IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchAvoir voix au chapitre
Meaning: To have a say in a decision.
Literally: To have a voice in the chapter
Example: “Les habitants veulent avoir voix au chapitre sur l'aménagement du quartier.” — Residents want a seat at the table on how the neighborhood is redeveloped.
English equivalent: To have a seat at the table
Equivalents in other languages
English: have a seat at the table
Origin: The chapter was the assembly of a monastery or cathedral, and only certain members were entitled to speak and vote in it. To have voix au chapitre is to hold that standing, and the phrase is most often used to deny it.
More French idioms
- Mettre la clé sous la porte To shut up shop; to go out of business.
- Ne pas être grand clerc Not to be much of an expert — used to say that no expertise is needed to see something.
- Déménager à la cloche de bois To do a moonlight flit, leaving without paying the rent.
- Rater le coche To miss an opportunity through being too slow.
- Être coiffé au poteau To be beaten by a hair right at the finish.
- Donner de la confiture à un cochon To waste something fine on someone incapable of appreciating it.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- 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.
- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.
Keep exploring