périmé

The French word périmé is an adjective that essentially means 'expired' or 'past its use-by date.' At its most fundamental level, it describes something that is no longer valid, safe, or effective because a specific period of time has elapsed. While English speakers might use 'expired' for a passport and 'out of date' for milk, French frequently employs périmé for both, making it a versatile and essential term for daily life in any Francophone country. Whether you are navigating a supermarket in Paris, checking your travel documents at the border, or discussing outdated social theories in a university lecture, this word will inevitably surface.

Literal Usage

Refers to biological or chemical degradation, most commonly found on food packaging (DLC - Date Limite de Consommation) or medication containers.

In the context of food, périmé is a warning. If a French person says, 'Ce lait est périmé,' they are advising you not to drink it. The French government has strict regulations regarding food waste and labeling, and you will often see 'périmé' associated with 'le gaspillage alimentaire' (food waste). Since 2016, French supermarkets are even forbidden from throwing away food that is close to being périmé, requiring them to donate it to charities instead. This has made the word a central part of ecological and social discourse in France.

Beyond the fridge, the word extends to the realm of law and administration. A 'passeport périmé' is an expired passport. Unlike the English word 'invalid,' which suggests the document might be a fake or incorrectly filled out, périmé specifically points to the passage of time as the cause of its invalidity. If your 'carte de séjour' (residency permit) is périmée, you are technically in a precarious legal position. This administrative nuance is vital for expatriates to understand, as 'périmer' (the verb form) is the process by which rights or documents lose their force.

Metaphorical Usage

Describes ideas, fashions, or styles that are no longer 'in' or have become obsolete in the face of modern progress.

Finally, périmé has a figurative side. It can describe a person's ideas or a political stance that feels 'old hat' or 'obsolete.' If someone suggests a solution that was popular in the 1980s but makes no sense today, a critic might call that idea périmée. It carries a slightly dismissive tone here, suggesting that the subject has failed to keep up with the times. It is less about being 'vintage' (which is cool) and more about being 'outdated' (which is useless).

Grammar Note

As an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the noun: périmé (m.s.), périmée (f.s.), périmés (m.p.), périmées (f.p.).

In summary, périmé is a word that bridges the gap between the physical reality of decaying organic matter and the abstract reality of expiring laws and fading trends. Mastering its use allows you to navigate the practicalities of French life with confidence, from the kitchen to the courtroom.

Using périmé correctly requires attention to two main things: the nature of the object being described and the grammatical agreement of the adjective. Because it is a past participle used as an adjective (from the verb périmer), it follows standard French adjective rules. It almost always follows the noun it modifies or appears after a linking verb like être (to be), sembler (to seem), or paraître (to appear).

Agreement Patterns

Masculine Singular: Le pain est périmé.
Feminine Singular: La viande est périmée.
Masculine Plural: Les médicaments sont périmés.
Feminine Plural: Les cartes sont périmées.

When talking about food, the word is often used with the preposition depuis (since/for) to indicate how long the item has been past its date. For example, 'Ce fromage est périmé depuis trois jours' (This cheese has been expired for three days). This structure is very common in household conversations. You might also hear it in the negative to express safety: 'Rassure-toi, ce n'est pas périmé' (Don't worry, it's not expired).

In more formal or administrative contexts, périmé is used to describe the status of a contract, a voucher, or an identification document. In these cases, it functions as a synonym for 'n'est plus valable' (is no longer valid). For instance, if you try to use a discount code that has expired, the website might display: 'Code promo périmé'. If you are at the airport and your passport date has passed, the officer will say: 'Votre passeport est périmé.'

Figuratively, périmé can modify abstract nouns like une méthode (a method), une mode (a fashion), or un concept (a concept). When used this way, it implies that the subject is no longer relevant to the current era. 'Leurs méthodes de gestion sont totalement périmées' (Their management methods are completely outdated). This usage is common in business, fashion, and academic critiques.

Common Verb Pairings

1. Être périmé (To be expired)
2. Devenir périmé (To become expired)
3. Considérer comme périmé (To consider as expired)
4. Jeter ce qui est périmé (To throw away what is expired)

One interesting nuance is how périmé interacts with the concept of 'best before' vs. 'use by'. In French, a product that is périmé is usually past its 'Date Limite de Consommation' (DLC). If it's just past its 'Date de Durabilité Minimale' (DDM), a French person might say it is 'un peu vieux' but not necessarily 'périmé' in the sense of being dangerous. However, in casual speech, périmé covers any date that has passed on a label.

If you spend any time in France, you will encounter the word périmé in several distinct environments. Each context brings its own set of stakes, from the mundane task of cleaning out a refrigerator to the high-stress situation of dealing with government bureaucracy. Understanding where you’ll hear it helps you prepare for the appropriate response.

1. At the Supermarket (Le Supermarché)

This is the most common place. You might hear a customer asking a staff member: 'Est-ce que ce produit est périmé ?' or see signs for 'produits proches de la date', which are items nearly périmé sold at a discount.

In French grocery stores, there is a specific 'rayon' (aisle) or section for products that are about to be périmés. These are often marked with bright stickers (often yellow or orange) saying '-30%' or '-50%'. Employees use handheld scanners to identify items whose dates are approaching. If you hear an announcement about 'ventes flash' on fresh products, it’s usually because they will be périmés by the next day. This is a great way to save money while helping reduce 'le gaspillage'.

2. At the Pharmacy (La Pharmacie)

Pharmacists in France are very strict about 'médicaments périmés'. You are encouraged to bring your old, expired medicines back to the pharmacy for safe disposal (the Cyclamed system).

When you go through your medicine cabinet (la pharmacie de maison), you might find a bottle of aspirin from five years ago. A French doctor or pharmacist would say, 'Ne le prenez pas, c'est périmé, l'efficacité n'est plus garantie.' The word here carries a sense of safety and medical efficacy. The French take the 'Cyclamed' program seriously, so you will often hear the phrase 'rapporter les médicaments périmés' on the radio or in public health posters.

3. Administrative Offices (La Mairie, La Préfecture)

When applying for a visa, a job, or a bank account, you will be asked for 'une pièce d'identité en cours de validité'. If yours is past the date, the clerk will say, 'Votre carte est périmée.'

This is perhaps the most stressful context for the word. In France, certain documents like the 'Carte Nationale d'Identité' (CNI) had their validity extended by 5 years automatically, leading to much confusion about whether a card is truly périmée or just 'looks' périmée. You might hear long debates at the 'guichet' (counter) about this. Similarly, a 'titre de transport' (transit ticket) can be périmé if it was only valid for an hour and that hour has passed.

In the media and intellectual circles, périmé is used to critique. A journalist might describe a politician's worldview as 'une vision périmée de la société'. Here, the word is used as a weapon to suggest that the person is out of touch with modern reality. It's a common term in political debates on television, especially during election cycles when 'le changement' (change) is a hot topic.

While périmé is a relatively straightforward word, English speakers often trip up on its specific nuances or confuse it with similar-sounding concepts. Avoiding these pitfalls will make your French sound much more natural and precise.

Mistake 1: Confusing 'Périmé' with 'Expiré'

In English, we say a subscription 'expired'. In French, while you *can* say 'un abonnement périmé', it is much more common to use 'expiré' for time-based services and 'périmé' for physical objects.

Think of it this way: périmé usually implies that the object itself has changed state (the milk went sour, the document lost legal power). Expiré often refers to the end of a countdown. For example, 'Le délai a expiré' (The deadline has expired). If you say your Netflix subscription is 'périmé', people will understand you, but it sounds slightly 'off'—like saying your milk is 'invalid'.

Mistake 2: Forgetting Gender/Number Agreement

Because 'périmé' ends in an 'é' sound, learners often forget to add the 'e' for feminine nouns or 's' for plural nouns in writing, since the pronunciation doesn't change.

In spoken French, périmé, périmée, périmés, and périmées all sound identical ([pe.ʁi.me]). This is a 'piège' (trap) for writers. Always look at the noun. Is it 'la viande' (feminine)? Then write 'périmée'. Is it 'les œufs' (masculine plural)? Then write 'périmés'. This is a very common error in student essays and text messages.

Mistake 3: Overusing it for 'Old' Things

Don't use 'périmé' to describe an old car, an old house, or an old person. It only applies to things that have a specific expiration date or have become functionally obsolete.

If you call an old man 'périmé', it’s not just an insult; it’s grammatically weird. You would use 'vieux' or 'âgé'. If a car is old, it’s 'vieille' or 'ancienne'. Use périmé only when there is a sense of 'validity' involved. A car's *registration* can be périmée, but the car itself is just old. Similarly, 'obsolète' is a better choice for technology that still works but is no longer supported (like an old iPhone), whereas 'périmé' would imply it literally shouldn't be used anymore.

French has a rich vocabulary for things that are no longer current. Choosing the right synonym for périmé depends entirely on the context—whether it's legal, technological, or social.

Périmé vs. Obsolète

Périmé: Past a date, often unsafe or legally invalid.
Obsolète: No longer in use because something better exists (e.g., a fax machine).

Use 'obsolète' for technology and industrial processes. A machine can be obsolète even if it's in perfect working condition, simply because it’s inefficient compared to newer models. Périmé, however, suggests the item has 'gone bad' or reached its pre-defined end of life. You wouldn't call a 2005 computer 'périmé' unless you were using it metaphorically to say it's useless.

Périmé vs. Caduc

Périmé: General use for food and documents.
Caduc: Specifically for legal clauses, contracts, or rights that are no longer applicable.

'Caduc' is a more formal, literary, and legal term. If a law is no longer in force, it is caduc. If a gift in a will cannot be given because the recipient died first, the legacy is caduc. You will rarely hear this in a supermarket, but you will see it in contracts ('Cette offre est caduque après le 31 décembre'). Note that 'caduc' changes to 'caduque' in the feminine.

Périmé vs. Dépassé

Périmé: Past an official date.
Dépassé: Outdated in terms of fashion, trends, or being overwhelmed by events.

If you are wearing clothes from ten years ago, you are 'dépassé' (or 'has-been' in French slang). If a situation is too complex for you to handle, you are also 'dépassé par les événements'. While périmé can be used metaphorically for ideas, dépassé is much more common for style and social relevance.

Finally, there is échu, which specifically means 'due' or 'expired' in a financial sense, like a payment date that has passed. 'Le terme est échu' means the deadline for payment has arrived. This is very specific to banking and accounting.