y'a plus qu'à

French

Etymology

Colloquial ellipsis of il n’y a plus qu’à X (literally “now all that's left is to X”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.j‿a plys k‿a/

Phrase

y’a plus qu’à !

1. (informal) now all we have to do is to put that into action, and now you gotta put that into practice (now that someone knows all that there is to know about something, there's nothing left but to do it)
   • 2016, Gaël Faye, Petit Pays [Small Country]:

     C’était tout vu ! Y’avait plus qu’à ! Aimer. Vivre. Rire. Exister.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• Often used sarcastically: although one now has a clear idea of what one has to do, and one "simply" must put that into action, the fact that there's a lot to process and to take into account means it's going to take a lot of work to do it. Close to plus facile à dire qu’à faire (“easier said than done”).