In 15 Seconds
- To announce something publicly or spread a secret everywhere.
- Used for big news, gossip, or revealing hidden information.
- Equivalent to the English 'to shout from the rooftops'.
Meaning
This phrase is used when you want to announce something to everyone or make a secret public. It is like shouting your news from the top of a building so the whole world hears it.
Key Examples
3 of 6Telling a friend about a new job
C'est officiel, mais ne le crie pas sur les toits !
It's official, but don't shout it from the rooftops!
Complaining about a gossiping colleague
Elle a crié notre rupture sur tous les toits.
She told everyone about our breakup.
A professional product launch
Dès demain, nous allons crier cette innovation sur les toits.
Starting tomorrow, we are going to broadcast this innovation to everyone.
Cultural Background
In Paris, the 'toits' (roofs) are iconic zinc structures. Shouting from them is a powerful image of reaching the dense urban population below. Quebecers use this phrase frequently, but they might also use 'faire la manchette' (to make the headlines) for similar public announcements. In many West African cultures, oral tradition and 'radio trottoir' (pavement radio/gossip) are very strong. 'Crier sur les toits' fits perfectly into this context of rapid information spread. Belgian French uses the phrase identically to France, often in the context of political transparency or lack thereof.
Use the negative
You will use this phrase 80% of the time in the negative: 'Ne le crie pas sur les toits'.
Preposition Alert
Never say 'depuis les toits'. Even though English says 'from', French says 'on' (sur).
In 15 Seconds
- To announce something publicly or spread a secret everywhere.
- Used for big news, gossip, or revealing hidden information.
- Equivalent to the English 'to shout from the rooftops'.
What It Means
Imagine you just won the lottery. You wouldn't whisper it. You would climb onto your house and yell! Crier sur les toits means to spread news everywhere. It is about making something public that was once private. Usually, it refers to gossip or big personal announcements.
How To Use It
You use this phrase like a regular verb. You can say Je ne vais pas le crier sur les toits. This means you want to keep a secret. It works well with secrets, rumors, or big life changes. You can also use it to complain about someone. If a friend tells your secret, they 'shouted it on the roofs'.
When To Use It
Use it when discussing privacy or big reveals. It is perfect for office gossip sessions. It works when telling a friend about a new crush. You might use it in a meeting about a product launch. Use it when you want to emphasize how public a piece of information has become. It feels very natural in daily French conversation.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use this for actual physical shouting. If someone is just being loud, use hurler. It is not for official government proclamations either. Avoid it in very stiff, legal documents. It is a bit too colorful for a police report. Also, do not use it if the news is boring. Nobody 'shouts on the roofs' that they bought milk.
Cultural Background
This expression has biblical roots but evolved over centuries. In ancient times, flat roofs were public spaces for announcements. If you wanted the village to know something, the roof was your stage. Today, French people use it to describe the 'radio-moquette' (office grapevine). It reflects the French love for discretion versus the drama of a big reveal.
Common Variations
Sometimes you will hear proclamer sur les toits. This sounds a bit more dramatic and grand. Another version is divulguer sur les toits. This focuses more on the act of leaking a secret. Most people stick to crier because it is punchy. It captures the energy of a person losing their filter.
Usage Notes
This phrase is perfectly safe for B1 learners. It is common in both spoken and written French and carries no vulgar connotations.
Use the negative
You will use this phrase 80% of the time in the negative: 'Ne le crie pas sur les toits'.
Preposition Alert
Never say 'depuis les toits'. Even though English says 'from', French says 'on' (sur).
Social Media Context
Use this when talking about influencers or friends who post too much personal info online.
Discretion is Key
In France, being accused of 'crier sur les toits' can be a mild insult to your discretion.
Examples
6C'est officiel, mais ne le crie pas sur les toits !
It's official, but don't shout it from the rooftops!
A classic way to ask for discretion.
Elle a crié notre rupture sur tous les toits.
She told everyone about our breakup.
Shows the negative side of spreading personal news.
Dès demain, nous allons crier cette innovation sur les toits.
Starting tomorrow, we are going to broadcast this innovation to everyone.
Used here to mean marketing or publicizing.
Je l'aime trop, j'ai envie de le crier sur les toits !
I love him so much, I want to tell the whole world!
Expresses overwhelming excitement.
Il a gagné 5 euros au loto et il le crie sur les toits.
He won 5 euros in the lottery and he's acting like it's huge news.
Sarcastic use for something trivial.
Ce n'est pas une information à crier sur les toits.
This is not information to be made public.
Polite way to say something is confidential.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct preposition and article.
Elle est si contente qu'elle veut le crier ___ ___ toits.
The fixed idiom in French always uses 'sur les'.
Which situation best fits the phrase 'crier sur les toits'?
Context: You just found out your best friend is moving to Japan.
Posting publicly to a wide audience is the modern equivalent of shouting from the rooftops.
Choose the most natural response.
A: 'Je vais te dire un secret sur le patron.' B: 'D'accord, mais promis, ___.'
The negative form is used to promise discretion.
Match the feeling to the usage of the phrase.
1. Joy 2. Warning 3. Criticism
The phrase can express positive joy, a warning for secrecy, or a critique of oversharing.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesElle est si contente qu'elle veut le crier ___ ___ toits.
The fixed idiom in French always uses 'sur les'.
Context: You just found out your best friend is moving to Japan.
Posting publicly to a wide audience is the modern equivalent of shouting from the rooftops.
A: 'Je vais te dire un secret sur le patron.' B: 'D'accord, mais promis, ___.'
The negative form is used to promise discretion.
1. Joy 2. Warning 3. Criticism
The phrase can express positive joy, a warning for secrecy, or a critique of oversharing.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, you can 'crier sa colère' or 'crier un scandale' sur les toits. It just means making it public.
It's neutral-informal. You can use it with friends or colleagues, but avoid it in legal contracts.
Yes, the idiom is fixed in the plural. 'Sur le toit' would sound like you are literally on one specific roof.
'Ébruiter' is more about a secret leaking out quietly, while 'crier sur les toits' is loud and intentional.
In French, we usually say 'disperser aux quatre vents' or 'parler aux quatre vents', but 'crier sur les toits' is much more common for news.
If you say 'Ne le crie pas sur les toits', it's just a friendly warning. If you say 'Tu l'as crié sur les toits !', it's a reproach.
It's 'J'ai crié'. It uses the auxiliary 'avoir'.
Yes, you can 'crier sur les toits' via a blog post, a tweet, or a newspaper article.
Yes, 'balancer' (to throw/snitch) is a common slang alternative for revealing secrets.
Because roofs were the highest point in a town, allowing sound to travel the furthest to the most people.
Related Phrases
vendre la mèche
similarTo let the cat out of the bag.
tenir sa langue
contrastTo hold one's tongue.
ébruiter
synonymTo leak or spread a rumor.
clamer haut et fort
similarTo proclaim loudly and clearly.
un secret de polichinelle
builds onAn open secret.
