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French is the second most studied language in the world, but how can you make yourself stand out from the millions of other French learners? In order to fit in with the locals, rather than sounding like a tourist, you need to use and understand some common French sayings.<\/p>\n
French people use expressions every day without even realizing, so when a Frenchman says \u201cthe cow!\u201d you need to know if it\u2019s an idiom<\/strong> or if he\u2019s just an idiot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with some funny French sayings…<\/p>\n This phrase literally translates as \u201cthe cow!<\/em>\u201d, although it is actually just an exclamation similar to \u201cOh wow!<\/em>\u201d or \u201cOh my god!<\/em>\u201d. It can be positive, negative or neither, and it is used to express shock, surprise, admiration or disappointment. It might sound odd, but this funny French saying is used often by native speakers. Several English interjections share the same meaning, but a very similar equivalent is \u201choly cow<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIl m\u2019a offert un bague en diamant.\u201d Literal Translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHe gave me a diamond ring.\u201d What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHe gave me a diamond ring.\u201d This is an extremely common French saying and one that French people often say in English, thinking that it works in both languages, which leaves many Anglophones feeling puzzled.<\/p>\n With most French phrases, context can help you to understand the meaning. However, when somebody says \u201cfingers in the nose!\u201d and simultaneously sticks their fingers up their nose (or at least pretends to), context might not help. You\u2019ll probably end up frozen in bewilderment. That\u2019s why you need to know this popular French saying.<\/p>\n Borrowed from the world of horse racing, a race might be so easy for the winning jockey that they can do it with their fingers in their nose<\/em>. A piece of cake!<\/strong> We could also say \u201cles yeux ferm\u00e9s<\/em>\u201d (with one\u2019s eyes closed).<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cJ\u2019ai pass\u00e9 mon permis les doigts dans le nez.\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI did my driving test with fingers in the nose.\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMy driving test was a piece of cake.\u201d<\/p>\n While the French aren\u2019t known for their passionate outbursts, they do have many expressions about breaking things…<\/p>\n Note: The verb casser<\/em> should be conjugated and this sentence should be aimed at somebody or something.<\/p>\n This one is quite obvious, really. It literally translates as to break ears <\/em>which means that somebody (or something) is making too much noise. The English equivalents are \u201cto make a racket\u201d and \u201cto make one\u2019s ears bleed\u201d.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cArr\u00eate de crier, tu me casses les oreilles !\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cStop shouting, you\u2019re breaking my ears.\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cStop shouting, you\u2019re making a racket!\u201d<\/p>\n While you\u2019re breaking someone\u2019s ears, you can also break their feet…<\/p>\n Another funny French saying that breaks a body part, but this time our feet are in the firing line. The English equivalent of breaking somebody\u2019s feet<\/em> has nothing to do with standing on their foot or stubbing your toe as one might think. It actually means to get on somebody\u2019s nerves.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cLes enfants me cassent les pieds \u00e0 se disputer tout le temps.\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe children break my feet, arguing all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe children are getting on my nerves, arguing all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n When learning a language, it\u2019s important to be able to express how you feel. In order to do so, you will need to know the most common French sayings about your mood:<\/p>\n Note: don\u2019t forget to conjugate the verb \u201cavoir<\/em>\u201d<\/a>. It\u2019s one of the most commonly used verbs and is used in many French expressions too.<\/p>\n Are you down in the dumps, feeling blue, a bit upset, or feeling down? Then you need to say that you have the cockroach<\/em>.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201dJe n\u2019ai pas envie de sortir, j\u2019ai le cafard depuis que j\u2019ai perdu mon travail.\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to go out tonight, I have the cockroach since I lost my job.\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to go out tonight, I\u2019ve been down in the dumps since I lost my job.\u201d<\/p>\n Note: The correct way to say potato is pomme de terre<\/em>, but patate <\/em>is commonly used too.<\/p>\n We wouldn\u2019t use peaches and potatoes interchangeably in the kitchen, but we can in this French idiom. These are two separate French sayings that mean the same thing, so you only need to use one at a time. To have the peach or to have the potato means that you\u2019re feeling great, excited or energetic, similarly we could say someone is on fire, full of beans, <\/em>or in high spirits<\/em>.<\/p>\n Example 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIl a la p\u00eache ce matin !\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got the peach this morning!\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in high spirits this morning!\u201d<\/p>\n Example 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAllons au bar, j\u2019ai la patate !\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go to the bar, I\u2019ve got the potato!\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go to the bar, I\u2019m all fired up!\u201d<\/p>\n Hot and cold are two of the first words we learn in a foreign language, especially for Brits who love talking about the weather. But why are people constantly saying that they\u2019re hot, even in midwinter? And saying it so incorrectly too!<\/p>\n Je suis chaud<\/em> means I am <\/strong>hot, however, to talk about our temperature in French we say j\u2019ai chaud<\/em><\/strong> (\u201cI have hot\u201d) using the verb avoir<\/em>. If a Francophone uses the verb \u00eatre<\/em> then the meaning changes entirely. A person who is hot<\/em> to do something is keen, and really wants to participate. The English equivalent is to be \u201cdown\u201d or \u201cup\u201d for something. The verb \u00eatre <\/em>is a tricky one<\/a>, but it\u2019s also one of the most important verbs that you need to know when learning French. Once you\u2019ve got the hang of it, you\u2019ll be able to use this expression with ease, and sound just like a local.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cQui veut aller au cin\u00e9ma samedi soir ?\u201d Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWho wants to go to the cinema on Saturday evening?\u201d What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWho wants to go to the cinema on Saturday evening?\u201d The French are famous for gastronomy, so why not up your language game and learn some funny French sayings about food?<\/p>\n Note: \u201csalade<\/em>\u201d can be both a literal translation meaning a salad<\/em> and it can also be a false friend, like in this expression, where it refers only to the salad leaves (such as lettuce) rather than a whole bowl of salad.<\/p>\n Are you telling lettuce?<\/p>\n In Cockney rhyming slang you would be telling pork pies, also known as spinning yarns in the US, and telling fibs in the UK. These are all expressions to say that somebody is telling lies.<\/em><\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cN’\u00e9coute pas ta soeur, elle raconte des salades.\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t listen to your sister, she\u2019s telling salad leaves.\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t listen to your sister, she\u2019s fibbing.\u201d<\/p>\n Note: In both French and English it sounds more serious to say that somebody is lying. Using an expression shows that it is light-hearted and not a grave betrayal of trust.<\/p>\n Speaking is without a doubt the most important part of language learning, so here are some useful French sayings that will help your basic conversation skills, including a weather-related conversation starter, and some French Idioms about animals that can be used to continue a conversation…<\/p>\n No matter what language you\u2019re speaking, most people can agree that the weather is always a good topic when it comes to small-talk. In France, when it\u2019s raining heavily you can say it\u2019s raining ropes<\/em>. The English equivalent in this case is far more strange: It\u2019s raining cats and dogs!<\/em> Ropes would probably be less terrifying than our beloved pets falling from the sky, although nowadays we\u2019d just say it\u2019s pouring down<\/em>.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHeureusement nous ne sommes pas all\u00e9s au parc, il pleut des cordes !\u201d<\/p>\n Literal translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cFortunately we didn\u2019t go to the park, it\u2019s raining ropes!\u201d<\/p>\n What it means:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThank goodness we didn\u2019t go to the park, it\u2019s raining cats and dogs!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>\u201cLa vache !\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cOh la vache !\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe cow!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh wow!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>\u201cLes doigts dans le nez\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u201cCasser les oreilles\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u201cCasser les pieds (\u00e0 quelqu\u2019un)\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u201cAvoir le cafard\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u201cAvoir la p\u00eache\u201d \/ \u201cAvoir la patate\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u201c\u00catre chaud\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cJe suis chaud.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI am hot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m up for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>\u201cRaconter des salades\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u201cIl pleut des cordes !\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>\u201cRevenons \u00e0 nos moutons\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Vocabulary list<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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