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By Valorie Delp
BA French
Simply put, idioms are expressions or sayings that do not make sense when translated word for word, but have meaning to a native
speaker. They often carry certain cultural nuances that are relevant for native speakers. For the non-native speaker, French idioms and
their meanings simply have to be memorized.
la bonne franquette
Translation: There is not a good literal translation for this, 'franquette' is a form of 'franc' as in frank or straightforward.
Meaning: la bonne franquette is the French term for pot luck. However, it can also be used to describe something informal
or simple.
In context: Nous mangeons la bonne franquette. -- We're eating an informal meal, or we're eating at a potluck.
au pif
Translation: At the nose (The English equivalent to 'pif' would be something like schnoz.)
Meaning: A general estimate
In context: Il y a une dizaine au pif. -- There is roughly a dozen I would estimate.
Note: The French idiom aux calendes grecques most often is heard with the verb renvoyer to mean that it will be postponed
indefinitely.
Avoir le cafard
Bourrer le crne
Coup de foudre
devenir chvre
du jour au lendemain
faire le pont
fais gaffe!
Translate: 'faire une gaffe' means to make a blunder, but leaving the 'une' out gives it a whole new meaning.
Meaning: If you tell someone, 'fais gaffe,' you are telling them to watch out or be careful.
In context: fais gaffe! La pole est chaud. -- Watch out! The stove is hot.
tu connais la musique
tu m'tonnes
By Rachel Hanson
M.A. French
Some of the most popular sayings in French have made their way into the English language. While these phrases may not always be
pronounced in the proper French manner, the spelling has most often stayed intact, and the meaning is the main reason for the phrases
importation into English.
There is actually no English phrase for Bon apptit. The French phrase is the only one used in English.
Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup means: "Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly."
Instead of "live well", the French say "Eat well:" Mangez bien.
La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin, meaning: "Life is too short to drink bad wine". This is a typical French
saying, and the French do enjoy consuming moderate amounts of good wine with their meals, noon and evening alike.
Dining Phrases
la carte: This literally means 'on the menu'; but its meaning has come to refer to ordering individual items from the menu
instead of a fixed-price three or four course meal in a restaurant
la mode: In French this means 'in style'; in English it refers to serving pie with ice cream on top
Amuse-bouche: A bit-sized hors d'uvre; literal translation: something amusing/pleasing to the mouth
Au gratin: In English this means that the dish is topped with cheese, which is then melted in the oven
Au jus: If you see a steak served 'au jus' in a restaurant, it means it is served with juice/gravy/sauce
Crme de la crme: Meaning 'the best of the best', this phrase literally translates to: 'the cream of the cream' ('cream of the
crop')
Haute cuisine: 'High cooking,' this is a compliment to the food and the chef who made it
Hors d'uvre: An appetizer; literal translation: outside of the masterpiece (the main course)
Art nouveau: A style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Avant-garde: Something that is on the cutting edge, particulary in the arts
Avant la lettre: Something so much on the cutting edge that the new trend doesn't have a name/term yet
Beaux-Arts: From the period of the early 20th century
Trompe l'il: Something that tricks the eye
Life Philosophy
Bon voyage: 'Have a good trip;' the French phrase is almost as common as its English translation
C'est la vie: Meaning 'that's life,' this phrase indicates an acceptance of circumstances as they happen to be
Chef d'uvre: A masterpiece
Comme il faut: As it should be
Dj-vu: The experience that you may have seem the same thing before
Entre-nous: Something that is 'between us'
Fait accompli: Something that is complete, irreversible
Faux pas: A 'false step', this expression is used when someone deviates from the norm
For even more idioms and slang, check out the resources at Language Realm.
By Rachel Hanson
M.A. French
Although we recognize the stereotype of the fussy French waiter muttering funny words like crtin, idiot or imbcile at boorish
tourists, there are many more funny French phrases that don't require anyone to be the butt of the joke. Whether the literal meaning is
funny or the sounds create a tongue twister, these fun phrases provide comic relief to the travailing French learner.
Ah, la vache!
A very popular expression in France, this expression means 'Oh my goodness!' The literal translation, 'Oh, the cow' strikes non-native
French speakers as downright hilarious.
Aller au charbon
Meaning that you're up to something very difficult, this phrase is often misinterpreted.
Avoir le cafard
Having a cockroach is an expression that means that you're feeling down in the dumps.
Faire un tabac
Being the toast of the town is what this expression means, although it translates to 'doing a tobacco.'
Si six scies scient six cyprs, six cents scies scient six cent cyprs.
If six saws saw six cypresses, six hundred saws saw six hundred cypresses.
Le Dner de cons is a quintessential French comedy, complete with French vs. Belgian stereotyping, accents, and the inevitable
jokes that arise from them.
Playtime and Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (Mr. Hulot's Holiday) feature Jaques Tati, a very funny French comedian who
starred in these two classics.
Trois Hommes et un Couffin (Three Men and a Cradle) was turned into Three Men and A Baby with Tom Selleck in the 1980s.
Le Fabuleux destin d'Amlie Poulain (Amlie) is a charming film with lots of linguistic funny business.
French Humor
Whether you're just starting to learn French or sound almost like a native speaker, French humor is a fun way to experience the
language and culture of France. In addition, tongue twisters can provide pronunciation practice and a good laugh all at once. Funny
phrases are good for learners and teachers alike, providing amusement and instruction all in one.
wisdom. Proverbs may include relationships to, or mention of, animals, people, dining and eating, jobs and occupations, or activities
and events.
What is interesting about French proverbs is that their literal translations may sound funny, but many of the proverbs have an English
equivalent:
On n'apprend pas aux vieux singes faire des grimaces.: This is literally translated as "You cannot teach old monkeys to make
faces," and is similar in meaning to the English phrase "You cannot teach old dogs new tricks."
Chacun voit midi sa porte. This translates to "Everyone sees noon at his own door;" with a little imagination you get to the
English equivalent "To each his own."
Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir point. Translating this word-for-word works out to "There's no sense in running; you just
have to leave on time," which is similar to the English adage "Slow and steady wins the race."
On ne change pas une quipe qui gagne. This French phrase is literally translated as "One does not change a winning team,"
and is similar in meaning to the common English phrase "If it's not broken, don't fix it," or "Leave well enough alone."
Il n'y a pas de fume sans feu. The literal translation ("There isn't smoke without fire") is very close to the equivalent English
phrase " Where there's smoke there's fire."
Vaut mieux prvenir que gurir. This famous saying in French can be translated as "It is better to prevent than to heal," and is
similar to the popular English adage "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Autres temps, autres murs. This translates to "Other times, other values," or, in English, simply "Times change."
Un malheur ne vient jamais seul. The translation of this one is "Misfortune never arrives alone," more idiomatically stated as
"When it rains, it pours."
Vouloir, c'est pouvoir. Translates as "To want is to be able," and in English might be stated as "Where there's a will, there's a
way."
Il faut rflchir avant d'agir. Literally translated as "One must reflect before acting," the English equivalent is "Look before
you leap."
Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait. This translates directly as "If youth only knew; if old age only could," which is similar
to the English proverb "Youth is wasted on the young."
Tout arrive en France. This saying translates to "Everything happens in France," from Maximes, Rflexions morales by
Franois de La Rochefoucauld
Tous pour un, un pour tous. "All for one, one for all," from Les Trois Mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers) by Alexandre
Dumas
Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es. "Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you what you are" (You are what you eat)
from Physiologie du got, Mditations IV, de l'apptit by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
Rien ne sert d'tre vivant s'il faut qu'on travaille. "Being alive serves no purpose if you have to work" from Nadja, by Andr
Breton
On ne voit bien qu'avec le cur. "We see well only with the heart" from Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupry
La mort n'a peut-tre pas plus de secrets nous rvler que la vie? Translates as: "Perhaps death doesn't have any more
secrets to reveal to us than life?" from Correspondences Georges Sand by Gustave Flaubert
Il n'y a qu' un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'tre aim. Translates as: "There is only one happiness in life: to love and
be loved." from Correspondence Lina Calmatta by Georges Sand.
Il vaut mieux faire que dire. Translates as: "Doing is better than saying." from Pierre et Camille by Alfred de Musset.
Famous Sayings
There are many words of love, French humor and wisdom provided by the French. Whether you are a philosopher or a lover of words,
French sayings can enhance your view of both French language and French culture. Even if there is an equivalent phrase in English,
sometimes it's fun to use the French one for a change of pace.
1) Expression idiomatique
2) Expression idiomatique
3) Expression idiomatique
4) Expression idiomatique
5) Expression idiomatique
Faux
Ma mre a fait le plan de table pour Nol. On sera en rang d'Oignon mais quel plaisir de voir toute la famille runie!
Vrai
Faux
L'essentiel dans une cuisine est de voir les rangs d'oignons bien propres.
Vrai
Faux
6) Expression idiomatique
7) Expression idiomatique
Faux
Faux
Un de mes collgues cachait bien son jeu. Je pensais que c'tait mon ami, mais hier, il m'a trs mal parl devant le patron. Quelle peau
de vache!
Vrai
Faux
8) Expression idiomatique
9) Expression idiomatique
Exercice
Dites si lexpression idiomatique est correctement employe.
Les faits dcrits par le dlinquant taient cohrents, mais le comportement du complice leur a mis la puce loreille.
Oui
Non
Non
Ce matin je nai pas eu le temps de prendre une douche, je crois que jai une puce loreille.
Oui
Non
Faux
Avec tout le travail qu'il nous reste, on a encore du pain sur la planche avant les vacances!
Vrai
Faux
Tous les boulangers ont du pain sur la planche. Ils doivent bien faire le mnage aprs la prparation du pain.
Vrai
Faux
cest
cest se tromper.
"Langue de bois"
Ce quil faut savoir sur les expressions idiomatiques :
Exercice
Dites si l'expression "La langue de bois" est bien utilise.
Hier soir, on est sorti, on a bu trop d'alcool. On avait la langue de bois.
Vrai
Faux
Pour une fois qu'un homme politique n'a pas la langue de bois! Ses ides taient claires et ses arguments solides.
Vrai
Faux
Faux
Faux
Quand je suis all chez le coiffeur, il y avait des clients bizarres. Il y avait trois pels, un tondu et une blonde boucle.
Vrai
Faux
Quand je suis all la runion des copropitaires, il y avait trois pels et un tondu... Seuls deux propritaires et moi tions prsents.
Personne ne semblait intress par cette runion.
Vrai
Faux
Cest le petit dtail supplmentaire qui rend une situation insupportable et qui peut engendrer une raction violente. Cette
expression dsigne un ras le bol, une situation qui a dpass les limites.
Nous avons des traces de cette expression au XIXe sicle.
En effet, cette image fait rfrence aux rcipients remplis au del de leur bord qui sapprtent scouler au moindre choc ou ds
qu'on y rajoute une goutte.
Cette expression franaise fait la comparaison entre la tension ou l'nervement qui monte (le vase qui se remplit jusqu' tre bien
plein) et l'explosion qui suit (le vase qui finit par dborder ds que la petite goutte de trop y a t verse).
Dites si l'expression "Se noyer dans un verre d'eau" est bien utilise.
Mon ami est terrible. Il est si peu organis qu'il lui arrive de se noyer dans un verre d'eau!
Vrai
Faux
Elle avait 3 mois pour prparer son dmnagement, mais elle a paniqu et s'est noye dans un verre d'eau. La veille du dmnagement,
rien n'tait prt!
Vrai
Faux
Il ne sait pas nager et a tellement peur de l'eau, qu'il pourrait se noyer dans un verre d'eau!
Vrai
Faux
I would have liked to buy a new computer but it costs an arm and a leg.
Julien and Arnaud were in the middle of a fight when I got there at the most awkward moment.
Faire la grasse matine literally means to have a fat morning. Sounds delicious, no? It actually means to sleep in but if youre going
to sleep in, you might as well enjoy a fantastic brunch afterwards! Heres an example:
Jai trop bu hier soir, alors aujourdhui, jai fait la grasse matine.
I drank too much last night, so today I slept in.
7. Cest dommage
Cest dommage literally translates to thats a shame. Imagine someone looking at a small-scale disaster and sharply exhaling in
sympathy the expression also translates to thats too bad. Heres an example:
Cest dommage que tu ne sois pas au courant
.
Its too bad youre not up to speed.
8. Coup de foudre
Coup de foudre literally translates to a strike of lightning. In fact, it refers to love at first sight one of those moments where you see a
special someone, and cant help but react immediately. Heres an example:
Quand je tai vu pour la premire fois, ctait le coup de foudre.
The first time I saw you, I fell head over heals.
11.
Poser un lapin quelquun literally means to put a rabbit on somebody. The French expression sounds as silly as its English
equivalent to stand somebody up, or to not show up for something that youve planned. Heres an example:
Je lai attendue mais elle nest jamais arrive elle ma pos un lapin!
I waited for her but she never came she stood me up!
12. a marche!
a marche literally means that works. Marcher is an interesting verb because it means both to walk and to function/to work, so
it is not always transparent for English speakers. Youll use this expression much in the same way as its English equivalent. If you
and some friends are making some plans, youll say a marche to confirm that youre on board. Note that this expression changes
from region to region. In Switzerland, for example, people say a joue: that plays! Heres an example:
When she gets teased, you can see her getting angry!