In 15 Seconds
- To sideline someone, especially at work.
- Implies deliberate exclusion and neglect.
- Literal meaning: put into a cupboard.
- Vibe: Negative, feeling useless.
Meaning
This French idiom means to sideline someone, to ignore them, or to give them no important tasks. It's like putting someone in a dusty cupboard where they're out of sight and out of mind. The vibe is definitely negative, suggesting a person has been made redundant or is being deliberately excluded.
Key Examples
3 of 10Texting a friend about a colleague
Mon collègue n'a plus de projets depuis des mois, le patron le met vraiment au placard.
My colleague hasn't had any projects for months, the boss is really sidelining him.
Instagram caption about a career change
Après des années à être mise au placard dans mon ancienne boîte, j'ai enfin trouvé un poste où je compte vraiment !
After years of being sidelined in my old company, I've finally found a position where I truly matter!
Job interview feedback
Malheureusement, votre profil ne correspond pas pour ce poste, mais nous ne comptons pas vous mettre au placard.
Unfortunately, your profile doesn't match this position, but we don't intend to sideline you.
Cultural Background
In France, 'placardisation' is a recognized form of workplace bullying. Employees can sue their employers if they are left without work, as it is seen as a violation of the 'obligation de fournir du travail' (obligation to provide work). In Quebec, the term 'tabletter' (to shelf) is often used as a synonym, reflecting the North American influence on the French language while keeping the storage metaphor. The term is used similarly in Belgium, often in the context of the complex Belgian political landscape where ministers might be sidelined after a coalition change. In many West African countries, the phrase is used but sometimes carries a more literal sense of being 'hidden' from opportunities or social circles due to family or tribal politics.
Use it for projects too
You can 'mettre au placard' an idea or a plan if you decide to stop working on it for a long time.
Don't use it for 'coming out'
Always use 'sortir du placard' for revealing identity. 'Mettre au placard' is almost always negative and professional.
In 15 Seconds
- To sideline someone, especially at work.
- Implies deliberate exclusion and neglect.
- Literal meaning: put into a cupboard.
- Vibe: Negative, feeling useless.
What It Means
This phrase paints a vivid picture. Imagine a forgotten toy in a closet. That's how mettre au placard makes someone feel. It means to be sidelined. You're not actively involved anymore. Your contributions are ignored. It's like being put on the shelf. This often happens at work. Someone might be demoted without a formal title change. Or they might just be given busywork. The goal is to make them feel useless. It's a subtle but powerful form of exclusion. It carries a heavy emotional weight. It suggests a loss of purpose and value. You feel forgotten, like old furniture.
Origin Story
The origin isn't perfectly clear. But the most popular theory links it to the French Revolution. During that tumultuous time, political opponents were often 'put away'. They were literally locked up or sidelined. Think of them being hidden from public view. Another idea connects it to old storage practices. Items no longer needed were put in cupboards. They were kept out of sight. This practice likely gave rise to the idiom. It's a metaphor for being stored away. You're not useful right now. So, you're put aside. It’s like your job performance is being archived. Hopefully, not permanently!
How To Use It
Use mettre au placard when someone is being ignored. This is common in professional settings. A manager might stop assigning projects. Colleagues might exclude them from meetings. The person feels sidelined. They are not part of the action. It implies a deliberate act of exclusion. It's not just about being busy. It's about being *intentionally* overlooked. Think about someone whose role has diminished. They are still technically employed. But their influence is gone. That's a prime mettre au placard situation. It’s like being a ghost in the office.
Real-Life Examples
- My boss hasn't given me any real tasks for months. I think he's trying to
mettre au placardme. - After the merger, many experienced employees found themselves
mis au placard. - She was too outspoken, so the new management
l'a mise au placard. - He used to lead the team. Now he just attends meetings and says nothing. He's definitely
au placard. - The company is trying to force him out. They
le mettent au placardhoping he'll quit.
When To Use It
This phrase is best used when describing a situation of deliberate marginalization. It applies to workplaces. It can also apply to social groups. Someone might be excluded from important decisions. They might be left out of conversations. It implies that the person is still present. But they are not actively participating. Their role has been diminished. They are no longer considered essential. It's about being rendered ineffective. You're still in the room, but you don't matter. It’s like being a background extra in your own life.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use mettre au placard for temporary situations. If you're just busy for a week, you're not au placard. If someone is genuinely sick, it's not mettre au placard. This phrase implies intentional neglect. It's not for casual forgetfulness. It’s not for someone who is simply not good at their job. It's about being *actively* sidelined. It's not about being fired directly. It's about being made to feel redundant. So, avoid using it for minor slights. Save it for when someone is truly being ignored.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse mettre au placard with being fired. It’s not the same. Being fired is direct termination. Mettre au placard is indirect. It's about marginalization, not dismissal. Another mistake is using it for minor inconveniences. If your colleague forgets your birthday, they aren't vous mettant au placard. They're just forgetful.
✗ My boss fired me, he m'a mis au placard.
✓ My boss stopped giving me projects, he m'a mis au placard.
✗ The train was late, I was mise au placard.
✓ The company sidelined him, they l'ont mis au placard.
Similar Expressions
Être sur la touche: Literally 'to be on the sidelines'. Similar to being sidelined, but can be more temporary.Être mis de côté: 'To be put aside'. Very close in meaning, emphasizes being excluded.Être ignoré: 'To be ignored'. More general, less specific to a professional context.Perdre son influence: 'To lose one's influence'. Focuses on the loss of power.Être mis au rencart: 'To be thrown away/discarded'. Stronger, implies being completely useless.
Memory Trick
Picture a grumpy old employee. He's been shoved into a tiny, dark supply closet. He can hear his colleagues working. But he has no supplies to give. He's literally mis au placard. He's out of sight, out of mind. Think of the closet door closing. Slam! You're in the placard now. It's a bit dramatic, but it works!
Quick FAQ
- What does
mettre au placardmean? It means to sideline someone, ignore them, or give them no important work, often in a professional context. It implies deliberate exclusion. - Is it always about work? While most common in professional settings, it can describe social exclusion too. Anywhere someone is deliberately ignored or sidelined.
- Is it a harsh phrase? Yes, it carries a negative connotation. It implies unfair treatment and a loss of status or purpose.
Usage Notes
This idiom is primarily informal and best used in spoken French or casual written contexts like emails to friends or colleagues you know well. While it can describe serious situations like workplace marginalization, its inherent informality makes it less suitable for highly formal reports or official communications.
Use it for projects too
You can 'mettre au placard' an idea or a plan if you decide to stop working on it for a long time.
Don't use it for 'coming out'
Always use 'sortir du placard' for revealing identity. 'Mettre au placard' is almost always negative and professional.
The passive is more common
You will hear 'Il est au placard' much more often than 'Le patron l'a mis au placard'.
Legal weight
In France, mentioning this in an HR context is a very serious accusation of harassment.
Examples
10Mon collègue n'a plus de projets depuis des mois, le patron le met vraiment au placard.
My colleague hasn't had any projects for months, the boss is really sidelining him.
Shows a common workplace scenario where someone is deliberately given no work.
Après des années à être mise au placard dans mon ancienne boîte, j'ai enfin trouvé un poste où je compte vraiment !
After years of being sidelined in my old company, I've finally found a position where I truly matter!
Expresses relief after a period of being ignored and undervalued.
Malheureusement, votre profil ne correspond pas pour ce poste, mais nous ne comptons pas vous mettre au placard.
Unfortunately, your profile doesn't match this position, but we don't intend to sideline you.
Used in a professional context to reassure someone they won't be ignored.
Elle a trop parlé contre la direction, ils l'ont mise au placard pour la punir.
She spoke too much against management, they sidelined her to punish her.
Explains the reason behind the sidelining action.
Je crois que mon manager m'oublie volontairement, il me met au placard depuis la rentrée.
I think my manager is deliberately forgetting me, he's been sidelining me since school started.
A personal message expressing feelings of being intentionally overlooked.
Il paraît qu'il a son bureau dans la cave, le pauvre, il est complètement mis au placard !
Apparently, he has his office in the basement, the poor guy, he's completely shelved!
Exaggerated for humor, emphasizing the extreme nature of being sidelined.
✗ Mon ancien patron m'a mis au placard parce qu'il voulait me virer. → ✓ Mon ancien patron m'a mis au placard parce qu'il voulait que je parte.
✗ My former boss shelved me because he wanted to fire me. → ✓ My former boss sidelined me because he wanted me to leave.
Highlights the difference between being sidelined and being fired.
✗ J'étais malade une semaine, le prof m'a mis au placard. → ✓ J'étais malade une semaine, le prof a juste oublié de me donner le devoir.
✗ I was sick for a week, the teacher shelved me. → ✓ I was sick for a week, the teacher just forgot to give me the assignment.
Shows that `mettre au placard` implies intentionality, not just temporary oversight.
Depuis la restructuration, plusieurs employés se sentent mis au placard sans justification claire.
Since the restructuring, several employees feel sidelined without clear justification.
Used in a more formal context to describe a widespread issue.
Le personnage principal a été mis au placard par ses supérieurs après son enquête.
The main character was shelved by his superiors after his investigation.
Applying the idiom to a fictional scenario, common in media discussions.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'mettre au placard'.
Depuis qu'il a dénoncé la fraude, la direction l'a ______.
The subject 'la direction' (she) puts 'l' (him) in the cupboard. 'Mis' is the past participle of 'mettre'.
Which situation best describes 'être mis au placard'?
Situation A: You get a promotion. Situation B: You are fired. Situation C: You keep your job but have no work to do.
'Mettre au placard' specifically means keeping the job but losing the responsibilities.
Match the French phrase with its English equivalent.
1. Mettre au placard, 2. Sortir du placard, 3. Mettre au point
Don't confuse these three common 'mettre' phrases!
What would a colleague say if they see someone doing nothing all day?
- Pourquoi Marc regarde-t-il le plafond toute la journée ? - Je ne sais pas, on dirait qu'il a été ______.
'Mis à la porte' means fired, but he is still there, so 'mis au placard' is correct.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Placard vs. Licenciement
Practice Bank
4 exercisesDepuis qu'il a dénoncé la fraude, la direction l'a ______.
The subject 'la direction' (she) puts 'l' (him) in the cupboard. 'Mis' is the past participle of 'mettre'.
Situation A: You get a promotion. Situation B: You are fired. Situation C: You keep your job but have no work to do.
'Mettre au placard' specifically means keeping the job but losing the responsibilities.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Don't confuse these three common 'mettre' phrases!
- Pourquoi Marc regarde-t-il le plafond toute la journée ? - Je ne sais pas, on dirait qu'il a été ______.
'Mis à la porte' means fired, but he is still there, so 'mis au placard' is correct.
🎉 Score: /4
Video Tutorials
Find video tutorials on YouTube for this phrase.
Frequently Asked Questions
14 questionsIt's not a swear word, but it describes a very negative and often illegal situation at work. Use it carefully.
Yes, literally! 'Je mets mes vêtements au placard'. But context will tell people if you're being literal or figurative.
'Licencier' means to fire someone. 'Mettre au placard' means they keep their job but have no work.
Yes, it is widely understood in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and Africa.
It's 'J'ai mis', 'Tu as mis', 'Il a mis', etc.
Yes, it means the project has been shelved or suspended indefinitely.
Yes, it's a formal noun used in HR and sociology to describe the act of putting people 'au placard'.
In French, many final consonants are silent. 'Placard' follows this rule.
No, 'placard' is masculine, so it must be 'au placard' (à + le).
It's neutral. You can use it with friends or in a professional meeting.
There isn't one direct idiom, but 'donner des responsabilités' or 'promouvoir' would be the opposite actions.
Yes, exactly, especially in a sports or team context.
It's rare. You'd usually say 'ghoster' (to ghost) or 'ignorer'.
Try: 'Au placard, c'est le cafard !' (In the cupboard, it's the blues/depression).
Related Phrases
être sur la touche
similarTo be on the sidelines
mettre sur une voie de garage
similarTo put on a dead-end track
la placardisation
specialized formThe act of sidelining
mettre à l'écart
synonymTo set aside / to isolate
remercier quelqu'un
contrastTo fire someone (politely)
sortir du placard
contrastTo come out of the closet
