French Expression · Native
Se creuser la tête
To rack one's brain / To think hard
Pronunciation: suh kreuh-ZAY lah TET
Meaning
To think very hard, intensely, and sometimes with difficulty, to find a solution or an idea.
Example
J'ai passé des heures à me creuser la tête pour résoudre ce problème.
I spent hours racking my brain to solve this problem.
Common mistakes & tips
- Practice Se creuser la tête 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 native-level French expression.