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Je me suis laissé berner par ce slogan accrocheur.

Je me suis laissé berner par ce slogan accrocheur.
I let myself be fooled by this catchy slogan.
From Lesson 309:The passive alternative (se laisser)·French

Questions & Answers about Je me suis laissé berner par ce slogan accrocheur.

How does se laisser berner translate to "be fooled"? Where is the passive verb?
In French, you often use se laisser (to let oneself) followed by an active infinitive to express a passive idea. While English says "let myself be fooled" (using a passive infinitive), French uses the active infinitive berner (to fool). It literally translates to "I let myself to fool," meaning "I allowed someone or something to fool me."
If the speaker is a woman, shouldn't it be Je me suis laissée with an extra "e"?
No, it remains laissé. There is a specific rule for se laisser followed by an infinitive: under modern French spelling rules, the past participle laissé is invariable in this structure. It acts just like fait in the se faire + infinitive construction. You do not add an -e or -s, regardless of who is speaking.
Why is par used before ce slogan accrocheur?
Because the se laisser + infinitive structure is a passive alternative, it uses the exact same preposition as a standard passive voice sentence to introduce the "agent" (the thing performing the action). Since the slogan is the thing that did the fooling, it is introduced by par (by).
Is berner a common word for "to fool"?
Yes, berner is a very common, everyday verb for "to fool," "to deceive," or "to trick." Another very common way to express this idea in spoken French is using se faire avoir (literally "to get had"), as in Je me suis fait avoir par ce slogan.
How does the word accrocheur work to mean "catchy"?
It is an adjective derived from the verb accrocher, which means "to hang," "to hook," or "to catch." An accrocheur slogan or title is literally one that "hooks" you or grabs your attention, making it the perfect equivalent for the English word "catchy."

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