How to Use the French Expression Cest la Vie

How to Use the French Expression Cest la Vie The very old, very common French idiomatic expression Cest la vie,  pronounced  say la vee, has been around the world and back as a mainstay in dozens of cultures. In France, its still used in the same sense as always, as a sort of restrained, slightly fatalistic lamentation that this is how life is and theres not much you can do about it. It seems natural that this expression is often said with a shrug of the shoulders and a bemused, but furrowed brow. In English, it is translated as Thats life, and Such is life.  A vulgar slang equivalent in English would be Sh happens. Non-French Speakers Prefer the French Original The French Cest la vie, surprisingly,  is preferred in non-French cultures, and Cest la vie is used far more in English than in French. But  unlike many expressions  that English speakers have borrowed from French, the meaning is the same in both languages. Cest la vie,  even in English,  is a sad, Chaplin-esque acknowledgment  that something less than ideal must be accepted because thats just the way life is. Here is an exchange highlighting the fatalism inherent in this expression: Il a perdu son boulot et sa maison le mà ªme jour, tu te rends compte  ?   He lost his job and his home the same day. Can you imagine?Cest la vie !  Ã‚   Cest la vie! / Thats life! Variations on the Theme, Some Good, Some Not Cest la guerre Thats war. Cest la vie, cest la guerre, cest la pomme de terre. Thats life, thats war, thats the potato. (Only English speakers use this strange saying.) In French, Cest la vie can also be used non-fatalistically. As such,  the emphasis is on the  presentative cest introducing la vie and the idea that were talking about something thats essential to life or a particular way of life, as in:Leau, cest la vie.   Water is life. Cest la vie de famille qui me manque.   Its family life that I miss. Vivre dans le besoin, cest la vie dartiste.   Living in poverty is the life of an artist. Related Expressions Cest la vie de chà ¢teau (pourvu que à §a dure).   This is the good  life. Live it up (while it lasts). Cest la belle vie ! This is the life! La vie est dure ! Life is hard! Cest la bonne. Its the right one. Cest la  Bà ©rà ©zina. Its bitter defeat / a lost cause. La vie en rose Life through rose-colored glasses La  vie  nest  pas en rose. Life is not so beautiful. Cest  la  zone ! Its a pit here! Cest la vie, mon pauvre vieux  ! Thats life, my friend! Alternate Versions of Cest la Vie Bref, cest la vie ! Anyway, thats life! Cest  la  vie.  / Cest  comme cela. /  La  vie  est  ainsi faite. Life is life. Cest  la  vie.  / On ny peut rien. / Cest  comme à §a.   Ã‚  Thats the way the ball bounces. / Thats the way the cookie crumbles Examples of Usage Je sais que cest frustrant, mais  cest la vie.​   I know it is frustrating, but thats life.   C’est la vie, c’est de la comà ©die et c’est aussi du cinà ©ma.  Ã‚  Thats life, thats comedy, and thats  cinema, too. Alors il ny a rien faire. Cest la vie! Theres nothing to be done then. Cest la vie!