25 FUNNY FRENCH IDIOMS TRANSLATED

LITERALLY

Lost in translation? “Don’t have a

cockroach”. Here are 25 hilarious French
expressions translated literally with their
English counterparts.
French is such a beautiful language, but I think we often
overlook the French sense of humour which is omnipresent in
their colourful expressions. Picking up common French
expressions are a great way to learn more about the
personality of French people and their culture. I’ve come
across a lot of vulgar and offensive expressions, but I’ve
tried to keep this article clean.
Let’s take a look at some funny French idioms.

1. He’s running on my bean

Translation: Il me court sur le haricot
Meaning: He’s annoying me
English Equivalent: He’s getting
on my nerves

2. To pedal in semolina
Translation: Pédaler dans la semoule
Meaning: Have trouble doing something
English Equivalent: To go around in circles

3. The habit doesn’t make the monk

Translation: L’habit ne fait pas le moine
Meaning: Appearances can be deceiving
English Equivalent: The suit doesn’t make the man
4. To have the ass
surrounded by noodles
Translation: Avoir le cul bordé de nouilles
Meaning: To be very lucky
English Equivalent: To be a lucky so-and-so

5. To have the cockroach

Translation: Avoir le cafard
Meaning: To feel down
English Equivalent: To feel blue

6. To be in beautiful sheets
Translation: Être dans de beaux draps
Meaning: To be in a bad situation
English Equivalent: Be in a right mess, be up the creek
without a paddle
7. To make cheese out of it
Translation: En faire tout un fromage
Meaning: To make a big deal out of something
English Equivalent: Kick up a huge fuss

8. It doesn’t break three legs of a duck

Translation: Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard
Meaning: It’s not that incredible
English Equivalent: Nothing to write home about

9. Pissing in a violin
Translation: Pisser dans un violon
Meaning: To waste time on something futile
English Equivalent: Waste your breath, talk to a wall
 10. Mind your
onions
Translation: Mêle-toi de tes oignons!
Meaning: Not to interfere or ask anything personal
English Equivalent: Mind your own business

11. It’s raining ropes

Translation: Il pleut des cordes
Meaning: It’s raining a lot
English Equivalent: It’s raining cats and dogs

12. Let’s come back to our sheep

Translation: Revenons à nos moutons
Meaning: To go back to the original topic of conversation
English Equivalent: Let’s get back to business, get back on track

13. To have one’s ass between two

chairs
Translation: Avoir le cul entre deux chaises
Meaning: To be undecided
English Equivalent: Sitting on the fence

14. Fingers in the

nose
Translation: Les doigts
dans le nez
Meaning:  Easy to do
English Equivalent: With
one hand tied behind your
back, a piece of cake
15. To put a rabbit
Translation: Poser un lapin
Meaning: Not to show up to
your date
English Equivalent: Stand
somebody up
 16. It gives me a beautiful leg
Translation: Ça me fait une belle jambe
Meaning: Not to care, couldn’t care less
English Equivalent: A fat lot of good that will do me

17. To be round as a shovel handle

Translation: être rond comme une queue de pelle
Meaning: That someone is very very drunk

English Equivalent: Drunk as a skunk

18. Sing like a saucepan

Translation: Chanter comme une casserole
Meaning: Someone who really can’t sing
English Equivalent: Sing flat
19. Eat the dandelions by the root
Translation: Manger les pissenlits par la racine
Meaning: To be dead
English Equivalent: Push up daisies

20. Drown the fish

Translation: Noyer le poisson
Meaning: Avoid a subject by talking about everything and anything else.
English Equivalent: Confuse the issue

21. Don’t push Granny into the nettles!

Translation: Faut pas pousser mamie dans les orties
Meaning: Don’t go too far don’t exaggerate
English Equivalent: Don’t push it!

 
22. To get or receive a rake
Translation: Se prendre un râteau
Meaning: To fail in an attempt
English Equivalent: Get knocked back, be shot down in flames

23. To swallow snakes

Translation: Avaler des couleuvres
Meaning: To be gullible
English Equivalent: A dumb bunny

24. Make a
fish tail
Translation: Faire
une queue de
poisson
Meaning: Over take
someone closely
English
Equivalent: Cut
someone off

25. It’s the end

of the beans
Translation: C’est la
fin des haricots
Meaning: Nothing
more can be done
English
Equivalent: Game
over!
81 Funny French Idioms Explained in
English

Do you want to speak French like a native? Mastering French idioms can help. Idioms are
sayings and expressions with meaning beyond their literal translations. Your ability to
understand and use idiomatic phrases may make the difference between acceptance into
the inner circle of a group of French friends.

For example, let's say somebody told you to "aller se faire cuire un œuf!" Literally, that
means to "go and cook yourself an egg". But the meaning is quite different to a French
person and you would do well to know. Each language has its funny sayings that mean
something different from their literal meaning. Some French phrases can be understood
because of a specific context. Using others French sayings out of context might just put
you in an embarrassing situation! 

We've compiled a list of the most commonly used French idioms to help you talk like a
native. If you want to keep these sayings in your pocket, you might want to try French
Translator & Dictionary + by Vidalingua. You can download it for free on
your iPhone or Android.

aller se faire cuire un œuf – to go jump in the lake

Literally: to go and cook yourself an egg

appeler un chat un chat – to call a spade a spade

Literally: to call a cat a cat
apporter de l'eau au moulin de quelqu'un – to add grist to somebody's mill
Literally: to bring water to somebody's mill

apprendre à un vieux singe à faire des grimaces – to teach granny to suck eggs
Literally: to teach an old monkey to make funny faces

arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe – to arrive at the worst possible moment
Literally: to arrive like a hair on the soup

avoir d’autres chats à fouetter – to have bigger fish to fry

Literally: to have further cats to whip

avoir le cafard – to be in the doldrums

Literally: to have the cockroach

avoir la chair de poule – to have goose bumps

(Literally: to have chicken flesh

avoir un chat dans la gorge – to have a frog in your throat

Literally: to have a cat in your throat

avoir un coup de foudre – to feel love at first sight

Literally: to be hit by lightning

avoir deux mains gauches – to be all thumbs

Literally: to have two left hands
avoir la gueule de bois – to have a hangover
Literally: to have a wooden mug

avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez – to lose your rag

Literally: to have the mustard climbing up to the nose

avoir du pain sur la planche – to have a lot on your plate

Literally: to have bread on the board

avoir la pêche/patate/frite – to be full of beans

Literally: to have the peach/potato/fry

avoir un poil dans la main – to be bone-lazy

Literally: to have a hair in the hand

avoir la tête dans le pâté/le cul – to feel groggy

Literally: to have one’s head/arse in the pâté

avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre – to bite off more than you can chew
Literally: to have eyes bigger than your stomach

battre le fer tant qu’il est chaud – to strike while the iron is hot
Literally: to strike the iron while it is hot

boire comme un trou – to drink like a fish

Literally: to drink like a hole

casser les pieds à quelqu’un – to drive somebody nuts

Literally: to break somebody’s feet

casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu’un – to badmouth somebody behind somebody's

back
Literally: to break sugar on somebody’s back

changer de crèmerie – to take one’s custom elsewhere

Literally: to go to another dairy shop

chat échaudé craint l'eau froide – once bitten, twice shy

Literally: a burned cat is afraid of cold water

chercher la petite bête – to split hairs

Literally: to look for the bug

courir sur le haricot de quelqu’un – to get on somebody’s nerves

Literally: to run on somebody’s bean

coûter les yeux de la tête – to cost an arm and a leg

Literally: to cost the eyes in your head

les doigts dans le nez – fingers in the nose

Literally: fingers in the nose

donner de la confiture aux cochons – to cast pearls before swine

Literally: to give marmelade to the pigs

en avoir ras-le bol – to be fed up to the back teeth

Literally: to have it very close to the edge of the bowl

en faire tout un fromage/plat – to make a mountain out of a molehill

Literally: to make a whole cheese/dish with it

enfoncer une porte ouverte – to whip a dead horse

Literally: to push an open door

engueuler quelqu'un comme du poisson pourri – to give somebody a rollicking

Literally: to tell somebody off as he/she was rotten fish

entrer quelque part comme dans un moulin – to waltz in somewhere as you please
Literally: to go inside a place as inside a mill

être le dindon de la farce – to be the butt of the joke

Literally: to be the turkey of stuffing

être au four et au moulin – to wear too many hats

Literally: to be at the same time at the oven and the mill

être long(ue) à la détente – to be slow on the uptake

Literally: to be slow on the trigger

être à l’ouest/à la ramasse – to run on empty

Literally: to be in the west/picked up

ne faire qu’une bouchée de quelqu’un – to wipe the floor with somebody

Literally: to make one bite of somebody
faire une queue de poisson – to cut somebody up
Literally: to make a fishtail

faire la grasse matinée – to have a lie-in

Literally: to make a fat morning

finir en queue de poisson – to fizzle out

Literally: to end like a fishtail

la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase – the final straw that breaks the camel’s back
Literally: the water drop that makes the vase overflow

l’habit ne fait pas le moine – you can't judge a book by its cover
Literally: clothes don’t make the monk

il faut souffrir pour être belle – no pain, no gain

Literally: one has to go through pain to be beautiful

jeter l’argent par les fenêtres – to poor money down the drain
Literally: to throw money out of the window

jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain – to throw the baby out with the bath water
Literally: to throw the baby away together with the bath water

jeter l’éponge – to throw in the towel

Literally: to throw the sponge away
mener quelqu’un en bateau – to lead someone up to the garden path
Literally: to take somebody to a boat ride

mettre la charrue avant les boeufs – put the cart before the horse
Literally: to put the cart before the oxen

mettre son grain de sel – to put in two cents

Literally: to put one’s grain of salt

ne pas être dans son assiette – to feel under the weather

Literally: not to be in your plate

ne pas y aller avec le dos de la cuillère – not to go in with half measures

Literally: not to go with the back of the spoon

ne pas avoir la lumière à tous les étages – the lights are on but nobody’s home
Literally: not to have light at all floors

ne pas casser trois pattes à un canard – nothing to write home about

(Literally: not to break three legs at a duck

ne pas être sorti de l’auberge – not to be out of the woods

Literally: not to be out of the inn

pas avoir de quoi fouetter un chat – no need to get your knickers in a twist
Literally: not need to whip a cat

passer du coq à l’âne – to jump from pillar to post

Literally: to switch from the rooster to the donkey

passer l'arme à gauche – to kick the bucket

Literally: to pass your weapon on the left side

péter un câble – to blow a fuse

Literally: to break a wire

petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid – little strokes fell great oaks
Literally: little by little, the bird builds his nest

plumer quelqu'un – to take somebody to the cleaner's

Literally: to pluck somebody

poser un lapin – to stand someone up

Literally: to put a rabbit down

prendre ses jambes à son cou – to take your heels

Literally: to take your legs up to your neck

quand les poules auront des dents – when pigs fly

Literally: when chickens have teeth

à quelque chose malheur est bon – every cloud has a silver lining
Literally: misfortune has to be good for something

qui vole un œuf vole un bœuf – give somebody a inch and he/she will take a mile
Literally: someone who steals an egg steals an ox
raconter des salades – to spin a yarn
Literally: to tell salads

ramener sa fraise – to stick your oar in

Literally: to bring your strawberry back

rendre l'âme – to give up the ghost

Literally: to give the soul back

revenir à ses moutons – to get back on topic

Literally: to go back to one’s sheep

rouler quelqu’un dans la farine – to cook somebody's goose

Literally: to make somebody roll up in flour

se jeter dans la gueule du loup – to throw oneself in the lion's den

Literally: to throw oneself in the wolf's mouth

se mettre sur son 31 – to be dressed up to the nines

Literally: to put yourself on your 31

se serrer la ceinture – to tighten one’s belt

Literally: to tighten one’s belt

s’occuper de ses oignons – to mind your own business

Literally: to look after your onions
un tien vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras – a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Literally: one which is yours is better than two that will be yours

tomber dans le panneau – to fall into the trap

Literally: to fall into the sign

tomber dans les pommes – to faint

Literally: to fall in the apples

tourner au vinaigre – to turn sour

Literally: to turn into vinegar

traîner quelqu’un dans la boue – to drag somebody’s name in the mud

Literally: to drag somebody in the mud

vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué – to count your chickens before they
hatch
Literally: to sell the bear's skin before it chats been killed
 26 Common French Idioms to Sound
Like a Real Native Speaker
1. Chapeau!
The French word for hat also works when offering congratulations to
someone. Use it to describe what’s on your head, or go outside the
literal when offering a well done to your friends and family.
Example sentence: Je vous tire mon chapeau!
English translation: I have to say congratulations!
 
2. Au pif
English speakers may take an estimate or venture a guess when
approximating a figure. In French, at the nose will do just the same.
Another fun fact, the word pif would loosely equate to a nickname
for the nose like schnoz in English.
Example sentence: Au pif je dirais 300.
English translation: I’d say 600 at a guess.
 
3. Coup de foudre
The direct translation relates to a bolt of lightning or a thunderbolt,
but this common French idiom is best used to describe those
whirlwind loves the French are known so well for.
Example sentence: C’était le coup de foudre.
English translation: She says it was love at first sight.
 
4. Avoir le cafard
In French, you have the cockroach when you are feeling down,
homesick, or generally just melancholy. When your day lacks the
quality it usually possesses, use this common French idiom to get
the message across.
Example sentence: Comment peux-tu avoir le cafard?
English translation: How could you be homesick?
 
5. Dans son assiette, or Ne pas être dans son
assiette
This is the phrase to use when you want to express that you aren’t
feeling yourself today. French speakers may also use the common
idiom Ne pas être dans son assiette when conveying this meaning
as well. To say you have a bad cold, try J’ai un rhume carabiné.
Example sentence: Je suis vraiment navrée, mais Thierry ne se sent
pas dans son assiette.
English translation: I’m terribly sorry, but Thierry’s feeling under the
weather.
 
6. Avoir un faim de loup
This idiom closely mirrors a popular Duran Duran song, and it’s not
Electric Barbarella. When you have the hunger of a wolf, you’re
starving.
Example sentence: Le varappeur avait une faim de loup.
English translation: The Mountaineer was hungry as a wolf
 
7. Arrêtez de raconter des salades
This French idiom is commonly used by native speakers to discuss
lying, liars, or other con artist type acts. In French, it’s called stop
telling salads.
Example sentence: Ils n’arrêtent pas de raconter des salades à son
sujet.
English translation: They don’t stop telling stories about this guy.
 
8. Du jour au lendemain
Life happens in an instant, and when it does, use this common idiom
when conveying your feelings in French. While the translation closer
reflects overnight, use this line when expressing the occasions that
happen out of the blue.
Example sentence: Tu peux pas arrêter comme ça, du jour au
lendemain.
English translation: You just can’t suddenly stop.
 
9. Fais gaffe!
This common French idiom is a 2-for-1. When you want to tell
someone to be careful or watch out, fais gaffe works well. If you
add une (fais une gaffe), now you are talking about making a
mistake. Though, you will likely hear the first version more often.
Example sentence: Jo, fais gaffe!
English translation: Jo, look out!
 
10. Vous arrivez comme un cheveu sur la soupe
When you arrive like a hair in the soup, you’re appearing at just the
wrong moment. When that happens, this common French idiom will
do the trick when summarizing the scenario.
Example sentence: Mais je tombe comme un cheveu sur la soupe.
English translation: But I see I may have come at a bad time.
 
11. Quand on parle du loup
The French use this common idiom when one speaks about the wolf.
In English, we’re often speaking of the devil when someone you
were just talking about enters the room.
Example sentence: Quand on parle du loup.
English translation: Speak of the devil, the man himself.
 
12. Rien à cirer
When you just don’t care about a person, situation, or anything else
in the world, this is the idiom many French speakers commonly use.
Example sentence: Rien à cirer, je me tire!
English translation: I don’t care, I’m leaving!
 
13. Tu m’étonnes
This idiom works well when either describing the feeling of being
surprised or when asking someone to surprise you.
Example sentence: Tu m’étonnes, Marcel.
English translation: You surprise me, Marcel
 
14. Aux calendes grecques
While the literal translation first day of the Greek calendar, this
common French idiom represents the unlikelihood of an event
happening. In English, we often use when pigs fly. When using this
idiom, French speakers often add renvoyer to change the meaning
to an indefinite delay.
Example sentence: La question a été renvoyée aux calendes
grecques.
English translation: The matter kept being put off.
 
15. Se creuser la tête
Whether you are racking your brain or thinking over a manner, this
is the French idiom to use. It covers a wealth of similar phrases that
represent a time when you are thinking things over.
Example sentence: Tu n’as pas à te creuser la tête.
English translation: You don’t have to think about it or anything
 
16. Il pleut des cordes!
In English, we say it’s raining cats and dogs. In French, this common
idiom typically represents a heavy rain – often meaning it’s raining
some ropes!
Example sentence: Mince, il pleut des cordes.
English translation: Man, it’s coming down.
 
17. J’ai la puce à l’oreille
Whether you are a detective or just a common French speaker with
a hunch, this idiom does the trick when you suspect something is
afoot or are suspicious of something.
Example sentence: Ce qui leur a mis la puce à l’oreille.
English translation: You made them suspicious in the process.
 
18. Appeler un chat un chat
If you or someone you know speaks their mind, use this idiom to
describe them aptly. In English, it’s calling a spade a spade, but in
French you’d be saying, to call a cat, a cat.
Example sentence: Il faut appeler un chat un chat.
English translation: It is necessary to call a cat a cat.
 
19. Revenons à nos moutons
The translation may be suggesting that we return to our sheep, but
this common French idiom works best when asking the stay on
topic. Use this one whenever a meeting goes off the rails, or if you
have a friend that loves to veer off topic.
Example sentence: Pour le moment, revenons à nos moutons.
English translation: For now, let’s get back to the topic at hand.
 
20. Tenez-moi au courant
This is a great way to ask your friends or colleagues to keep me
posted. It also works as a suitable replacement when asking
someone to let me know.
Example sentence: Tenez-moi au courant, je suis inquiète.
English translation: Keep me posted, I’m worried.
 
21. Tu es une poule mouillée!
Know someone that lacks a, well, spine? This is the not so nice idiom
a French speaker uses when calling someone a chicken – or in the
case of the French, a wet hen.
Example sentence: Le dernier est une poule mouillée!
English translation: Last one in is a chicken!
 
22. La goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase
When you’ve hit your breaking point, over the edge, at the last
straw, use this to express your emotions. In French, it’s the drop of
water that makes the vase overflow.
Example sentence: C’est la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase.
English translation: All right, that’s the last straw.
 
23. Je me fais un sang d’encre
When life has you worrying, or feeling like a nervous wreck, this
common French idiom is the perfect way to sound like a native
speaker while expressing your extreme emotional moment.
Example sentence: Je me fais un sang d’encre pour Arsene.
English translation: It’s just that I’m worried sick about Arsene.
 
24. Vous perdez la boule
Speaking of the last French idiom, this one can work to explain to a
friend that their worrying has made them go crazy. In French, they
call it losing the bowl.
Example sentence: Vous perdez la boule, Chloe.
English translation: You’re losing it, Chloe.
 
25. Devenir chèvre
In French, it becomes a goat, but when the situation is out of
control, the kids are going bananas, or the office is going berserk
this common French idiom does the trick. It also works to describe
the emotions you may feel once the situation reaches this point.
Example sentence: Je vais devenir chèvre!
English translation: I am going insane!
 
26. L’habit ne fait pas le moine
This common idiom is used by French speakers that relate to a few
English idioms. Think of this one as an excellent use for both you
can’t judge a book by its cover and the suit doesn’t make the man.
Example sentence: L’habit ne fait pas le moine.
English translation: I guess the suit doesn’t make the man.
 TOP 10 PHRASES TO NEVER SAY IN FRENCH
[CHEAT-SHEET]

Even the best of us linguists make mistakes. Like any

learning process, it’s by making mistakes that we learn.
Avoid making a faux pas with these top 10 French phrases
to never say.
When we are starting out speaking a foreign language we often tend to translate
things literally. We assume, if not hope, that we are communicating exactly what we’ve
intended. But, if we’re not careful we may end up making a faux pas. This can either
induce fits of laughter from those we are speaking too or make them flush in
embarrassment. With that in mind, I’ve created a list of common French phrases which
can slip up even the best of us.
Here are some tips on how to avoid the worst pitfalls! When you’re done with these, you
can start throwing in some phrases the French love saying.
1. Don’t Use “Tu” When You Should Use “Vous”
In French, the words tu (tew) and vous (vew) both mean you. In English, the word you
can be used to address any person or number of people, whatever the age, social
status etc of that person. However, in French, the word you use for you depends on the
person being addressed (spoken/written to).
There are a few exceptions on how tu and vous are used, but in general tu is used for
talking to children and friends and vous is for talking to adults in a formal setting (eg.
colleagues, boss, teacher) and to strangers.
For example, when you meet a new business partner and want to say “How are you?”
you say Comment allez-vous? (koh-mahN-tah-ley-vooh?), not Comment vas-
tu? (kohmahN vah-tew?).
If you use the familiar form in the wrong situations you’ll be perceived as uneducated; in
the worst cases, your listeners may even take it as an insult!

There is one way that you can detect if the other party is willing to switch to using the
informal tense which either you or they can initiate with this simple phrase, Mais on
peut se tutoyer! (meh ohN puh suh tew-twah-yey!) meaning “But, we can use the
familiar form with each other!”.
The response to this phrase will give you the green light on how you will address each
other in the future. If someone says this to you ensure you reply positively as turning the
offer down would be considered insulting!

2. Don’t Use “Bonne nuit!” for Good-Bye

So, it’s the end of an evening out with your friends and you want to say Good night!
Even though Bonne nuit!(bohhn nwee) does mean “Good night”, unless you mean to
make a point of the fact that you are going straight to bed it’s better so use Au
revoir! (ohr-vwahr) meaning Goodbye! or Bonsoir! (bohN-swahr) for Good evening!.
3. Don’t Use “Garçon” or “Porteur”
Unless you want to offend the waiter, then don’t call out Garçon! (gahr-sohN!) meaning
Boy! Same goes for calling airport and train station staff porteur (pohr-tuhr) meaning
“porter”.
Attendants absolutely hate being referred to by these terms, which are considered
condescending. A more polite alternative is to say monsieur (muh-syuh) meaning Sir.
4. Don’t Say “Je suis excité(e)” When You’re Excited
I have to admit that I learned this one the hard way. Luckily I said it amongst friends and
they were all to happy to correct me after an interval of laughs.

If you are excited about something, don’t say Je suis excité/excitée (juh swee-zehk-
see-tey) which literally means “I am excited sexually”.
There isn’t an equivalent phrase in French for “I’m excited” but you can convey the
same sentiment by saying J’ai hâte de… (jhey aht duh…) meaning “I look forward to..”,
or Je suis très heureux/heureuse… (jhuh swee treh-zuh-ruh/uh-ruhz…) for “I am very
happy…”.
5. Don’t Say “Je suis chaud(e)/froid(e)” When You’re Hot or
Cold
Similar to the previous phrase on being excited, saying Je suis chaud/chaude (jzhuh
swee shoh / shohd) meaning “I am hot” or Je suis froid/froide (jeh swee frwah /
frwahd) for “I am cold”, actually means that you’re in heat or frigid!
If you’re feeling hot then replace the verb  être with avoir and say J’ai chaud (jhey
shoh) or J’ai froid (jhey frwah).
6. Don’t Say “Je suis plein/e” to Mean You’re Full
Even if you feel pregnant after having a large meal and want to refuse a second serving
avoid saying Je suis plein/pleine (jeh swee plahN/plehn) because you’re actually
saying “I am pregnant”.
Instead, you opt for J’ai fini (jhey fee-nee) “I’m finished” or J’ai assez/trop
mangé (jhey ah-sey/troh mahN-jhey) meaning “I ate enough/too much”.
7. Don’t Use “de la glace” to Request Ice
When you’re in a restaurant and you want ice cubes in your drink, you usually have to
say so. The trouble is, if you ask for de la glace (duh lah glahs), the waiter may ask
you Quel parfum? (kehl pahr-faN?) or Which flavor?.
The reason? In this context, la glace refers to ice cream. Instead, you want to request
des glaçons (dey glah-sohN) meaning “ice cubes”.
8. Don’t Use “Je suis…ans” to Tell Your Age
If someone asks you your age, don’t translate literally from the English and say Je suis
30 ans (jhuh swee trahN-tahN) (I am 30 years old.)
Instead, you must use the verb avoir (ah-vwahr) (to have) because the French say J’ai
30 ans (jzhey trahN-tahN) which literally means “I have 30 years”.
9. Don’t Ask for Change with “J’ai besoin de change”
Need change of a large bill? Then don’t say J’ai besoin de change (jhey buh-zwaN
duh shahNzh) because the listener may think you need a fresh set of clothes!
Instead, say J’ai besoin de monnaie (jhey buh-zwaN duh moh-neh) (I need change)
or J’ai besoin de faire du change(jhey buh-zwaN duh fehr doo shaan-jeh) .
10. Using the Verb “Visiter” in Reference to People
One way to guarantee a good laugh when you’re telling someone that you’re going to
visit friends is to say something like Je vais visiter mon ami Paul (jhuh veh vee-zee-
tey mohN-nah-mee pohl).
Why so funny? Because the verb visiter (vee-zee-tey) (to visit) is used for places and
monuments , in other words for sightseeing, not for people.
You probably don’t plan to walk around your friend or your aunt in the same way that
you walk around a monument, right?

Instead, say Je vais voir Paul (jhuh veh vwahr pohl) meaning “I am going to see Paul”
or use the expression that is used to visit people, rendre visite à… (rahN-druh vee-
zeet ah) which means “to pay a visit to, to visit [a person]” as in Je vais rendre visite à
Paul (jhuh veh rahN-druh vee-zeet ah pohl) (I’m going to visit Paul).
 10 FRENCH PHRASES THE FRENCH LOVE
SAYING REVEALED!
After you get tuned into French a
little, you may suddenly hear
people use very French phrases
expressions that seem to just
sort of slip out at any given
occasion. You may even have
heard some of these already;
now it’s time to casually use
these French phrases yourself.
Once you’ve mastered phrases to never say in
French and laughed as some hilarious French
expressions, try adding these common 10
French phrases to your repertoire. Who knows,
you may even be taken for a native!
1. À mon avis

If you want to express your opinion in French,

you use this handy
phrase. À mon
avis (ah mohN-nah-
vee)means ‘in my
opinion’. You can use
the expression before
or after you state
your opinion.

2. C’est pas vrai

If you hear something that is hard to believe, you say C’est

pas vrai (seh pah vreh) (No way!, You don’t say!) This
expression’s literal meaning is ‘It is not true’. Note that,
grammatically, this expression should be Ce n’est pas
vrai (suh neh pah vreh); however, in oral French, the ne is
often omitted, and you only hear the pas.
 3. Avec plaisir
Avec plaisir (ah-vehk pleh-
zeer) means ‘with pleasure’,
and it’s a great way to accept
an invitation to lunch or to see a
film, for example. You can also
use this expression to show that
you are willing and happy to do
a favour for someone.
4. Bon appétit!
Bon appétit! (bohN-nah-pey-
tee!) literally means Good
appetite! However, it certainly is
not commenting on anyone’s
good or bad appetite. You use
this phrase when you begin to
eat or when you see someone
eating and want to express your
desire that that person enjoy the
meal. Bon appétit! is much like
the English ‘Enjoy!’ except that the French
say Bon appétit! much more freely.
5. C’est génial
Use C’est génial (seh jey-
nyahl) to convey excitement
about something. It means
‘It’s fantastic!’ or ‘It’s great!’.
It can also suggest that
something is really clever or,
as the British say, ‘It’s
brilliant’.
6. À votre santé
When the French raise their
glasses, they say À votre
santé (ah vohh-truh sahN-
tey) in the singular formal or
plural, or À ta santé (ah tah
sahN-tey) in the familiar
form. These phrases literally
mean ‘to your health’, but
their general meaning is the
same as their English
counterpart: ‘Cheers!’.
 7. À vos souhaits
When someone sneezes,
in English you say ‘Bless
you’. In French, you say À
vos souhaits (ah voh
sweh)(to your wishes),
which is more formal, or À
tes souhaits (ah tey
sweh), which is more
familiar or informal. Both
expressions mean that you
hope the sneezer’s wishes
come true.
8. Quelle horreur!
Quelle horreur! (kehl oh-
ruhr!) means ‘What a
horror!’. You use it not only
for real horrors but also to
express any kind of
disgust, as in these
expressions: ‘What a
terrible thought!’ ‘How
nasty!’ and ‘I can’t believe
it!’. You also use this
expression when something
looks, sounds, or smells
terrible.
9. À bientôt
The literal translation of À
bientôt (ah byaN-toh) is
‘Until soon’. You use this
expression when you
expect to see the departing
person within a reasonable
time frame.
10. Pas mal
Use pas mal (pah
mahl) (not bad) when you
want to express that
something isn’t great, but
it’s not terrible either;
instead it’s in-between. Generally, you use this phrase in response to someone asking
you how you are feeling or how things are going.