battre at C1 — refined & idiomatic
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Parties, failing wings and cold shoulders.
The idioms
« La fête bat son plein » means the party is at its height. The image comes from the tide, and « plein » stays singular whatever the subject — but the possessive follows it: « les fêtes battent leur plein ». « Battre de l’aile » is the opposite movement: a company, a marriage or a project flapping weakly. « L’entreprise bat de l’aile » is what people say before anyone dares say bankruptcy.
« Battre froid à quelqu’un » is to freeze someone out deliberately: no shouting, no scene, just a wall. It is literary but very much alive in journalism. « Battre en retraite » began on a battlefield and now covers any climb-down, from a minister to a neighbour. Both keep a whiff of formality, which is why they land so well in an argument.
💡 Focus at this level: Idiomatic — battre son plein, battre de l’aile, battre froid
👨🏫 How to use « battre » at this level
1. « Battre son plein » = to be in full swing. « Plein » stays singular, the possessive agrees: « les fêtes battent leur plein ».
2. « Battre de l’aile » = to be struggling badly. Firms, couples, projects.
3. « Battre froid à » = to freeze someone out. Silent and deliberate.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
Finish the idiom: « la fête bat son… »
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« plein ». « Plein » never takes an s, but the possessive agrees with the subject: « les fêtes battent leur plein ».
Which describes a failing company: « elle bat froid » or « elle bat de l’aile » ?
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« Elle bat de l’aile » — it is struggling to stay up; « battre froid » is about freezing a person out.
🎮 Practise this level
🧩 Sentence builder put the words in the right order