to take on water; to be in serious difficulty or to be sinking
→ prendre
phraseRare#39,546
to take on water; to be in serious difficulty or to be sinkingUsed literally when a boat, roof, container, or other object lets water in. It can also be used figuratively to describe a person, organization, or situation that is in serious difficulty. The term changes form with the subject and tense, as in «a pris l'eau».
FR: Le bateau commence à prendre l'eau, il faut écoper rapidement.
EN: The boat is starting to take on water; we need to bail it out quickly.