French word of the Day: La cata
It's a slight slangy abbreviation, but very commonly used in everyday conversation, especially if you're feeling a bit theatrical about things.
What does it mean?
Cata
- pronounced as cat-ah - is an abbreviation of
catastrophe
(cat-as-troff) which translates exactly as you would expect.
While you can use
la catastrophe
in everyday conversation,
la cata
is a bit punchier and more casual.
You can use it to describe something genuinely catastrophic, but it's more commonly used to be a bit sarcastic about something that's not actually that big a deal.
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If you are referring to something that was a genuine catastrophe, like the Chernobyl disaster, using
la cata
might seem a little flippant, so we would suggest sticking with the full version
la catastrophe
for something like that or alternatively
une drame
- a tragedy.
Use it like this
In its more sincere sense you could - if begging for a wronged lover to take you back - say
C'est la cata sans toi
- I'm a disaster area without you.
Or in its more colloquial sense, you could say
Je me suis cassé un ongle. La cata !
- I've broken a nail. Disaster!
You will also frequently hear
quelle cata
- what a catastrophe.
La boulangerie n'a plus de pain au raisin? Oui, quelle cata
- The bakery's out of pain au raisin? Yeah, what a disaster.
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