Well-Known French Idioms and Their Meanings

Common French sayings and idioms are probably one of the best ways to make your speech more natural and free-flowing. Learning them matters, especially when you've already mastered the basics, like the alphabet and grammar. In today's article, we've compiled a list of French idioms you can use in various circumstances.

The Best French Idioms Related to Animals

Our little furry (or not) friends can be frequently found in numerous French sayings. And the best thing is that these sayings can mean absolutely anything. Here are some of our favorite ones.

• Quand les poules auront des dents – [kɑ̃le puləz‿ ɔɾõde dɑ̃] – When chickens have teeth.

Can you imagine? Thank god they don't! That's why this popular idiom describes something very unlikely to happen. The closest equivalent will be one well-known English expression, "when pigs fly."

• Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter – [avwaɾ dotɾə ʃaz‿ a fwɛte] – To have other cats to whip.

Or, as English-speaking people would say, "to have other fish to fry." This idiom is mostly used to say that you have more important things to handle.

• Avoir le cafard – [avwaʁ lə kafaʁ] – To have a cockroach.

Would you be happy to have one? Probably not. That's why, in French, they use this phrase to say that someone or they are very sad. Its closest English equivalents are "to be down in the dumps" or "to feel blue."

Famous French Expressions About Food

French food is another thing people like about the country, so there's no wonder why there are so many food-related idioms and sayings. Take a look at the ones we like the most.

• Raconter des salades – [ʁakɔ̃te de salad] – To tell salad.

Lies, lies, it's all about lies. This popular expression means to tell stories or straightforward untruths, especially when someone tries to make their story more incredible. The English version of this phrase would be "to spin a yarn."

• Ne pas avoir un radis – [nə pa avwaʁ œ̃ ʁadi] – To not have a radish.

In English, we can call money cabbage or dough. In French, they might use the word radish. So not having one means being dead broke, like saying you don't have a penny.

• Lâcher la grappe – [laʃe la ɡʁap] – To lay off the grape.

The last one on this list is a beautiful and very French way to ask someone to leave you alone, give you a break, get off your back, and yada yada yada. 

French Idioms About the Weather

In any language, the weather is not only a good subject for small talk but also a popular topic of numerous idioms. French, of course, is no exception. Here are some famous French sayings about it.

• Il pleut des hallebardes – [il pløde aləbaɾdə] – It's raining spears.

The first one is a French equivalent of probably one of the most famous English idioms, "It's raining cats and dogs." It's also used to describe a hefty rain. Such a choice of words is because raindrops might look like sharp and pointy spears.

• S'attirer les foudres de quelqu'un – [s‿atiʁe le fudʁ də kɛlkœ̃] – To attract one's lightning.

Although it might sound slightly similar to the English idiom "to steal one's thunder," it has a different definition. It means to attract someone's reproach or provoke an angry response from another person.

• Un vent a décorner les bœufs – [​​œ̃ vət‿a dekɔɾne le bœf] – A wind to dehorn the cattle.

Ah, those poor animals. This simple idiom is straightforward – it describes extremely windy weather.

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French Idiomatic Expressions About Feelings

Many people still struggle with expressing their feelings in their native language, let alone a foreign one. However, using idioms might be really helpful in that case. Here are some popular French phrases that will come in handy. 

• Ne pas être dans son assiette – [nə paz‿ɛtɾə dɑ̃ sõn‿asjɛtə] – To not be in one's plate.

When you feel under the weather, weird, or not like yourself, this French idiom is a perfect way to express it. It can be used with different pronouns, so you can also say it when someone else feels that way.

• Avoir la pêche – [avwaʁ la pɛʃ] – To have the peach.

You know those amazing days when you feel great, are full of energy, and everything seems amazing? That's what French speakers call having the peach!

• Être de bon poil/être de mauvais pois – [ɛtɾə də bõ pwal/ɛtɾə də move pwa] – To be of good/bad hair.

We've decided to add both expressions to the list since they're quite similar, although describing two opposite states of mind. As you can guess from the context, the first one is used to tell that you're in a good mood, and the second – that you're in a bad one.

Wonderful French Idioms About Love

Talking about feelings, especially in French, and not mentioning love already feels like a crime. So, of course, we can't possibly do it! Here are some romantic and love-related idioms worthy of your attention.

• Avoir un cœur d'artichout – [avwaʁ ɛ̃ kœʁ daʁtiʃo] – To have a heart of an artichoke.

Some people might call you a hopeless romantic. Others might say that you have emophilia. And French people will say that you have an artichoke's heart. Yeah, it might not make sense, but it is still a popular idiom to describe someone who tends to fall in love easily.

• Être fleur bleue – [ɛtʁ flœʁ blø] – To be a blue flower.

This one is a bit similar to the previous idiom. It describes someone who is very sentimental, emotional, and extremely romantic.

• Poser un lapin – [poze œ̃ lapɛ̃] – To put down a rabbit.

Okay, the last one might not be very romantic, but it is still slightly related to love and dating, so we can't skip it. It is used in those unpleasant situations when someone pulls a no-show, standing you up.

Mastering French and More with Promova

While idioms are a great way to expand your vocabulary and sound more natural in a foreign language, to reach the desired level of fluency, you also need to focus on other essential skills, like reading, listening, speaking, pronunciation, etc. And with the convenient Promova platform, you can easily do it anywhere and anytime you want!

Our app is created by language professionals to help you reach your linguistic goals. Within the application, you can learn French, Spanish, Korean, Arabic, English, and many other languages. Access engaging interactive lessons and memorize the essentials with ease.

We focus on bite-sized learning, allowing you to spend only a few minutes a day and still get the desired results. But this way, you don't feel overwhelmed by the exhausting amount of unnecessary information. Instead, you focus on the things that really matter. The application is available for both iOS and Android devices, so you can access it from any convenient gadget. Install the Promova app now and enjoy your exciting learning experience!

Conclusion

Summing up, the French language is full of numerous idioms on various topics for different situations. We hope that with the help of today's article, you'll be able to memorize some popular sayings and implement them into your daily conversations. And that's it for now! We're looking forward to meeting you in the next article.