Day 3213 (Thursday) 26th March 2026

This is casino square in Monaco

and this is the citadel in Villefranche.

 

It was nice and sunny again today but Huw had to work on Ken’s house and I sunbathed for a while, which was lovely. 

Chapeau: The French word that can mean hat, congratulations, an introduction and more

The Local's French grammar tips. Image: Patick Fore_Meizhi Lang via Unsplash

Just like a hat, the French word chapeau comes in all shapes and sizes - here's how to use it in everyday conversation.

The most common meaning of chapeau, pronounced sha-po, is a hat or head covering.
Il porte un chapeau noir. - He is wearing a black hat.

Typical types of hat: chapeau de paille - straw hat, chapeau melon - bowler hat, chapeau haut-de-forme - top hat. 

It also can be used in a figurative expression showing admiration or respect or an expression of congratulations, somewhat similar to the old-fashioned English term "hats off".

Chapeau! Tu as réussi l’examen. - Well done! You passed the exam.

Similarly, in some contexts, chapeau also expresses applause or appreciation for a performance. Similar to saying "bravo!"

In journalism, a chapeau (often abbreviated chapô) is a short introductory paragraph at the beginning of an article. An example structure would be: title, chapeau (intro summary), article body.

N'oublie pas d'écrire le chapô de ton article. - Don't forget to write the intro paragraph of your article.

In architecture or technical contexts, a chapeau is a cap, covering a top piece placed over something.

Chapeau de cheminée - chimney cap

Chapeau de mur - wall cap (protective top of a wall)

French expressions with chapeau

The word is also used in a lot of French expressions. Here are some of the most common;

Tirer son chapeau à quelqu’un - This expression literally means to "take off one’s hat to someone." It comes from the old European custom of removing one’s hat as a sign of respect or admiration. It is similar to saying “hats off to them” in English.

Porter le chapeau - This phrase literally translates to “to wear the hat.” Figuratively, it means to take the blame for something, whether the person is actually responsible or not. In many situations, the person who porte le chapeau becomes the one who is publicly blamed for a mistake, problem, or failure. 

Faire quelque chose au chapeau - This expression refers to financing or supporting an activity by passing a hat around to collect money from people informally. The phrase comes from the historical practice of street performers or small community events where a hat was literally passed among spectators to gather voluntary donations.

Today, it can describe any situation where people contribute small amounts of money voluntarily rather than paying a fixed price. The more formal term for a collection or whip-round is a cagnotte.

Demarrer sur les chapeaux de roues -This literally means to "start on the wheel caps." Figuratively, the expression describes starting something very quickly, often with a lot of intensity right from the beginning. 

Sous son chapeau - This literally translates to "under one's hat", and it means to keep something secret or to keep information to oneself. The image suggests hiding something underneath a hat so that nobody else can see it. 

Manger son chapeau / avaler son chapeau - This literally means to "eat (manger) or swallow (avaler) one’s hat." These expressions are used in a joking manner to describe a situation where someone has to admit they were wrong after strongly insisting they were right - although English also uses 'I'll eat my hat' for this purpose, the English speakers do not swallow hats.

Porter plusieurs casquettes - This expression may not have the word chapeau in it, but casquette actually means "cap". It's English equivalent is "to wear many hats", and it means the same thing in French - different hats (or caps) represent different jobs or identities.

Sous son chapeau - This literally translates to "under one's hat", and it means to keep something secret or to keep information to oneself. The image suggests hiding something underneath a hat so that nobody else can see it. 

Manger son chapeau / avaler son chapeau - This literally means to "eat (manger) or swallow (avaler) one’s hat." These expressions are used in a joking manner to describe a situation where someone has to admit they were wrong after strongly insisting they were right - although English also uses 'I'll eat my hat' for this purpose, the English do not swallow hats.

Porter plusieurs casquettes - This expression may not have the word chapeau in it, but casquette actually means "cap". It's English equivalent is "to wear many hats", and it means the same thing in French - different hats (or caps) represent different jobs or identities.