Discover the charm of the French language with this guide to 34 top French idioms. We’ll explore their pronunciations, literal translations, and the meanings behind these picturesque expressions.
34 Top French idioms
Here are the 34 idioms:
C’est la vie
- Pronunciation: say la vee
- Literal translation: That’s life
- Meaning: Such is life; an expression of acceptance of something that is not ideal but cannot be changed.
À la mode
- Pronunciation: ah la mode
- Literal translation: In the fashion
- Meaning: Fashionable or served with ice cream.
Cherchez la femme
- Pronunciation: share-shay la fam
- Literal translation: Look for the woman
- Meaning: Suggests that a woman is often the cause of or solution to any problem.
Coup de foudre
- Pronunciation: koo duh foodr
- Literal translation: Strike of lightning
- Meaning: Love at first sight.
Faux pas
- Pronunciation: foh pah
- Literal translation: False step
- Meaning: A social mistake or blunder.
Je ne sais quoi
- Pronunciation: zhuh nuh say kwah
- Literal translation: I don’t know what
- Meaning: An intangible quality that makes something distinctive or attractive.
Laissez-faire
- Pronunciation: less-ay fair
- Literal translation: Let do
- Meaning: An attitude of letting things take their own course, without interfering.
Ménage à trois
- Pronunciation: may-nazh ah twah
- Literal translation: Household of three
- Meaning: A domestic arrangement in which three people having romantic relations live together.
Déjà vu
- Pronunciation: day-zha voo
- Literal translation: Already seen
- Meaning: The feeling that one has lived through the present situation before.
Ennui
- Pronunciation: on-wee
- Literal translation: Boredom
- Meaning: A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
Joie de vivre
- Pronunciation: zhwa duh veevr
- Literal translation: Joy of living
- Meaning: Exuberant enjoyment of life.
Carte blanche
- Pronunciation: kart blonsh
- Literal translation: Blank card
- Meaning: Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best.
Bon voyage
- Pronunciation: bon voy-ahzh
- Literal translation: Good journey
- Meaning: Have a good trip.
Savoir-faire
- Pronunciation: sav-wahr fair
- Literal translation: Know how to do
- Meaning: The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations.
Tout de suite
- Pronunciation: too duh sweet
- Literal translation: All at once
- Meaning: Immediately; right away.
Coup d’état
- Pronunciation: koo day-tah
- Literal translation: Blow of state
- Meaning: A sudden decisive exercise of force in politics, especially the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group.
Bon appétit
- Pronunciation: bon ap-pay-tee
- Literal translation: Good appetite
- Meaning: Enjoy your meal.
À la carte
- Pronunciation: ah la kart
- Literal translation: According to the card
- Meaning: Referring to food that can be ordered as separate items, rather than part of a set meal.
Belle époque
- Pronunciation: bell ep-ok
- Literal translation: Beautiful era
- Meaning: A period of time characterized by high social, artistic, and cultural advancement.
Haute couture
- Pronunciation: oat koo-toor
- Literal translation: High sewing
- Meaning: Expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses.
Raison d’être
- Pronunciation: ray-zohn det-ra
- Literal translation: Reason to be
- Meaning: The most important reason for someone or something’s existence.
À gogo
- Pronunciation: ah go-go
- Literal translation: In abundance
- Meaning: In plenty; galore.
Plus ça change
- Pronunciation: ploo sa shanj
- Literal translation: The more it changes
- Meaning: The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Après-ski
- Pronunciation: ah-pray-skee
- Literal translation: After ski
- Meaning: Social activities and entertainment following a day’s skiing.
Tête-à-tête
- Pronunciation: tet-a-tet
- Literal translation: Head to head
- Meaning: A private conversation between two people.
Vive la différence
- Pronunciation: veev la dee-fay-ronce
- Literal translation: Long live the difference
- Meaning: An appreciation of difference, particularly between the sexes.
Esprit de corps
- Pronunciation: es-pree duh kor
- Literal translation: Spirit of the body
- Meaning: A feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group.
Fait accompli
- Pronunciation: fet ah-kom-plee
- Literal translation: Accomplished fact
- Meaning: Something that has already been done and cannot be changed.
À pied
- Pronunciation: ah pyay
- Literal translation: On foot
- Meaning: Walking or to walk.
Nuit blanche
- Pronunciation: nwee blonsh
- Literal translation: White night
- Meaning: A sleepless night.
Sans souci
- Pronunciation: san soo-see
- Literal translation: Without care
- Meaning: Free from worry or trouble.
Coup de grâce
- Pronunciation: koo duh grahss
- Literal translation: Blow of mercy
- Meaning: A final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person or animal.
Vis-à-vis
- Pronunciation: vee-zah-vee
- Literal translation: Face to face
- Meaning: In relation to; compared with.
Quelle horreur
- Pronunciation: kell or-reur
- Literal translation: What horror
- Meaning: An expression of dismay or disgust.
We hope this list enriches your understanding of French idioms, adding color and depth to your conversations or readings. Enjoy using these expressions to express yourself with a touch of French flair!