French Expression of the Day: Ça fait un bail
This French expression should not be confused with a lease…
Why do I need to know ça fait un bail?
The expression ça fait un bail is quite common and is a useful phrase to know when chatting with French speakers.
What does it mean?
The expression ça fait un bail, roughly pronounced sah feh uhn bye (listen here), literally translates to “it’s been a lease”, but in reality, it means “it’s been ages”, “it’s been a long time” or “it’s been forever”.
It is often used when two people have not seen each other for a long time, but it can also refer to something that happened a long time ago.
But what does bail have to do with time?
A bail is normally a lease or rental agreement, so at first glance it might seem strange to use the word to describe a long period of time.
The bail in the expression is thought to refer specifically to a bail à ferme (agricultural lease). This is an agreement under which a farmer rents an agricultural holding and pays a rent known as le fermage. Unlike an ordinary residential lease, which is not necessarily particularly long, an agricultural lease is traditionally associated with a much longer period. In France, a standard bail rural has a minimum duration of nine years, while longer-term agricultural leases can last 18 years, 25 years, or even run until the farmer’s retirement, depending on the type of lease.
The expression ça fait un bail therefore came to mean that something happened a long time ago or that it has been a long time since something happened.
Interestingly, an ordinary French bail does not necessarily last for years and years. For example, for residential rentals, an unfurnished rental lease is generally for three years, while a furnished rental lease is generally for one year.
Use it like this
Ça fait un bail qu’on ne s’est pas vus ! – It’s been ages since we saw each other!
Ça fait un bail que je n’ai pas pris de vacances. – It’s been a while since I’ve been on holiday.
Ça fait un bail que je travaille ici. – I’ve been working here forever.
Similar expressions
