# Ça passe ou ça casse



## MWJacobs

*Moderator note:
This thread results from the merger
of a new thread into an existing one.*

Hello everyone,

Please help me translate this sentence. I'm trying to read an article and I think the author is asking whether one's opinion on the subject matter is favorable or unfavorable. Can someone tell me the literal meaning?

Thank you.


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## ob1

I think I can explain this sentence like this:
we are talking about a quite desesparate action, if it works, all is fine else all is over (I don't think I'm very clear) 
we also said "c'est tout ou rien", i.e. "it's all or nothing"

BEN


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## Guiguitte

When I use "ça passe ou ça casse" it is always in a situation where what I want to do may or may not work but I want to try all the same. So I just say "(anyway) De toute façon, ça passe ou ça casse!". Passer  means to work and casser means not to work, i.e. to fail.


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## MWJacobs

Aha, that makes sense.  Thank you!


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

*Something like : let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best !*


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## Guiguitte

I thought that this was the equivalent of "croiser les doigts" and that it implied superstition in a way. Do you think there is superstition in "ça passe ou ça casse"?


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## kertek

> "ça passe ou ça casse"


 
I would translate it as "it's a make-it-or-break-it situation".


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## romenk

.....Right on!


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## Guiguitte

Perfect! I love this forum!!!!!!


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## Kelly B

_A make-or-break situation_ est tout à fait différent de _cross our fingers and hope. _Celui-là signifie que si l'on ne réussit pas dans cet essai, c'est très grave, tout le projet va sans doute rater, tout sera perdu. D'après les autres explications données, il me semble que ça ne convient pas, même que les mots paraissent s'aligner au premier coup. Que pensez-vous ?


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## zaby

Kelly B said:
			
		

> _A make-or-break situation_ est tout à fait différent de _cross our fingers and hope. _*Celui-là signifie que si l'on ne réussit pas dans cet essai, c'est très grave, tout le projet va sans doute rater, tout sera perdu.*


Il y a la même notion dans _ça passe ou ça casse_ : 
- soit on réussit, tout est OK, _ça passe_
- soit on ne réussit pas et ça aura des conséquences irréversibles, _ça casse_.

Comme disait Guiguitte _cross our fingers and hope_ correspond à_ croisons les doigts_ en français.


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## cyb

il y a effectivement une notion de risque ... que l'on ne retrouve pas dans croisons les doigts.


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## Kelly B

Pardon, je n'ai pas remarqué que ob1 a déjà dit la même chose que vous venez de dire, merci de l'avoir éclairci.


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## Gil

Kelly B said:
			
		

> Pardon, je n'ai pas remarqué que ob1 a déjà dit la même chose que vous venez de dire, merci de l'avoir éclairci.


Mes références:
"Make It or Break It by Eminem & Snoop Dogg"


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## x_Sarah_x

salut tout le monde...

I know this is a bit late, but I have a question about the phrase ca passe ou ça casse and didn't want to post a new thread when this was already here. I'm doing a translation about couples from different cultures getting married and how differences in customs, religion etc can put stress on a relationship. The conclusion revisited these issues and then ended with "ca passa ou ca casse". I know this means that either they work out their differences or they'll break up but wondered if anyone could think of a neat way to put it...

Merci en avance

Bisous!!


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## timpeac

The phrase that springs to my mind given the definitions above is "here goes nothing!" The sort of phrase you say when you have made up your mind to do something rash or dangerous etc - for example before you throw the dice you have bet your house on, or jump out of the airplane door with your parachute.


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## Cath.S.

ou, a fortiori, sans ton parachute. 

Here goes nothing is said when you don't think you'll succeed, though, while _ça passe ou ça casse_ implies 50-50 odds.


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## timpeac

egueule said:
			
		

> ou, a fortiori, sans ton parachute.
> 
> Here goes nothing is said when you don't think you'll succeed, though, while _ça passe ou ça casse_ implies 50-50 odds.


 
No - I wouldn't say it's said when you don't think you'll succeed (after all I can well imagine many people say it before making a parachute jump - but I suspect that they think they'll succeed!!)

I think you say it meaning something like "well there's nothing else for it" "this is my last option" - "I've got nothing to loose because there is no other viable option" or "I'm throwing caution to the wind". So maybe it is this "devil may care" attitude that doesn't fit in with the original French?


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## Cath.S.

> So maybe it is this "devil may care" attitude that doesn't fit in with the original French?


Si, si, simplement _here goes nothing_ me paraît (après consultation de thefreedictionary.com  ) plus pessimiste que l'impression française.
Quand on dit ça _passe ou ça casse_, cela peut être _aussi_ pour souligner le péril que l'on ose affronter et donc, le courage de celui qui tente l'exploit en question.


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## timpeac

egueule said:
			
		

> Si, si, simplement _here goes nothing_ me paraît (après consultation de thefreedictionary.com  ) plus pessimiste que l'impression française.
> Quand on dit ça _passe ou ça casse_, cela peut être _aussi_ pour souligner le péril que l'on ose affronter et donc, le courage de celui qui tente l'exploit en question.


OK compris - it sounds to me then that the "make or break" suggestions above are fine. I can't say I've heard of "a make it or break it" situation (US perhaps) (make or break situation, yes) but people do say "well this is make it or break it (time)!"


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## Kelly B

Tim's airplane jump brings to mind two classic wedding clichés, though not usually stuck together like this: for better or for worse, they take the plunge. Actually, the former is not really a cliché, it's in the actual vows of the wedding service. I think it fits rather well in Sarah's context.


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## LaseLiep

Thanks for this thread, it helped me a lot : )
I just wanted to add the translation in French for *H*_*ere goes nothing* --> *J'ai rien à perdre*_. 

When I do something it is unlikely to be successful, I said : "_De tout de manière, je n'ai plus rien à perdre_".


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## Jocaste

I think I've heard "_*Do or die*_". Can we say that ?


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## livvi1

hi


*Ca passe ou ça casse!*

what does this mean?

perhaps.. it happens from time to time?


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## Argyll

Hi,

the idea is "make or break".


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## broglet

livvi1 said:


> hi
> 
> 
> *Ca passe ou ça casse!*
> 
> what does this mean?
> 
> perhaps.. it happens from time to time?


 
It is what will happen if you drive through a narrow gap ...


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## broglet

They might say it just before they switch on the second particle beam in the LHC at CERN


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## mgarizona

broglet said:


> They might say it just before they switch on the second particle beam in the LHC at CERN


 
LOL! Excellent example!


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## Grop

Or the famous variant: _Alea jacta est_ .


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## david314

To preserve the notion of _casser_, perhaps:  *Make it or break it! *


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## livvi1

They might say it just before they switch on the second particle beam in the LHC at CERN

ha ha ha super...!!! as with alot of experiments

ok but in this context... that I didnt write much of.. sorry

I think its more 'it happens from time to time'


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## Cath.S.

livvi1 said:


> ok but in this context... that I didnt write much of.. sorry
> 
> I think its more 'it happens from time to time'


I'm afraid_ ça passe ou ça casse_ never has that meaning.


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## Gil

egueule said:


> I'm afraid_ ça passe ou ça casse_ never has that meaning.


Je suis d'accord...
une fois n'est pas coutume
Salut


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## anotherlangue

I'm translating "A vous de juger si ça passe ou ça casse !" by "It's you who decides whether it's make or break!"


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## broglet

hi anotherlangue - more context please


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