![]() ![]() ![]() Literal Translation: to go to another dairy shopĬhat échaudé craint l'eau froide – once bitten, twice shy Literal Translation: to break sugar on somebody’s backĬhanger de crèmerie – to take one’s custom elsewhere Literal Translation: to break somebody’s feetĬasser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu’un – to badmouth somebody behind their back ![]() Literal Translation: to drink like a holeĬasser les pieds à quelqu’un – to drive somebody nuts Literal Translation: to strike the iron while it is hotīoire comme un trou – to drink like a fish Literal Translation: to have eyes bigger than your stomachīattre le fer tant qu’il est chaud – to strike while the iron is hot Literal Translation: to have one’s head/arse in the pâtéĪvoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre – to bite off more than you can chew Literal Translation: to have a hair in the handĪvoir la tête dans le pâté/le cul – to feel groggy If you are feeling full of energy you might use this idiom to say J'ai la pêche !Īvoir un poil dans la main – to be bone-lazy Literal Translation: to have the peach / potato / french fry Literal Translation: to have bread on the boardĪvoir la pêche / la patate / la frite – to feel great (US), to be full of beans (UK) In English, this idiom alludes that sensation when you become angry.Īvoir du pain sur la planche – to have a lot on your plate Literal Translation: to have the mustard climbing up to the noseĪ strong Dijon mustard gives you a stinging sensation in your nose. Literal Translation: to have a wooden mugĪvoir la moutarde qui monte au nez – to lose your temper (US), to lose your rag (UK) Literal Translation: to have two left handsĪvoir la gueule de bois – to have a hangover Literal Translation: to be hit by lightningĪvoir deux mains gauches – to be all thumbs Literal Translation: to have the heart on the handĪvoir un coup de foudre – to feel love at first sight Literal Translation: to have a cat in your throatĪvoir le cœur sur la main – to be big-hearted Literal Translation: to have chicken fleshĪvoir un chat dans la gorge – to have a frog in your throat This idiom is often used to describe unscrupulous politicians in France.Īvoir la chair de poule – to have goosebumps Literal Translation: to have pans attached to one's ass ![]() Literal Translation: to have the cockroachĪvoir des casseroles au cul – to be plagued by scandals Literal Translation: to have further cats to whip Literal Translation: to arrive like a hair on the soupĪvoir d’autres chats à fouetter – to have bigger fish to fry The English side of this idiom may seem a bit odd but at one point in history it was quite commonplace to make a small hole in an egg and suck out its contents.Īrriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe – to arrive at the worst possible moment Literal Translation: to teach an old monkey to make funny faces Literal Translation: to bring water to somebody's millĪpprendre à un vieux singe à faire des grimaces – to teach an old dog new tricks (US), to teach granny to suck eggs (UK) 29% of all French households own a cat!Īpporter de l'eau au moulin de quelqu'un – to add grist to somebody's mill In 2017, Statista estimated that there were over 13.5 million cats in France. You'll notice several French idioms mentioning cats. Literal Translation: to go and cook yourself an eggĪppeler un chat un chat – to call a spade a spade You will see there is an English equivalent to almost every French idiom! If you want to keep these sayings in your pocket, you might want to try French Translator & Dictionary + by downloading it for free on yourĪller se faire cuire un œuf – to go jump in the lake We've compiled a list of the most commonly used French idioms to help you talk like a native. Using other French sayings out of context might just put you in an embarrassing situation! Some French idioms can be understood because of a specific context. And Idioms also tell a lot about people and their culture. Each language has its funny sayings that mean something different from their literal meaning. But the meaning is quite different to a French person and you would do well to know. Your ability to understand and use idiomatic phrases may make the difference between acceptance into the inner circle of a group of French friends.įor example, let's say somebody told you to "aller te faire cuire un œuf!" Literally, that means to "go and cook yourself an egg". Idioms are sayings and expressions with meaning beyond their literal translations. Do you want to speak French like a native? Mastering French idioms can help. ![]()
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