French word

clocher

Pronunciation

IPA/kloʃe/

Meaning

  • verbgo wrong

Example

Si quelque chose cloche, préviens-moi tout de suite.

If something goes wrong, let me know right away.

Illustration for clocher (go wrong)

More examples

On dirait que ça cloche entre eux.

It looks like something is wrong between them.

Core concept

A mechanism that runs unevenly because one part is not doing its job properly.

Common phrases

  • ça cloche

    Something is wrong

  • ça cloche entre eux

    Something is wrong between them

Similar words

mal fonctionner: To fail to work properly or as expected.
déconner: To act up or malfunction; informal.
foirer: To fail and produce no useful result; informal.

Definition in French

Ne pas fonctionner correctement ou ne pas être exact ; se dit de quelque chose qui ne va pas.

Word origin

Clocher is derived from cloche, ultimately from Medieval Latin clocca, with the verb acquiring its figurative sense from an irregular or defective result.

Usage tips

  • Clocher is familiar in register, so formal writing often uses a more precise verb such as fonctionner or être incorrect instead.

Other meanings

  • be offverb
  • break downverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word