French Phrase
Fais du bouche-à-bouche si tu sais comment.
Meaning
Literally, 'Do mouth‑to‑mouth if you know how.' It’s a tongue‑in‑cheek way of telling someone to perform CPR only if they actually know the technique, often used humorously when someone suggests a drastic solution.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal, joking conversations—especially when a friend proposes an over‑the‑top solution. It’s not appropriate in serious medical contexts, but works well in movies, memes, or playful banter among friends.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Faisdubouche-à-bouchesitusaiscomment
Imperative of faire
Use 'fais' (2nd person singular) for commands; 'fait' is the past participle and is incorrect here.
Partitive article 'du'
'Du' = de + le, used before a non‑countable noun or a noun used in a general sense.
Compound noun 'bouche‑à‑bouche'
A fixed expression meaning 'mouth‑to‑mouth resuscitation'; hyphens are kept in French.
Conditional clause with 'si'
'Si' + present tense expresses a real condition: 'if you know how'.
Verb 'savoir' vs 'connaître'
'Savoir' is used for knowing how to do something; 'connaître' would refer to being familiar with a person or place.
🗨In Conversation
Il faut vraiment que tu l’aides, il ne respire plus !
We really have to help him, he’s not breathing!
Fais du bouche-à-bouche si tu sais comment.
Do mouth‑to‑mouth if you know how.
✕Common Mistakes
Fait du bouche-à-bouche si tu sais comment.
Use the imperative 'fais' for the verb 'faire'; 'fait' is the past participle.
Fais de bouche-à-bouche si tu sais comment.
The partitive article is 'du' (de + le), not 'de' alone before a masculine singular noun.
Fais du bouche-à-bouche si tu sais pas.
The clause needs the affirmative 'sais' (you know) to match the condition; 'sais pas' would change the meaning to 'if you don’t know how'.
↔Alternatives
Fais du bouche‑à‑bouche si tu sais comment le faire.
Do mouth‑to‑mouth if you know how to do it.
Essaye le bouche‑à‑bouche seulement si tu es sûr de la technique.
Try mouth‑to‑mouth only if you’re sure of the technique.
Ne fais du bouche‑à‑bouche que si tu maîtrises la méthode.
Only do mouth‑to‑mouth if you master the method.
Cultural Tip
French humor often mixes seriousness with absurdity. Using an imperative like 'Fais' can sound playful, but remember that in a real emergency French speakers would say 'Appelle les secours' (Call emergency services) first. Also, the hyphenated expression 'bouche‑à‑bouche' is a fixed term; avoid translating it word‑by‑word.