requested by @atnuka idioms + expressions list. mostly idioms. an idiom, as defined by the dictionary of cambridge, is a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own.
coucou! french idioms. it’s about all authenticity and truly investing yourself in the pathway towards fluency. you are going to get confused when you hear expressions like fat morning or to drink like a hole. that’s inevitable, confusion is a part of learning. making mistakes is a part of learning. you may be able to translate these expressions literally, but knowing the figurative definitions and fundamental meanings beyond a fixed group of words is much more important. i’m going to say this once, and i’ll probably say it again: when trying to reach fluency in a language such as french, do NOT translate everything LITERALLY, especially if you’re doing more complicated work. just don’t do it. it will lead to problems down the line, i can promise you that. french and english for example, differ in nature, structural systems, phonetics, many (many) aspects of grammar, basic sentence construction, syntax, semantics, rhythm, etc. it’s essential to realize what some languages require linguistically / socially, and what some do not.
i wanted to include so many more, so if you guys want a part two i’d totally be open to writing one.
resources of choice
wordreference.com
linguee.fr
if you’d like to search for more french idioms, google them in french “expressions idiomatiques en français”, not in english “popular french idioms”. you’re bound to get more accurate results that way as they’re more often than not written by actual french writers / authors / bloggers.
thank you for 7K followers! i’m planning to do something very special @8.5K. vote on upcoming masterposts
french movie and song playlist
french proverbs: a guide
french idioms and expressions, part two?
idioms, a-z
au fur et à mésure - as one goes along
à l’eau de rose - sentimental, insipid, bland - usually refers to a book or movie.
à bout de souffle - breathless, out of breath; on its last legs
avoir l’air crevé - to look exhausted.
avoir d’autres chats à fouetter - to have better things to do
ah la vache - holy cow, oh my god
avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre - your eyes are bigger than your stomach
au pif - a general estimate.
avoir le cafard - to lack morale, to be so bored that you’re depressed.
avoir la banane (pêche, patate) - to feel happy, to be in high spirits.
avoir une faim de loup - to be extremely hungry, to be starving
avoir une peur bleue de - to be scared to death of something, to be extremely terrified of something.
avoir la flemme - to be lazy.
aller au droit au but - to go straight to the point
bourrer le crâne - refers to an ill-informed individual
bouge ton cul! - move your ass, hurry up
boire comme un trou - to drink heavily.
brève de comptoir - a one liner
boire un coup - to have a drink
croire dur comme fer - to firmly, strongly believe
ça marche - that works, alright, okay.
ça craint - this/that sucks
ca lui prendre au bout de nez - he/she’s got it coming
ca va barder - shit is going to hit the fan
c’est la fin des haricots - it’s the end, there’s nothing left
casse-toi - get lost
c’est nickel - it’s all good, it’s spotless
c’est casse-couilles, c’est coton - it’s a pain in the ass
coûter les yeux de la tête - to cost an arm and a leg, to cost a fortune
con comme la lune - particularly stupid.
devenir chèvre - describes a state of extreme anger, rage
dire ses quatre vêrités - to tell it like it is.
en avoir marre (j’en ai marre) - to be fed up with something, someone
en avoir rien à foutre/faire - to not give a shit, to not give damn
en avoir ras le bol - to be fed up with something, sick of something
être canon - to be hot, to fit someone’s standards of beauty
être crevé - to be extremely tired, exhausted
être en train de - be + ing
être paf, être ivre - to be drunk, to be stoned
être chiant - to be annoying
être à l’ouest - to be spaced out
être mal en point - to be in a bad state
en prendre de la graine - to take a page from someone’s book
fais gaffe - watch out, be careful
faire une nuit blanche - to pull an all-nighter
faire flanelle - to abstain from doing something, to do nothing.
faire un tabac - to be a hit
faire une croix sur - to write something off, to kiss someone goodbye, to give up on
faire la sourde oreille - to turn a deaf ear, to pretend to ignore someone
faire le pont - to take a long weekend
faire la grasse matinée - to sleep in
friser le ridicule - to be a laughing stock
faire la tête - to sulk
jeter l’argent par les fenêtres - to splurge, to carelessly waste money
(jeter) un coup d’oeil - to take a look, to glance at something
larguer quelqu’un - to break up with someone
manger sur le pouce - to eat on the go
mettre du piment dans sa vie - to spice up one’s life.
mise en abyme - the story within, a story within a story
ne pas y aller de main morte - to not pull one’s punches
ne pas sorti de l’auberge - to be well and truly in it, to not be out of the woods
n’y voir que de feu - to be clueless
pleuvoir des cordes - to be raining cats and dogs
pleurer comme une madeleine - to cry your eyes out
prendre la téte - to drive crazy, to give yourself a headache
prendre son courage à deux mains - to summon the courage to do something
point barre! - period, that’s that
prendre quelqu’un la main dans le sac - to catch someone red-handed
prendre ses jambes à son cou - to run for one’s life
poser un lapin à quelqu’un - to stand somebody up
quelque chose qui cloche - to not add up, there’s something wrong
raconter des salades - to talk bullshit, to bullshit
ramener sa fraise - to join a conversation without being invited to do so, get your ass over here.
revenons à nos moutons - let’s get back on topic
s’envoyer en l’air - to get laid, to have sex.
sage comme une image - quiet as a mouse
sur un coup de tête - on an impulse, on a whim
se casser la gueule - to hurt someone (/fall down), to smash someone’s face in [humor, loose translation]
sentir le sapin - to have one foot in the grave
se ronger les sangs - to be worried to death
se faire une belle jambe - to make oneself look good
s’en mettre plein les poches - to line your pockets.
ta gueule - shut up
tomber dans les pommes - to faint
tenir au courant - to keep up to date, to keep posted
tomber dans le panneau - to fall into a trap
tomber des nues - to be shocked, to be flabbergasted
tout craché - spitting image
tourner au vinaigre - to get out of control, to get nasty
tu m’étonne - tell me something i don’t know. [ironic]
un coup de foudre - love at first sight
un suppôt de satan - hellbound, a minion of the devil
un froid de canard - to be icy cold
une bouchée de pain - for next to nothing
y mettre de sien - to put one’s all into something