🇫🇷 French Idioms & Expressions: The Secret Language of France
Your Magic Key to Sounding Like a Real French Person
Imagine you’re learning to cook. You know how to chop vegetables and boil water. But the real magic? That’s the secret family recipes—the special tricks that make food taste like it came from a French grandma’s kitchen.
French idioms are exactly like those secret recipes. They’re the special phrases that French people use every day—phrases that don’t make sense if you translate word-by-word, but are the real way people talk!
🎭 What Are Idioms, Anyway?
Think of idioms like secret codes. When someone says “it’s raining cats and dogs” in English, no animals are falling from the sky! It just means it’s raining very hard.
French has the same thing. And here’s the exciting part: once you know these codes, you’ll understand real French conversations!
📚 Part 1: Common Verb Expressions
These are like your basic cooking ingredients—verbs you already know (avoir, être, faire, prendre) but used in surprising new ways!
🌟 Expressions with AVOIR (to have)
In French, you don’t are hungry—you have hunger! Here are the most common ones:
| Expression | Literal Meaning | Real Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| avoir faim | to have hunger | to be hungry | J’ai faim! = I’m hungry! |
| avoir soif | to have thirst | to be thirsty | Tu as soif? = Are you thirsty? |
| avoir chaud | to have hot | to be hot | J’ai chaud! = I’m hot! |
| avoir froid | to have cold | to be cold | Elle a froid. = She’s cold. |
| avoir sommeil | to have sleep | to be sleepy | J’ai sommeil. = I’m sleepy. |
| avoir peur | to have fear | to be scared | Il a peur! = He’s scared! |
| avoir raison | to have reason | to be right | Tu as raison! = You’re right! |
| avoir tort | to have wrong | to be wrong | J’ai tort. = I’m wrong. |
| avoir X ans | to have X years | to be X years old | J’ai dix ans. = I’m 10. |
💡 The Secret Pattern
In English, we use “to be” for feelings. In French, you “have” them—like you’re carrying emotions in your pocket!
Story Time: Imagine a little French girl named Marie. She says: “J’ai faim, j’ai soif, j’ai chaud, et j’ai sommeil!” (I’m hungry, thirsty, hot, and sleepy!) She’s having a rough day, and she’s “having” all these feelings!
🌟 Expressions with ÊTRE (to be)
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| être en train de | to be in the middle of (doing) | Je suis en train de manger. = I’m eating right now. |
| être d’accord | to agree | Je suis d’accord! = I agree! |
| être en retard | to be late | Je suis en retard! = I’m late! |
| être à l’heure | to be on time | Il est à l’heure. = He’s on time. |
💡 Pro Tip!
Être en train de is your magic phrase for “right now.” It’s like adding “-ing” to English verbs, but fancier!
🌟 Expressions with FAIRE (to do/make)
French people use faire for EVERYTHING! Weather, activities, you name it.
| Expression | Literal | Real Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| faire attention | to make attention | to pay attention | Fais attention! = Pay attention! |
| faire la cuisine | to make the kitchen | to cook | Je fais la cuisine. = I’m cooking. |
| faire les courses | to make the runs | to go shopping | Je fais les courses. = I’m shopping. |
| faire du sport | to make some sport | to exercise | Il fait du sport. = He exercises. |
| faire beau | to make beautiful | nice weather | Il fait beau! = Nice weather! |
| faire froid | to make cold | cold weather | Il fait froid. = It’s cold out. |
| faire chaud | to make hot | hot weather | Il fait chaud! = It’s hot out! |
🎨 Picture This
Weather in French is like magic: the sky “makes” the weather! Il fait = “It makes.” So “It makes beautiful” = it’s nice out!
🌟 Expressions with PRENDRE (to take)
| Expression | Literal | Real Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| prendre le petit-déjeuner | to take the little lunch | to have breakfast | Je prends le petit-déjeuner. |
| prendre un café | to take a coffee | to have coffee | Tu prends un café? |
| prendre une décision | to take a decision | to make a decision | Je prends une décision. |
📚 Part 2: French Idiomatic Expressions
Now for the really fun stuff—the phrases that sound completely crazy when translated, but French people use them all the time!
🌧️ Weather & Nature Idioms
| French | Literal Translation | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Il pleut des cordes | It’s raining ropes | It’s raining heavily |
| Il fait un froid de canard | It’s duck cold | It’s freezing cold! |
Why ducks? Because ducks are hunted in cold weather. So when it’s “duck cold,” it’s hunting season cold—really freezing!
🐾 Animal Idioms
French people LOVE using animals in their expressions!
| French | Literal | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| avoir le cafard | to have the cockroach | to feel sad/depressed |
| poser un lapin | to put a rabbit | to stand someone up |
| être une poule mouillée | to be a wet chicken | to be a coward |
| avoir une faim de loup | to have wolf hunger | to be very hungry |
| donner sa langue au chat | give your tongue to the cat | to give up guessing |
🎬 Mini Story
Pierre va au restaurant. Il attend Marie, mais elle ne vient pas. Elle lui a posé un lapin! Pierre a le cafard maintenant.
(Pierre goes to the restaurant. He waits for Marie, but she doesn’t come. She stood him up! Pierre feels sad now.)
💰 Money & Cost Idioms
| French | Literal | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| coûter les yeux de la tête | to cost the eyes of the head | to cost a fortune |
| avoir un poil dans la main | to have a hair in the hand | to be lazy |
Fun fact: If you’re so lazy that a hair has time to grow in your hand… you’re REALLY lazy!
😊 Feelings & States
| French | Literal | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| être dans la lune | to be in the moon | to daydream |
| tomber dans les pommes | to fall in the apples | to faint |
| avoir le cœur sur la main | heart on hand | to be generous |
| mettre les pieds dans le plat | put feet in the dish | to say something awkward |
🗣️ Speaking & Communication
| French | Literal | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tourner autour du pot | turn around the pot | to beat around the bush |
| appeler un chat un chat | call a cat a cat | to speak frankly |
| ce n’est pas la mer à boire | it’s not the sea to drink | it’s not that hard |
⏰ Time & Timing
| French | Literal | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| en un clin d’œil | in a wink of eye | very quickly |
| quand les poules auront des dents | when chickens have teeth | never (pigs fly!) |
🎯 The Golden Rule
Here’s the most important thing to remember:
Idioms are like puzzles—you can’t solve them by looking at each piece separately. You need to see the whole picture!
When you hear “Il fait un froid de canard,” don’t think about ducks. Think: BRRR! It’s FREEZING!
🚀 Quick Practice Scenarios
Scenario 1: Your friend is daydreaming in class.
- You say: “Tu es dans la lune!” (You’re in the moon!)
Scenario 2: Someone asks if a task is hard.
- You say: “Ce n’est pas la mer à boire!” (It’s not the sea to drink!)
Scenario 3: It’s absolutely pouring rain outside.
- You say: “Il pleut des cordes!” (It’s raining ropes!)
🎉 You Did It!
You now know the secret language that French people use every day. These aren’t in textbooks—they’re in real conversations, movies, and songs.
Next time you hear a French person talk about cockroaches, ropes, or ducks… you’ll know exactly what they really mean! 🇫🇷
Remember: Language isn’t just words. It’s culture, humor, and creativity all wrapped together. And now you have the keys to unlock it!
graph TD A["French Idioms"] --> B["Verb Expressions"] A --> C["Idiomatic Phrases"] B --> D["avoir = feelings"] B --> E["faire = weather/activities"] B --> F["être = states"] B --> G["prendre = consuming"] C --> H["Animal Idioms"] C --> I["Weather Idioms"] C --> J["Feeling Idioms"]