This Will Not Happen Again in French
French accent is not everything. Sure, the right pronunciation of the notorious French "r" tin make you sound more like a native. Merely what use is that if you lot tin can't really speak French fluently? This is why you should e'er work on expanding your vocabulary with practical notions such as French sayings, expressions or idioms. These can add together substance and even sense of humour to your discourse and can make you lot sound similar y'all have been living in France your whole life. Add a fleck of joie de vivre to that and people will think yous were born and raised in Paris.
Additionally, French sayings volition provide insight into French history and culture and they will also make you sound more natural, more authentic. Later all, this is your primary goal when learning French, isn't it? So let's dive in and see what French sayings, expressions and idioms yous can use to sound as if you were French-born.
General French sayings
So what is a French saying? A saying is a short, pithy and commonly known expression that offers wisdom or a piece of communication. Yous probably heard the English language expression "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" pregnant that a child has similar qualities to his parents. Well, this is the perfect example of what we could telephone call a maxim.
And French, like whatsoever other linguistic communication, is full of such witty insights. Permit's look at some of the most common of them.
ane. Battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud.
Literal translation: "Strike the iron while it is hot."
Bodily meaning: Since we have the same proverb in English, this one's easy. When the blacksmith is forging the iron, the metal must be red-hot so its shape tin can be inverse. This ways you take to take advantage of favorable situations.
How to apply it
– J'ai trouvé une très bonne awarding pour pratiquer mon français. Ça s'appelle Mondly et son prix pour une année est très raisonable. ("I found a very good app to practice my French. It's chosen Mondly and its price for one yr is very good.")
– Qu'est-ce que tu attends ? Il faut battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud ! ("What are you waiting for? Strike the iron while it'southward hot!")
ii. Ce north'est pas la mer à boire.
Literal translation: "It's not every bit if you accept to beverage the ocean."
Actual meaning: "Information technology'due south not that difficult" or "it'due south not a big bargain". Yous tin employ information technology when someone complains almost doing something.
How to utilise information technology
– Je dois faire quatre rapports cette semaine. ("I have to do four reports this week.")
– Oh là là, ce n'est pas la mer à boire ! ("Come up on, it's non the end of the world!")
3. La nuit porte conseil.
Literal translation: "The nighttime brings advice."
Actual meaning: This is the equivalent of "sleep on it". Or, in other words, take your time before making a decision.
How to use it
– Je ne sais pas si je dois accepter ou pas. ("I don't know if I should accept or not.")
– La nuit porte conseil. ("Slumber on it.")
4. Comme on fait son lit, on se couche.
Literal translation:
"Y'all've made your bed, at present lie on it."
Actual meaning:
There's a very funny Italian expression that says Hai voluto la bicicletta? E adesso pedala! ("Did you want the cycle? At present ride it.") and information technology has the exact same meaning as Comme on fait son lit, on se couche. Isn't fascinating how different cultures approach a like situation?
The aforementioned as the biblical version "yous reap what y'all sow", this French saying warns that you endure the consequences of your actions or that you must take the unpleasant results of something yous've done. On the other hand, the opposite is besides possible! Brand a dainty bed and you shall slumber soundly.
How to use it
– Je me suis endormi et j'ai brûlé les côtelettes de porc. ("I fell asleep and burned the pork chops.")
– Comme on fait son lit, on se couche. ("You've fabricated your bed, now lie on it.")
v. Vouloir, c'est pouvoir.
Literal translation: "To want to is to be able to."
Actual pregnant: "Where there's a will, there'south a way." Y'all tin use this saying to encourage someone who doubts themselves.
How to use it
– Je pense que jen e parviendrai jamais à parler français comme un natif. ("I don't think I will ever manage to speak French like a native.")
– Vouloir, c'est pouvoir. ("Where there's a volition, there's a fashion.")
6. Impossible n'est pas français.
Literal translation: "Incommunicable isn't French."
Actual significant: Famously attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, impossible n'est pas français is the French equivalent of "nothing is impossible". While information technology may seem very patriotic, français here doesn't refer to the French people, only rather to the French linguistic communication. Every bit in "impossible is non a French word".
How to apply it
– Je ne peux pas le faire, c'est impossible ! ("I tin't do it, it's impossible!) – Impossible n'est pas français. ("Nothing is incommunicable.")
7. Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard.
Literal translation: "Cipher should be left to gamble."
Actual meaning: "Leave nothing to chance" or, in other words, program ahead.
How to employ it
– Je pense que je vais passer ce chapitre. Ce ne ressemble pas à quelque chose que monsieur Dubois inclura dans l'examen final. ("I think I'1000 gonna skip this chapter. Information technology doesn't expect similar something mister Dubois will include in the last exam.")
– Comme vous voulez. Mais il ne faut rien laisser au hasard. ("Suit yourself. Just zilch should be left to risk.")
8. L'addiction ne fait pas le moine.
Literal translation: "The outfit doesn't make the monk."
Actual meaning: "Don't judge a volume by its cover" or "don't estimate a person past their appearance". This saying is also very popular in English then y'all probably already know in what contexts you can safely include information technology. Only don't forget that you lot tin use information technology for both positive and negative comments.
How to use information technology
– Notre nouveau collègue semble être une personne très calme. ("Our new colleague seems like a very placidity person.")
– Fifty'habit ne fait pas le moine. ("Don't estimate a book past its embrace.")
ix. Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
Literal translation: "Late is worth more than never."
Bodily meaning: "Better belatedly than never." This is another French saying that is also very common in English. Y'all can use it to tell someone that is better to exercise something belatedly than not to do information technology at all.
How to use it
– J'ai 20 minutes de retard au gymnase. Mais mieux vaut tard que jamais. ("I'm xx minutes late to the gym. But information technology's better to be in that location belatedly than never.")
ten. Aux innocents les mains pleines.
Literal translation: "Total hands for the innocents."
Actual meaning: "Beginner's luck" or "fortune favors fools". Y'all'll honey this one! Every fourth dimension yous go out with your new French friends and try a new activeness like bowling or karting, y'all tin use this French expression to invoke "beginner's luck".
How to use it
– Annotate est-ce possible? Sadie a gagné encore une fois ! ("How is this possible? Sadie won again!")
– Aux innocents les mains pleines. ("Beginner'southward luck")
11. Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné.
Literal translation: "Better alone than in a bad company."
Actual meaning: Information technology'south amend to be alone than to be accompanied desperately or by someone who isn't a good company. This tin can employ to all kinds of relationships and even to other unfortunate situations in someone's life.
How to use information technology
– La copine de Jacques vient de le quitter. ("Jacques's girlfriend merely left him.")
– Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné. ("Ameliorate lone than in a bad company.")
12. Après la pluie, le beau temps.
Literal translation: "After the rain, good weather."
Actual significant: This is a fashion of encouraging someone to "hang in there". Fifty-fifty if things are bad at present, everything will eventually get better.
How to use information technology
– Je viens de perdre mon emploi mais je ne vais pas perdre fifty'espoir. Après la pluie, le beau temps. ("I've but lost my job only I won't lose hope. After all, after the rain, good weather evetually comes.")
13. Les murs ont des oreilles.
Literal translation: "The walls take ears."
Actual meaning: Pay attention to what you say because in that location's a run a risk you could be overheard.
How to use it
– Voulez-vous savoir ce que j'ai acheté pour l'anniversaire de maman? ("Exercise you want to know what I bought for mom's birthday?")
– Shhh ! Les murs ont des oreilles. ("Shhh! The walls have ears.)
14. Tout est bien qui finit bien.
Literal translation: "All's well that ends well."
Actual meaning: The same every bit its English counterpart, Tout est bien qui finit bien is suitable subsequently a menstruation in which one experiences hardship and struggle.
How to employ it
– Je suis tellement content que nous soyons arrivés en French republic en toute sécurité ! Tout est bien qui finit bien. ("I'g and so glad nosotros got to France safely! All's well that ends well.")
French sayings nearly food and wine
The French are famous for their love for exquisite food and vino. French cuisine is probably i of the virtually notorious cuisines in the world. So it's only natural for some of this love to detect its way to everyday French sayings, idioms and expressions.
1. L'appétit vient en mangeant.
Literal translation: "Appetite comes with eating."
Bodily meaning: This expression tin can be used both literally and figuratively and information technology refers to how the desire increases as an activity proceeds (to eat, to own, etc.).
How to utilize it
– Je n'avais pas faim mais cette ratatouille est incroyable ! ("I was not hungry but this ratatouille is amazing!")
– L'appétit vient en mangeant. ("Appetite comes with eating.")
ii. Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup.
Literal translation: "Eat well, laugh often, honey a lot."
Actual meaning: "Alive life to the fullest" or carpe diem ("seize the day"). Utilise this positive French saying to console a friend that is having a hard time.
three. S'occuper de ses oignons.
Literal translation: "To accept intendance of your own onions."
Actual significant: This is a funny style of saying "mind your ain concern".
How to use it
– Sa façon de gérer cela ne vous concerne pas. Occupe-toi de tes oignons. ("His way of dealing with this isn't your trouble. Mind your own business concern.")
4. Raconter des salades.
Literal translation:
"To tell salads."
Actual meaning:
"To tell lies". This is another funny French saying that tin can also be used when you desire to tell someone that everything they think they know is fake.
How to utilise it
– Ça suffit! Tu racontes des salades ! ("Plenty with that. What you are saying is false!")
5. Courir sur le haricot.
Literal translation: "To run on the bean."
Actual pregnant: "To get on someone's nerves". Another maxim y'all gotta love that is continued to the story "Jack and the Beanstalk".
How to apply it
– Arrête de courir sur le haricot ! Tu ne gagneras pas ce pari. ("Stop annoying me! You are not winning this bet.")
six. La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin.
Literal translation: "Life is too short to drinkable bad wine."
Bodily pregnant: This proverb can exist used both literally and figuratively. The idea is that life'southward too brusque to do things that y'all don't like.
French sayings about animals
Sayings near animals are mutual in any language. After all, they are our co-residents on this planet and nosotros have quite a lot to learn from them. Here are some of the virtually mutual French sayings almost animals.
1. À bon chat, bon rat.
Literal translation: "To a good cat, a skillful rat."
Actual pregnant: Equally matched, tit for tat. To meliorate understand the meaning behind this, think nigh how cats are experts at catching rats and rats are experts in fugitive being caught. You can use this proverb to describe ii competitors that ameliorate as they fight against one another or to draw someone meeting an antagonist worth his mettle.
How to use it
– Oh là là, Finalement, Andrew a du mal à gagner le match. ("Wow! Andrew is finally having trouble winning the lucifer.")
– Oui, Xavier est vraiment un adversaire de taille. À bon chat, bon rat. ("Yes, Xavier is a really expert match for him. They are equally matched.")
ii. Les chiens ne font pas des chats.
Literal translation: "Dogs don't brand cats."
Actual meaning: This is another fashion of saying "the apple tree doesn't autumn far from the tree" or "yous inherit the qualities and faults of your parents".
How to use it
– La petite Eva est tellement créative! ("Fiddling Eva is so artistic!")
– Oui, les chiens ne font pas des chats. Elle a hérité du talent de sa mère. ("Yes, dogs don't make cats. She inherits her female parent's talent.")
three. Il due north'y a pas de quoi fouetter united nations conversation.
Literal translation: "At that place'due south no reason to whip the cat."
Actual pregnant: "It's no large deal" or "it doesn't affair". Manifestly, in one case y'all know this expression, yous'll want to utilise it all the time.
4. Poser un lapin.
Literal translation: "To place a rabbit."
Actual meaning: "To stand someone upwardly". If the person y'all were supposed to meet doesn't evidence upwardly, you can say il m'a posé un lapin ("he stood me up").
5. Avoir une araignée au plafond.
Literal translation: "To have a spider on the ceiling."
Bodily significant: If you know someone that "has screw loose" or is a flake crazy, weird or odd, in French you can say il a une araignée au plafond ("he is a bit crazy").
6. Ce n'est pas la vache qui crie le plus fort qui fait le plus de lait.
Literal translation: "It'south not the moo-cow that moos the loudest who gives the virtually milk."
Actual meaning: Talkers are not always doers. The 1 who talks the virtually is non always the smartest or the most resourceful.
vii. Peigner la girafe.
Literal translation: "To comb the giraffe."
Actual meaning: "To do unnecessary and very long work, to exercise nothing effective". Because why on Earth would you rummage a giraffe?
How to use it
– J'ai peigné la girafe aujourd'hui au travail. J'ai fait de très longs rapports que personne n'utilisera. ("I combed the giraffe today at piece of work. I did some very long reports that no one will employ.")
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Source: https://www.mondly.com/blog/2020/07/16/french-sayings-idioms-sound-french-born/
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