-
Learning French: can you guess the film behind these translated titles?
Paris' Nuit Blanche 2025 shines a spotlight on cinema – here we look at the some of the surprising choices for translations of film names
-
Learning French: tips for speaking to a mechanic in France
Practise key phrases and vocabulary for taking your car to the garage, in this practical French lesson from the Little Language School
-
Learning French: why do we say le vent d’autan rend fou?
Plus, more ways to describe madness when in France
‘Casse-tête’: this French phrase is a conundrum or head-scratcher
We explore when to use this useful expression if a puzzle is ‘breaking your head’

Casse-tête translates as brain teaser, puzzle, or more broadly, challenge.
A literal translation of casse-tête is 'head breaker'.
In everyday French, a casse-tête is a puzzle game that can be played by one or more players.
Read more: Thousands play Wordle-like word game inspired by old French TV show
These include mechanical puzzles such as Rubik’s cubes, number games such as sodoku and even card games such as solitaire.
While such games are played for fun and entertainment, there is also an element of logical or mathematical deduction that can be challenging for the mind too.
The French expression refers to this mental challenge.
In this sense, a casse-tête is a problem that is difficult (or even impossible) to solve, or a problem that is so annoying it becomes a headache.
It is often used to describe a situation in life where you cannot see a way through or do not know what to do for the best.
Related articles
Four French words to fill gaps in vocabulary that mean 'the thing'
Five French phrases with same English meaning - just swap the animal
Au pif: How many of these French estimation phrases do you know?