prendre la tête

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁɑ̃.dʁə la tɛt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

prendre la tête

1. to take the lead, to lead [with de ‘in a race, course, etc.’]
2. to take the lead, to assume leadership, to become head [with de ‘of an organization’]
3. (informal) to pester [with à ‘someone’]
4. (reflexive, informal) to get worked up (over), to let (something) get to one, to tie oneself in knots (with) [with avec ‘something’]

   Synonym: se compliquer la vie

   • 2015, Marc Meganck, Une vie belge, Primento, →ISBN:

     Car il lit vite et beaucoup. Il aime les écrivains américains. Il les lit en français, sans se prendre la tête comme certains pédants qui refusent de lire des traductions.

     Because he reads quickly and he reads a lot. He likes American authors. He reads them in French, without getting worked up over it like some pretentious people who refuse to read translations.

5. (reflexive, informal) to get into an argument [with avec ‘with someone’]

   Synonyms: se prendre de bec, se crêper le chignon

Derived terms

• prise de tête