first day or a marketing campaign backfires and causes a PR crisis, it is a fiasco. Business consultants use the term when performing a 'post-mortem' on a failed project to emphasize that the failure was systemic and not just a minor glitch.

In Sports
Used when a favorite team loses unexpectedly or behaves poorly. 'Le fiasco de Knysna' is a famous reference to the French football team's 2010 World Cup disaster.

Socially, you might hear it among friends when someone is recounting a disastrous date or a party where no one showed up. 'C'était un fiasco total, j'ai renversé mon vin sur elle et le restaurant était fermé.' Here, it adds a touch of self-deprecating humor or hyperbole to the story. It makes the failure sound more like a narrative event than a simple mistake.

Ma tentative de cuisiner un soufflé a fini en fiasco.

Finally, in academic or historical discussions, the term is used to describe failed military campaigns or collapsed treaties. It serves as a definitive label for historical errors that had wide-reaching consequences. Whether in a textbook or a casual debate at a café, le fiasco is the go-to word for describing a failure that is too big to ignore.

Les historiens s'accordent sur le fiasco de cette expédition.

Le débat télévisé a tourné au fiasco pour le candidat.

One of the most frequent mistakes English speakers make with le fiasco is assuming it's an informal or 'slang' word because it sounds similar to English. While it is used informally, it is perfectly acceptable in formal writing. However, the biggest grammatical pitfall is the gender. Many learners see the 'o' ending and think of Spanish or Italian, sometimes confusing the gender or pluralization rules in French.

Mistake: Gender Confusion
Saying 'la fiasco'. Correct: 'le fiasco'. It is always masculine.

Another error is using fiasco for small, personal errors. If you forget your umbrella, it's an oubli or a petite erreur, not a fiasco. Using 'fiasco' for trivial things can make you sound overly dramatic or like you don't understand the scale of the word. Reserve it for situations where there is a significant negative outcome or public visibility.

Incorrect: J'ai fait un fiasco dans mon calcul. (Too small). Correct: J'ai fait une erreur dans mon calcul.

Pronunciation is also a common stumbling block. In English, we often emphasize the 'as' sound (fee-AS-ko). In French, the stress is more even, and the 'o' at the end is a clean, closed 'o' sound, like in 'robot'. Do not let the English pronunciation bleed into your French; keep the 'i' sharp (like 'ee') and the 'o' short and round.

Mistake: Overusing Synonyms
Confusing 'fiasco' with 'échec'. An 'échec' is any failure; a 'fiasco' is a *messy* failure.

In writing, people sometimes forget to use the correct prepositional phrases. As mentioned before, tourner au fiasco is the standard phrase. Some learners try to translate 'resulted in a fiasco' directly as 'résulté dans un fiasco', which is incorrect. You must use s'est soldé par un fiasco or a abouti à un fiasco.

Incorrect: L'événement a résulté dans un fiasco. Correct: L'événement s'est soldé par un fiasco.

Finally, be careful with the plural. While 'fiascos' exists, the word is often used as an uncountable concept in certain contexts or simply kept in the singular to describe a collective event. If you are talking about multiple different failed projects, 'fiascos' is fine, but if you are talking about one event with many problems, keep it singular.

Cette année a été marquée par une série de fiascos financiers.

Évitez de dire 'un gros fiasco' ; préférez 'un fiasco majeur' ou 'total'.

French has a rich vocabulary for failure, and choosing the right word depends on the level of formality and the specific nature of the disaster. While le fiasco is a great all-rounder, you should be aware of its cousins to sound more like a native speaker.

Un échec
The most general term for 'failure'. It is neutral and can be used for everything from a failed exam to a failed marriage. Unlike 'fiasco', it doesn't necessarily imply chaos or humiliation.

If you are talking about a performance, like a play or a movie, that fails to attract an audience, the word un four is very common. Originally referring to an oven, it became theatrical slang for a 'flop'. Similarly, un bide is a very common informal word for a failure, often used when a joke doesn't land or a show isn't successful. 'Faire un bide' is the equivalent of 'to bomb' in English.

Son dernier film a fait un bide au box-office.

For something even more intense than a fiasco, you might use un désastre or une catastrophe. These words imply widespread damage or irrecoverable loss. A 'fiasco' might be embarrassing and costly, but a 'catastrophe' suggests a level of destruction that goes beyond just failing at a goal.

Un raté
An informal term for a 'miss' or a 'dud'. If a machine fails to start or a plan has a small hitch, it's a 'raté'.

In a military or competitive context, une déroute (a rout) is a strong alternative. It describes a failure where the person or team was completely overwhelmed and forced to retreat. It carries a sense of total defeat and loss of control, similar to 'fiasco' but with more emphasis on the power dynamic.

Leur stratégie s'est transformée en une véritable déroute.

Finally, for a failure that is particularly clumsy or poorly handled, you might hear un pataquès (informal) or un gâchis (a waste/mess). While 'fiasco' focuses on the result, 'gâchis' focuses on the wasted potential or resources that led to the failure.

Quel gâchis ! Tout cet argent pour un tel fiasco.

Ce projet n'était pas seulement un échec, c'était un fiasco retentissant.

چقدر رسمی است؟

نکته جالب

One theory is that if a Venetian glassblower made a mistake while creating a fine crystal piece, they would turn the ruined glass into a common 'fiasco' (a simple flask covered in straw) to save the material. Thus, a fiasco represented a failed attempt at something great.

راهنمای تلفظ

UK /fi.as.ko/
US /fi.æs.koʊ/
Even stress on all syllables, with a slight rise at the end.
هم‌قافیه با
brio duo trio mambo rigolo stilo frigo scenario
خطاهای رایج
  • Pronouncing it like the English 'fee-AS-ko'.
  • Making the 'o' at the end too long (diphthongized).
  • Nasalizing the 'a' (it should be a clean oral vowel).
  • Adding an 'h' sound at the beginning.
  • Stressing the first syllable too much.

سطح دشواری

خواندن 3/5

Easy to recognize because of the English cognate, but requires context to understand the intensity.

نوشتن 4/5

Requires knowledge of masculine gender and common verb pairings like 'tourner au'.

صحبت کردن 3/5

Pronunciation is straightforward but requires avoiding the English accent.

گوش دادن 3/5

Common in news and media, usually easy to pick out.

بعداً چه یاد بگیریم؟

پیش‌نیازها

échec mauvais problème finir faire

بعداً یاد بگیرید

désastre catastrophe débâcle réussite triomphe

پیشرفته

déroute naufrage pataquès gâchis insuccès

گرامر لازم

Nouns ending in 'o' are typically masculine in French.

Le fiasco, le duo, le piano.

Using 'tourner au' (à + le) for masculine nouns describing a state change.

Cela a tourné au fiasco.

Adjective agreement with masculine nouns.

Un fiasco complet (not complète).

Using 'quel' for masculine exclamations.

Quel fiasco !

Contraction of 'de + le' into 'du'.

L'ampleur du fiasco.

مثال‌ها بر اساس سطح

1

Le gâteau est un fiasco.

The cake is a fiasco.

Simple subject + verb 'être' + noun.

2

C'est un petit fiasco.

It is a small fiasco.

Using 'petit' to modify the noun.

3

Le match était un fiasco.

The match was a fiasco.

Past tense 'était' with the noun.

4

Oh non, quel fiasco !

Oh no, what a fiasco!

Exclamatory 'quel' + noun.

5

La fête est un fiasco total.

The party is a total fiasco.

Adding 'total' for emphasis.

6

Le dessin est un fiasco.

The drawing is a fiasco.

Simple noun usage.

7

Mon plan est un fiasco.

My plan is a fiasco.

Possessive 'mon' with the noun.

8

C'est un fiasco pour moi.

It is a fiasco for me.

Prepositional phrase 'pour moi'.

1

Le voyage a été un fiasco.

The trip was a fiasco.

Passé composé 'a été'.

2

Leur concert était un fiasco complet.

Their concert was a complete fiasco.

Adjective 'complet' follows the noun.

3

Je ne veux pas un fiasco.

I don't want a fiasco.

Negative construction 'ne... pas'.

4

Le dîner de Noël fut un fiasco.

The Christmas dinner was a fiasco.

Passé simple 'fut' (literary/formal).

5

C'est un fiasco à cause de la pluie.

It's a fiasco because of the rain.

Using 'à cause de' to explain the cause.

6

Le nouveau jeu est un fiasco.

The new game is a fiasco.

Adjective 'nouveau' before the noun.

7

Tout le monde parle du fiasco.

Everyone is talking about the fiasco.

Contraction 'de + le = du'.

8

Ce projet va être un fiasco.

This project is going to be a fiasco.

Futur proche 'va être'.

1

La réunion a vite tourné au fiasco.

The meeting quickly turned into a fiasco.

Idiomatic 'tourner au fiasco'.

2

C'était un fiasco prévisible dès le départ.

It was a predictable fiasco from the start.

Adjective 'prévisible' after the noun.

3

Malgré nos efforts, ce fut un fiasco.

Despite our efforts, it was a fiasco.

Using 'malgré' (despite).

4

Le lancement du produit est un vrai fiasco.

The product launch is a real fiasco.

Adjective 'vrai' for emphasis.

5

Personne n'a oublié le fiasco de l'an dernier.

No one forgot last year's fiasco.

Negative 'personne ne'.

6

Elle a peur que ce soit un fiasco.

She is afraid it will be a fiasco.

Subjunctive 'soit' after 'peur que'.

7

Le festival s'est terminé en fiasco.

The festival ended in a fiasco.

Verb 'se terminer en'.

8

C'est un fiasco dont on se souviendra.

It's a fiasco that will be remembered.

Relative pronoun 'dont'.

1

L'opération s'est soldée par un fiasco retentissant.

The operation resulted in a resounding fiasco.

Formal verb 'se solder par'.

2

Il faut absolument éviter un fiasco médiatique.

We must absolutely avoid a media fiasco.

Adjective 'médiatique' (media-related).

3

Le projet a frôlé le fiasco à plusieurs reprises.

The project narrowly avoided a fiasco several times.

Verb 'frôler' (to graze/narrowly avoid).

4

Comment expliquer un tel fiasco après tant de travail ?

How to explain such a fiasco after so much work?

'Un tel' (such a) for emphasis.

5

Le fiasco de cette réforme a affaibli le gouvernement.

The fiasco of this reform weakened the government.

Noun as the subject of the sentence.

6

La presse a qualifié la soirée de fiasco total.

The press described the evening as a total fiasco.

Verb 'qualifier de'.

7

Rien ne laissait présager un tel fiasco.

Nothing hinted at such a fiasco.

Verb 'présager' (to portend).

8

Le fiasco financier a entraîné la faillite.

The financial fiasco led to bankruptcy.

Verb 'entraîner' (to lead to/cause).

1

L'initiative diplomatique fut un fiasco sans précédent.

The diplomatic initiative was an unprecedented fiasco.

Adjectival phrase 'sans précédent'.

2

On ne saurait occulter l'ampleur du fiasco.

One cannot hide the scale of the fiasco.

Formal 'on ne saurait' + 'occulter'.

3

Ce fiasco met en lumière les failles du système.

This fiasco highlights the flaws in the system.

Idiom 'mettre en lumière' (to highlight).

4

Le fiasco de l'expédition demeure une énigme pour les historiens.

The fiasco of the expedition remains a mystery for historians.

Verb 'demeurer' (to remain).

5

Malgré la propagande, le fiasco était évident pour tous.

Despite the propaganda, the fiasco was obvious to all.

Contrast between 'propagande' and 'évident'.

6

Il a fallu des années pour se remettre de ce fiasco.

It took years to recover from this fiasco.

Phrase 'se remettre de' (to recover from).

7

Le fiasco a été exacerbé par une communication désastreuse.

The fiasco was exacerbated by disastrous communication.

Passive voice 'a été exacerbé'.

8

L'ampleur du fiasco dépasse l'entendement.

The scale of the fiasco is beyond comprehension.

Phrase 'dépasser l'entendement'.

1

L'œuvre, initialement acclamée, sombra dans un fiasco critique.

The work, initially acclaimed, sank into a critical fiasco.

Verb 'sombrer dans' (to sink into).

2

Il est impératif d'analyser les mécanismes sous-jacents à ce fiasco.

It is imperative to analyze the underlying mechanisms of this fiasco.

Complex adjective 'sous-jacents'.

3

Le fiasco n'est que le symptôme d'une déliquescence institutionnelle.

The fiasco is but the symptom of an institutional decay.

Restrictive 'ne... que' and advanced noun 'déliquescence'.

4

L'obstination des dirigeants a précipité ce fiasco inéluctable.

The leaders' stubbornness precipitated this inevitable fiasco.

Verb 'précipiter' and adjective 'inéluctable'.

5

Le fiasco électoral a engendré une crise de légitimité sans précédent.

The electoral fiasco spawned an unprecedented legitimacy crisis.

Verb 'engendrer' (to spawn/generate).

6

Derrière le vernis du succès se cachait un fiasco latent.

Behind the veneer of success lay a latent fiasco.

Metaphorical 'vernis' and 'latent'.

7

Ce fiasco fera date dans les annales de la mauvaise gestion.

This fiasco will go down in the annals of mismanagement.

Idiom 'faire date' (to be a landmark event).

8

L'issue de la conférence ne fut rien de moins qu'un fiasco.

The outcome of the conference was nothing less than a fiasco.

Structure 'rien de moins que'.

مترادف‌ها

un échec un bide un four un désastre un naufrage une déroute un raté une débâcle

متضادها

un succès une réussite un triomphe une victoire

ترکیب‌های رایج

fiasco total
fiasco complet
tourner au fiasco
se solder par un fiasco
fiasco retentissant
éviter le fiasco
fiasco monumental
frôler le fiasco
fiasco diplomatique
fiasco financier

عبارات رایج

C'est un fiasco !

— It's a disaster! Use this as a direct exclamation when something goes very wrong.

Quand le serveur a fait tomber tous les plats, j'ai dit : C'est un fiasco !

Un véritable fiasco

— A real fiasco. Used to emphasize that the failure is undeniable and significant.

Leur nouvelle application est un véritable fiasco.

Le fiasco de [Nom]

— The fiasco of [Name]. Used to label a specific event or person's failure.

Le fiasco de l'exposition a déçu les critiques.

Aboutir à un fiasco

— To end in a fiasco. Describes the final result of a process.

Tous nos plans ont abouti à un fiasco.

Craindre un fiasco

— To fear a fiasco. Expresses anxiety about a potential failure.

Les organisateurs craignent un fiasco à cause de la météo.

Un fiasco annoncé

— A predicted fiasco. Used when everyone knew it would fail.

C'était un fiasco annoncé dès le début des travaux.

Un fiasco sans nom

— An indescribable fiasco. Used for something so bad it's hard to put into words.

L'organisation de ce festival était un fiasco sans nom.

Un fiasco retentissant

— A resounding fiasco. A failure that everyone hears about and talks about.

Le film a été un fiasco retentissant à sa sortie.

Le fiasco est total

— The failure is absolute. Used to describe a situation with no redeeming qualities.

On ne peut rien sauver, le fiasco est total.

Faire face à un fiasco

— To face a fiasco. Dealing with the consequences of a major failure.

Le directeur doit faire face au fiasco de sa stratégie.

اغلب اشتباه گرفته می‌شود با

le fiasco vs un échec

A general failure. A fiasco is a *spectacular* failure.

le fiasco vs un désastre

Implies physical or massive destruction, while fiasco is often about social or project failure.

le fiasco vs une erreur

A mistake. A fiasco is the *result* of many mistakes.

اصطلاحات و عبارات

"Faire fiasco"

— To fail completely. This is the original verbal form, although 'être un fiasco' is more common today.

Il craignait de faire fiasco devant son public.

literary
"Tourner au vinaigre"

— To turn sour or go wrong. While not using the word fiasco, it describes the same process.

La discussion a tourné au vinaigre.

informal
"Boire le calice jusqu'à la lie"

— To endure a failure or suffering to the very end. Often used when a fiasco keeps getting worse.

Après le fiasco de la fête, il a dû boire le calice jusqu'à la lie en nettoyant tout seul.

formal
"Faire un four"

— To be a total flop (theatrical).

Son premier opéra a fait un four.

theatrical
"C'est la bérézina"

— It's a total disaster/rout. Refers to Napoleon's retreat from Russia.

Pour l'examen de maths, c'est la bérézina !

standard
"Tomber à l'eau"

— To fall through or fail (for a plan).

Tous nos projets de vacances sont tombés à l'eau.

standard
"Faire pschiit"

— To fizzle out or end in a disappointing way.

La grande annonce a fait pschiit.

informal
"Être au creux de la vague"

— To be at a low point, often following a fiasco.

Après ce fiasco, l'entreprise est au creux de la vague.

standard
"Mettre les pieds dans le plat"

— To put one's foot in it, often causing a social fiasco.

Il a mis les pieds dans le plat en parlant de son ex.

informal
"La goutte d'eau qui fait déborder le vase"

— The last straw that leads to a fiasco.

Cette erreur était la goutte d'eau qui a transformé le projet en fiasco.

standard

به‌راحتی اشتباه گرفته می‌شود

le fiasco vs un flasque

Sounds slightly similar.

A 'flasque' is a hip flask or an adjective meaning 'flabby'.

Il a une flasque de whisky.

le fiasco vs une fiasque

Feminine version of the same root.

In French, 'une fiasque' refers specifically to the straw-covered bottle, while 'le fiasco' is the failure.

Une fiasque de vin du Chianti.

le fiasco vs un bide

Same meaning.

'Bide' is slang; 'fiasco' is standard French.

C'est un bide total.

le fiasco vs un four

Same meaning.

'Four' is specific to the theater/arts; 'fiasco' is general.

Le film a fait un four.

le fiasco vs une défaite

Related to failure.

A 'défaite' is a loss in a competition/war; a 'fiasco' is a failed plan/event.

L'équipe a subi une défaite.

الگوهای جمله‌سازی

A1

Le [Nom] est un fiasco.

Le gâteau est un fiasco.

A2

C'est un fiasco [Adjectif].

C'est un fiasco total.

B1

[Sujet] a tourné au fiasco.

La fête a tourné au fiasco.

B1

Un fiasco prévisible.

C'était un fiasco prévisible.

B2

Se solder par un fiasco.

L'opération s'est soldée par un fiasco.

B2

Éviter le fiasco.

Ils ont tout fait pour éviter le fiasco.

C1

L'ampleur du fiasco.

L'ampleur du fiasco est incroyable.

C2

Sombrer dans le fiasco.

Le projet a sombré dans le fiasco.

خانواده کلمه

اسم‌ها

fiasco

فعل‌ها

fiasquer (extremely rare/archaic)

مرتبط

échec
désastre
catastrophe
raté
bide

نحوه استفاده

frequency

Common in media, standard in daily life for significant failures.

اشتباهات رایج
  • Using 'la fiasco'. le fiasco

    Fiasco is a masculine noun. Always use masculine articles and adjective agreements.

  • Saying 'C'est fiasco'. C'est un fiasco.

    Fiasco is a noun, not an adjective. It requires an article like 'un' or 'le'.

  • Using it for tiny errors. J'ai fait une erreur.

    A fiasco is a major, often public disaster. Forgetting a word is just a 'faute' or 'erreur'.

  • Translating 'resulted in a fiasco' as 'résulté dans un fiasco'. s'est soldé par un fiasco

    The verb 'résulter' is used differently in French. 'Se solder par' is the correct idiomatic expression.

  • Pronouncing it 'fee-AS-ko' with English stress. fi-as-ko (even stress)

    French syllables generally have equal weight. Avoid the heavy stress on the middle syllable.

نکات

When to use 'Fiasco'

Use it for events involving multiple people or public expectations. A failed space launch is a fiasco; forgetting your socks is just a mistake.

Remember the Gender

Always pair it with 'le' or 'un'. Practice saying 'le fiasco' ten times to build the habit. Never say 'la fiasco'.

Common Verbs

Memorize the phrase 'tourner au fiasco'. It's the most natural way to describe a situation going wrong in French.

Adding Adjectives

To sound like a native, use adjectives like 'retentissant' (resounding) or 'monumental' to describe the scale of the failure.

Media Literacy

When reading French news, look for 'fiasco' in headlines to quickly identify stories about government or business failures.

Pronunciation

Focus on the 'i' sound. It should be a sharp 'ee' sound. 'Fee-as-ko'. Keep the 'a' short and the 'o' closed.

Formal vs. Informal

While 'fiasco' is standard, use 'échec cuisant' in very formal academic writing to describe a bitter failure.

The Bottle Connection

Remember the Italian 'bottle' origin to help you visualize a fragile glass project shattering—that's a fiasco.

Fiasco vs. Bide

Use 'bide' with friends for small social failures, and 'fiasco' for larger, more impactful disasters.

Exclamations

Don't be afraid to use 'Quel fiasco !' It's a very common and natural way to express frustration at a mess.

حفظ کنید

روش یادسپاری

Imagine a glassblower trying to make a beautiful vase, but it breaks and they have to make a cheap 'fiasco' (bottle) instead. The vase was a fiasco!

تداعی تصویری

Picture a giant wine bottle (a fiasco) falling over on a stage during a play, making a huge mess. That is a fiasco.

شبکه واژگان

échec désastre spectacle honte public erreur complet total

چالش

Try to use 'le fiasco' in a sentence about a historical event you know. Then try to use it to describe a funny personal story.

ریشه کلمه

Borrowed from the Italian word 'fiasco', which literally means 'bottle' or 'flask'. The term entered French in the 19th century.

معنای اصلی: In Italian, the phrase 'fare fiasco' (to make a bottle) was theatrical slang for a failed performance.

Romance (Italian origin).

بافت فرهنگی

Be careful when using this word about someone's personal life (like a marriage or career) as it is very strong and can be seen as insulting.

English speakers use 'fiasco' similarly, but in French, it feels slightly more dramatic and is used more frequently in intellectual or artistic critiques.

Le fiasco de Knysna (2010 French World Cup team) Le fiasco d'Azincourt (Historical military failure) Le fiasco du Concorde (Economic/Commercial context)

تمرین در زندگی واقعی

موقعیت‌های واقعی

Professional Projects

  • Le projet est un fiasco.
  • Éviter un fiasco financier.
  • Analyser les causes du fiasco.
  • Un fiasco de gestion.

Social Events

  • La soirée a tourné au fiasco.
  • C'était un fiasco total.
  • Un fiasco d'organisation.
  • Quel fiasco !

Politics/News

  • Un fiasco diplomatique.
  • Le fiasco de la réforme.
  • Un fiasco électoral.
  • Un fiasco retentissant.

Arts/Performance

  • Le film fut un fiasco.
  • Un fiasco critique.
  • La pièce a été un fiasco.
  • Un fiasco au box-office.

Personal Stories

  • Mon rendez-vous était un fiasco.
  • Ma cuisine est un fiasco.
  • Un petit fiasco personnel.
  • C'est un fiasco pour moi.

شروع‌کننده‌های مکالمه

"As-tu déjà vécu un fiasco lors d'un voyage ?"

"Quel est le plus grand fiasco de l'histoire selon toi ?"

"Pourquoi penses-tu que ce film a été un fiasco ?"

"Comment peut-on éviter un fiasco dans l'organisation d'une fête ?"

"As-tu déjà vu une pièce de théâtre qui était un fiasco ?"

موضوعات نگارش

Décrivez un moment où quelque chose que vous avez planifié a tourné au fiasco. Que s'est-il passé ?

Pensez-vous qu'on puisse apprendre quelque chose d'un fiasco total ?

Imaginez un fiasco imaginaire dans une cuisine. Décrivez les détails.

Quel impact un fiasco médiatique peut-il avoir sur une célébrité ?

Comparez un simple 'échec' et un 'fiasco' en utilisant des exemples de votre vie.

سوالات متداول

10 سوال

It is always masculine: *le fiasco* or *un fiasco*. This is a common point of confusion for learners who might think it's feminine because of the 'o' or by analogy with other languages, but in French, it's masculine.

An *échec* is a neutral term for any failure (like failing an exam). A *fiasco* implies a more dramatic, public, or messy failure. Think of an *échec* as 'not winning' and a *fiasco* as 'a disaster'.

Usually, no. You describe an *event*, *project*, or *performance* as a fiasco. You wouldn't call a person 'un fiasco' unless you are being extremely insulting and metaphorical. Use 'un raté' for a person who fails at everything (informal).

It is standard French. You can use it in a conversation with friends, but you will also see it in serious newspapers like *Le Monde*. It is not slang.

It is a closed 'o' sound, like in the English word 'robot'. It should be short and not turn into an 'oh' or 'ow' sound.

It means 'to turn into a fiasco'. It describes a situation that started okay but ended up being a disaster. For example: 'La fête a tourné au fiasco.'

Yes, *des fiascos*. You use it when talking about multiple separate failures. For example: 'Il a connu plusieurs fiascos dans sa carrière.'

It comes from the Italian word for 'bottle'. In Italian theater, 'making a bottle' meant failing a performance, and the word was adopted into French with that meaning.

Yes! This is a very common collocation to emphasize that the failure was complete and absolute.

In the theater, you can use the word *un four*. It means a play that was a total flop.

خودت رو بسنج 190 سوال

writing

Describe a failed dinner party using 'le fiasco'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Write a sentence using the phrase 'tourner au fiasco'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Formal: Describe a failed business project using 'se solder par'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'un fiasco retentissant' in a sentence about a movie.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Explain why a project might be called 'un fiasco annoncé'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Write an exclamation reacting to a broken event.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'frôler le fiasco' in a sentence about a wedding.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Describe a political failure using 'fiasco diplomatique'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'un gâchis' and 'fiasco' in the same sentence.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Write a sentence with 'un fiasco total'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

C1: Use 'occulter l'ampleur du fiasco'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Describe a failed sports match.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'un fiasco prévisible'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Describe a failed cake using 'fiasco'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'aboutir à un fiasco'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

C2: Use 'précipiter ce fiasco'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Describe a failed vacation.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'fiasco monumental'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'éviter le fiasco'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
writing

Use 'un fiasco complet'.

خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Pronounce 'le fiasco' correctly.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'It's a total fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'The meeting turned into a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'What a fiasco!' with emotion.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'We must avoid a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'It was a resounding fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'The project is a complete fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'I fear a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'It was a financial fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'The festival ended in a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'It is a predictable fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'Everyone is talking about the fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'It was an unprecedented fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'The cake is a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'The trip was a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'It resulted in a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'A monumental fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'The launch was a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'A diplomatic fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
speaking

Say 'The show was a fiasco' in French.

این را بلند بخوانید:

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen to the sentence: 'La fête a tourné au fiasco.' What happened to the party?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'C'est un fiasco total.' How bad is it?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'L'opération s'est soldée par un fiasco.' Is the speaker formal or informal?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Quel fiasco !' What is the speaker's emotion?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Un fiasco annoncé.' Did it surprise them?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Le fiasco de la réforme.' What is failing?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Éviter le fiasco.' What are they trying to do?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Un fiasco retentissant.' Is this a small failure?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Tout est un fiasco.' How many things failed?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Le fiasco financier.' What kind of failure is it?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Frôler le fiasco.' Did they fail?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Un fiasco sans nom.' How bad is it?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Le fiasco du concert.' What event failed?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'C'était un fiasco prévisible.' Was it a surprise?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
listening

Listen: 'Le gâteau est un fiasco.' What is the speaker talking about?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:

/ 190 درست

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