avoir les dents longues
To be hungry for success
शाब्दिक अर्थ: to have the teeth long
15 सेकंड में
- Describes someone with intense, sometimes ruthless ambition for success.
- Comes from the idea of a predator's hunger.
- Used mostly in professional or political contexts.
मतलब
This phrase describes someone who is incredibly ambitious and ready to do whatever it takes to succeed. It's like saying someone has a 'sharp appetite' for power or career advancement.
मुख्य उदाहरण
3 / 6Discussing a new colleague
Fais attention à Marc, il a les dents longues.
Watch out for Marc, he's very ambitious.
Talking about a friend's career goals
Elle veut devenir PDG avant trente ans, elle a les dents longues !
She wants to be CEO before thirty, she's got a real appetite for success!
Texting about a political candidate
Ce candidat a les dents longues, il fera tout pour gagner.
This candidate is hungry for power; he'll do anything to win.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
L'ambition est parfois vue avec méfiance en France, contrairement aux pays anglo-saxons. Dire de quelqu'un qu'il a les dents longues peut être une critique de son manque d'éthique. L'expression est également utilisée au Québec avec le même sens, bien que les Québécois utilisent aussi beaucoup d'anglicismes comme 'être un go-getter'. En Belgique francophone, l'expression est courante dans le milieu politique bruxellois pour décrire les jeunes attachés de presse ambitieux. En Suisse romande, on utilise cette expression surtout dans le secteur bancaire et horloger pour désigner la compétition interne.
Use it for 'Sharks'
Think of this phrase whenever you see a 'shark' in a business movie. It fits perfectly.
Watch the tone
Be careful, calling someone this to their face might be taken as an insult, as it implies they are ruthless.
15 सेकंड में
- Describes someone with intense, sometimes ruthless ambition for success.
- Comes from the idea of a predator's hunger.
- Used mostly in professional or political contexts.
What It Means
Imagine someone so hungry for success that their teeth have grown long to grab more. It describes a person with fierce ambition. It is not just about working hard. It implies a certain level of aggression or ruthlessness. If you say someone has les dents longues, you mean they are 'climbing the ladder' fast.
How To Use It
You use it like a standard verb phrase. Conjugate avoir to match your subject. You can say il a les dents longues or ils ont les dents longues. It usually describes a person's character or current career phase. It works perfectly when discussing colleagues or public figures. Use it to point out someone who is clearly aiming for the top spot.
When To Use It
Use this in professional settings when discussing office politics. It is perfect for a coffee break chat about the new intern. You can also use it when watching a movie about business. It fits well in news commentary about politicians. If a friend is suddenly working 80 hours to get a promotion, this is your phrase. It adds a bit of 'flavor' to your description of their drive.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use this for simple hunger. If you want a sandwich, say j'ai faim. Do not use it for modest people. It sounds strange if someone is content with their current life. Avoid using it as a direct compliment to your boss. It can sound a bit critical or suspicious. It implies they might step on others to get ahead. Use ambitieux if you want to be 100% positive.
Cultural Background
This expression dates back to the 14th century. Originally, it just meant being very hungry. Over time, the meaning shifted from physical hunger to social hunger. In French culture, being overly ambitious was often seen with a bit of skepticism. It suggests a 'predatory' nature, like a wolf. Today, it is less negative but still carries a hint of warning. It reflects the French value of balancing work and life.
Common Variations
You might hear avoir les dents qui rayent le parquet. This means their teeth are so long they are scratching the floor! It is a more humorous, exaggerated version. It implies the person is *extremely* ambitious. Another variation is être un jeune loup (to be a young wolf). This describes a young, hungry professional. Both capture that same spirit of 'hunting' for success.
इस्तेमाल की जानकारी
The phrase is neutral to informal. It is widely understood and carries a slightly cynical tone about the nature of ambition.
Use it for 'Sharks'
Think of this phrase whenever you see a 'shark' in a business movie. It fits perfectly.
Watch the tone
Be careful, calling someone this to their face might be taken as an insult, as it implies they are ruthless.
The Floorboard Variation
If you want to sound like a native, use 'avoir les dents qui rayent le parquet' when someone is being *obviously* ambitious.
Ambition in France
Remember that in France, being 'ambitieux' is okay, but 'avoir les dents longues' is often a critique of one's methods.
उदाहरण
6Fais attention à Marc, il a les dents longues.
Watch out for Marc, he's very ambitious.
Suggests Marc might be a bit too competitive.
Elle veut devenir PDG avant trente ans, elle a les dents longues !
She wants to be CEO before thirty, she's got a real appetite for success!
Expresses awe at the scale of her ambition.
Ce candidat a les dents longues, il fera tout pour gagner.
This candidate is hungry for power; he'll do anything to win.
Commonly used in political commentary.
Regarde-le, il a les dents qui rayent le parquet !
Look at him, he's so ambitious his teeth are scratching the floor!
Uses the exaggerated variation for comedic effect.
Il faut avoir les dents longues pour réussir dans ce milieu.
You need to be hungry for success to make it in this industry.
Used as a piece of realistic advice.
Je m'inquiète pour lui, il a les dents trop longues et il s'épuise.
I'm worried about him; he's too ambitious and he's burning out.
Shows the negative side of having too much drive.
खुद को परखो
Choisissez la forme correcte de l'expression.
Julie travaille 15 heures par jour car elle ______.
On utilise le verbe 'avoir' et l'accord féminin pluriel 'longues'.
Complétez la phrase avec les mots manquants.
Attention à ce politicien, il a les ______ ______.
L'expression complète est 'avoir les dents longues'.
Associez la phrase à la situation correspondante.
Lequel de ces personnages 'a les dents longues' ?
L'expression désigne l'ambition professionnelle.
Complétez le dialogue de manière naturelle.
— Tu penses qu'il va réussir son projet ? — Oh oui, il a les ______ ______ ______ ______.
C'est la variation familière et intensive de l'expression.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Intensity of the Phrase
अभ्यास बैंक
4 अभ्यासJulie travaille 15 heures par jour car elle ______.
On utilise le verbe 'avoir' et l'accord féminin pluriel 'longues'.
Attention à ce politicien, il a les ______ ______.
L'expression complète est 'avoir les dents longues'.
Lequel de ces personnages 'a les dents longues' ?
L'expression désigne l'ambition professionnelle.
— Tu penses qu'il va réussir son projet ? — Oh oui, il a les ______ ______ ______ ______.
C'est la variation familière et intensive de l'expression.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
12 सवालUsually no. It's more of an observation that can be negative, implying the person is a bit of a shark.
Yes, but it sounds a bit adult. For a child, you might say 'il est très compétitif'.
The latter is much more informal and suggests the ambition is so big it's almost ridiculous.
No, it is silent. 'Dents' sounds like 'don'.
Technically yes, but it will be understood literally (physical teeth). For the idiom, use 'les'.
No, it's too idiomatic. Use 'faire preuve d'une grande ambition' instead.
Yes, 'Elle a les dents longues' is perfectly correct.
Not at all, it is still very common in modern French media and business.
Yes, to describe an athlete who is very determined to win.
There isn't a direct 'short teeth' idiom, but you could say 'manquer d'ambition'.
No, it's a standard idiom (neutral register). The 'parquet' version is informal.
It sounds a bit arrogant. Better to say 'Je suis très motivé' or 'J'ai de grandes ambitions'.
संबंधित मुहावरे
avoir les dents qui rayent le parquet
specialized formTo be extremely/embarrassingly ambitious.
un jeune loup
similarAn ambitious young professional.
être un arriviste
synonymTo be a social climber.
avoir les crocs
similarTo be very hungry (literally or for success).
brûler les étapes
builds onTo skip steps to get ahead faster.
