French Expression of the Day: Coup monté

This French expression can be used in everyday situations as well as in more serious contexts involving fraud or crime.

This is a useful expression to know because you’ll come across it often in French news, films and everyday conversations - particularly when people are talking about a situation they believe was deliberately arranged.

The expression un coup monté , roughly pronounced koo mon tay (listen here ), refers to a carefully planned set-up, scheme or plot, usually designed to trap someone.

It is often used when a situation has been arranged to make someone believe something that is not true, or to get them into trouble.

The expression comes from the verb monter , which can mean not only “to go up” but also “to assemble" or to “organise". For example, monter un projet means “to put together a project,” while monter une affaire can mean “to set up a scheme.”

So a coup monté is essentially a “move” or action that has been put together in advance. The idea is that the apparent situation is not spontaneous but has been carefully arranged behind the scenes.

C’était un coup monté pour le faire tomber. - It was a scheme to bring him down.

Je suis sûr que c’était un coup monté. - I'm sure it was a set-up.

La police pense qu’il s’agissait d’un coup monté. - The police believe it was a carefully planned situation.