French Idiom · Native
C'est la dèche
I'm broke / It's tough financially
Pronunciation: sɛ la dɛʃ
Meaning
An informal expression to say that one has very little or no money, or is in a difficult financial situation.
Example
Après avoir payé le loyer, c'est la dèche jusqu'à la fin du mois.
After paying rent, I'm broke until the end of the month.
Practice tips
- Practice C'est la dèche out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
- Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
- Pay attention to context: this French idiom is for native-level learners.