se casser
What does se casser mean? se casser is a French moderate that translates to “to get out, to bail, to scram” in English.
Literal Translation
to break oneself (reflexive)
Meaning & Usage
"to get out, to bail, to scram"
The crude way to say 'to leave' — implying urgency or disrespect. 'Casse-toi' (get lost) became nationally famous when President Sarkozy said it to a citizen in 2008. 'Je me casse' means 'I'm out of here' with attitude. It's leaving, but rudely.
Examples in the Wild
'Casse-toi!' — get lost! 'Je me casse de cette soirée' — I'm bailing on this party. 'Il s'est cassé sans prévenir' — he left without warning.
When to Use It
Context
- Casual conversations with friends
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- As a spontaneous exclamation
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
The Sarkozy incident at the 2008 Salon de l'Agriculture — where he told a man who refused to shake his hand 'Casse-toi alors, pauv' con' (get lost then, poor idiot) — made this expression internationally famous. It became a political scandal precisely because a president shouldn't talk like that. The phrase was already common; Sarkozy just put it on the front page.
More in French 🇫🇷
View all →garce
“bitch / slut”
Female dog; used as insult toward women.
se barrer
“to get out, to bolt, to take off”
Another crude way to say 'to leave,' slightly less aggressive than 'se casser.' 'Barre-toi' is 'get out of here.' 'Je me barre' is 'I'm leaving.' The word implies leaving quickly, sometimes covertly — sneaking out of a boring party or fleeing a bad situation.
con / conne
“stupid / idiot / asshole (fem: bitch)”
Originally vulgar slang for female genitalia (cunt), now primarily means 'stupid' or 'idiot' in France. The feminine 'conne' is more offensive than 'con'.
crade
“gross, filthy, nasty”
Slang contraction of 'crasseux' (filthy) that became its own word. It describes anything disgustingly dirty — a room, a person, a habit. Less intense than 'dégueulasse' but covers the same territory. The extended form 'cradingue' adds emphasis through its playful suffix.
raclure
“scum, lowlife, bottom-feeder”
What you scrape off the bottom of a pot — the residue, the dregs. Applied to a person, it means they're the lowest of the low, the scum of society. It's a creative insult that paints a vivid picture of worthlessness.
nique
“fuck”
The raw verb form of 'niquer,' used on its own as a crude exclamation or command. Unlike 'baiser,' which has a polite meaning (to kiss) that was slowly corrupted, 'niquer' has always been purely vulgar — borrowed from Arabic and arriving in French already loaded.
chier
“to shit / to annoy”
To defecate; also used in expressions meaning 'to annoy' or 'bore'.
dégueulasse
“disgusting, gross, nasty”
The go-to French word for expressing physical or moral disgust. It covers everything from a filthy bathroom to a politician's corruption scandal. Shortened to 'dégueu' in casual speech, which somehow sounds even more disgusted despite being shorter.