Learning French: what does être à l'ouest mean and when should it be used?

If a French speaker describes you as being ‘in the west’, they are not actually suggesting that you are located along the country’s Atlantic coast. They are more likely saying that you seem deep in thought and should snap back to reality. 

We look at how and when to use this expression to refer to someone’s ‘zoned out' state.

What does être à l'ouest mean?

This phrase literally translates as: to be in the west.

It describes someone who is distant and disconnected from the real world.

It implies that a person has ‘zoned out’ of a conversation and is not paying attention. In other words, they may be physically present but their thoughts are elsewhere.

Similar sayings include:

• Avoir la tête dans les nuages - To be absent-minded

• Être à la ramasse - To not be with it

• Être dans les vapes - To be in a daze

• Regarder dans le vide - To stare into space 

What are the origins of être à l'ouest?

Most French etymologists trace the origins of être à l'ouest to the English ‘to go west.' This saying has several back-stories all of which refer to death or dying, as if drifting away from reality.

For instance, Native American legend tells that a dying man goes west to meet the setting sun. 

The phrase is also attributed to British Army soldiers referring to being killed during World War One. 

Thieves reportedly used ‘to go west’ as a slang way of referring to being hanged, perhaps because executions used to take place at the Tyburn Gallows, located to the west of London.

When the French say être à l'ouest, the meaning is far less intense and has no deadly connotations.

When do you say être à l'ouest?

Say it to describe someone who is deep in thought and not paying attention to what is going on around them:

• Excusez-moi, je n'ai pas bien dormi cette nuit et je suis complètement à l'ouest ce matin. - Do not mind me, I did not sleep well last night and feel completely away with the fairies this morning. 

• J'ai parfois l'impression que tu es à l'ouest au lieu d'écouter ce que je dis. - I sometimes get the impression that you have your head in the clouds instead of listening to what I am saying to you. 

To whom do you say être à l'ouest?

It is colloquial language that is most often used with friends and family, and can be said out loud or written down. 

You should avoid using this saying in formal situations as the phrase can sometimes cause offence depending on the tone of voice used. 

A more neutral way of communicating the same idea would be to say: être distant (to be distant).

If you would like us to explain a particular word or expression, or if you have any other Learning French suggestions, let us know at: feedback@connexionfrance.com