Why do I need to know déshabiller Pierre pour habiller Paul? Déshabiller Pierre pour habiller Paul - pronounced des-hab-ee-ay pee-ayre por hab-ee-ay powl - literally translates as 'to undress Peter to dress Paul'. The verb habiller means to get dressed, with its opposite déshabiller meaning to get undressed. The phrase déshabiller Pierre pour habiller Paul is an example of one of those phrases that has a similar, but slightly different, English equivalent; 'robbing Peter to pay Paul'. Sometimes the French use the variation déshabiller Paul pour habiller Jacques (undress Paul to dress Jacques), which means the same thing.