
IdiomDaily Life
French
À huis clos
Meaning: In closed session, with the public excluded.
Literally: Behind closed door
Example: “Le procès du mineur se tiendra à huis clos.” — The juvenile's trial will be held behind closed doors.
English equivalent: Behind closed doors
Equivalents in other languages
English: behind closed doors
Origin: Huis is an old French word for door, from Latin ostium, surviving only in this phrase and in huissier, the usher who keeps it. It remains the formal legal term for a hearing held in camera.
More French idioms
- C'est kif-kif It makes no difference at all.
- Une fine lame A highly skilled practitioner.
- Sur l'air des lampions Chanted rhythmically on three insistent notes, as a crowd does.
- Perdre son latin To be completely baffled by something.
- Se reposer sur ses lauriers To coast on past achievements instead of continuing to work.
- Au pied de la lettre Literally, in the strictest sense.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. An 's' / 'si' minefield.
- Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend. A gentle 'ta / ten / tan / t'' warm-up that sounds faster than it reads.
Keep exploring