French Expression · Intermediate
Faire la sourde oreille
To turn a deaf ear / To pretend not to hear
Pronunciation: fair lah soord oh-REHY
Meaning
To intentionally ignore someone or something being said, or to refuse to listen.
Example
Il a fait la sourde oreille à toutes nos suggestions.
He turned a deaf ear to all our suggestions.
Common mistakes & tips
- Practice Faire la sourde oreille out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
- Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
- Pay attention to context: this is a intermediate-level French expression.