Welcome to our guide on 25 romantic French idioms! Whether you’re learning French or just curious about how love is expressed in the language of romance, this list will explore charming phrases complete with their pronunciation, literal translations, and meanings.
25 Romantic French idioms
Here are the 25 idioms:
Tomber amoureux/amoureuse
- Pronunciation: tohm-bay ah-moo-ruh/ah-moo-rehz
- Literal Translation: to fall in love
- Meaning: To fall in love
Avoir un coup de foudre
- Pronunciation: ah-vwar uh(n) koo duh food-ruh
- Literal Translation: to have a stroke of lightning
- Meaning: Love at first sight
Vivre d’amour et d’eau fraîche
- Pronunciation: vee-vruh dah-moor ay doh fresh
- Literal Translation: to live on love and fresh water
- Meaning: To live on very little, being happy with just the presence of love
Avoir des papillons dans le ventre
- Pronunciation: ah-vwar day pah-pee-yon dahn luh vahn-truh
- Literal Translation: to have butterflies in the stomach
- Meaning: To feel nervous or excited, especially in a romantic context
Être fou amoureux/folle amoureuse
- Pronunciation: eht-ruh foo ah-moo-ruh/foh-luh ah-moo-rehz
- Literal Translation: to be madly in love
- Meaning: To be deeply in love
Poser un lapin
- Pronunciation: poh-zay uhn lah-pahn
- Literal Translation: to put a rabbit
- Meaning: To stand someone up
Mon petit chou
- Pronunciation: mohn puh-tee shoo
- Literal Translation: my little cabbage
- Meaning: A term of endearment, similar to “sweetheart” or “darling”
Roucouler
- Pronunciation: roo-koo-lay
- Literal Translation: to coo
- Meaning: To coo like doves, often used to describe lovers whispering sweet nothings
Déclarer sa flamme
- Pronunciation: day-kla-ray sah flahm
- Literal Translation: to declare one’s flame
- Meaning: To confess one’s love
Filer le parfait amour
- Pronunciation: fee-lay luh par-fay ah-moor
- Literal Translation: to spin the perfect love
- Meaning: To have a perfect, trouble-free relationship
Être le doudou de quelqu’un
- Pronunciation: eht-ruh luh doo-doo duh kel-kuhn
- Literal Translation: to be someone’s comfort object
- Meaning: To be very dear or comforting to someone
Avoir le béguin
- Pronunciation: ah-vwar luh bay-gehn
- Literal Translation: to have the crush
- Meaning: To have a crush on someone
Conter fleurette
- Pronunciation: kohn-tay fluh-ret
- Literal Translation: to tell little flowers
- Meaning: To flirt or woo with sweet words
Être aux anges
- Pronunciation: eht-ruh oh zahnzh
- Literal Translation: to be with the angels
- Meaning: To be extremely happy
Voler un baiser
- Pronunciation: voh-lay uhn bye-zay
- Literal Translation: to steal a kiss
- Meaning: To kiss someone unexpectedly
Être fait l’un pour l’autre
- Pronunciation: eht-ruh feh loon poor lohtr
- Literal Translation: to be made one for the other
- Meaning: To be perfect for each other
Passer la bague au doigt
- Pronunciation: pah-say lah bah-guh oh dwah
- Literal Translation: to put the ring on the finger
- Meaning: To get married
S’envoyer en l’air
- Pronunciation: san-vwa-yay ahn lehr
- Literal Translation: to send oneself in the air
- Meaning: To have a sexual encounter
Avoir un cœur d’artichaut
- Pronunciation: ah-vwar uhn kur dar-tee-show
- Literal Translation: to have a heart of an artichoke
- Meaning: To fall in love easily
Perdre la tête
- Pronunciation: pair-druh lah tet
- Literal Translation: to lose the head
- Meaning: To go crazy, often from love or excitement
Tirer les vers du nez
- Pronunciation: tee-ray lay vair doo nay
- Literal Translation: to pull worms from the nose
- Meaning: To extract secrets, often by coaxing or questioning
La lune de miel
- Pronunciation: lah loon duh mee-ell
- Literal Translation: the honey moon
- Meaning: Honeymoon
Flirter
- Pronunciation: fleer-tay
- Literal Translation: to flirt
- Meaning: To flirt
L’amour rend aveugle
- Pronunciation: lah-moor rahn dah-vuhgl
- Literal Translation: love makes blind
- Meaning: Love is blind
Embrasser sur la bouche
- Pronunciation: ahm-brah-say sir lah boosh
- Literal Translation: to kiss on the mouth
- Meaning: To kiss on the lips
We hope this collection of 25 romantic French idioms enriches your understanding of French expressions of love. Whether you use them to impress someone special or simply to enhance your French vocabulary, these phrases offer a delightful glimpse into the poetic nature of the French language. Enjoy expressing love the French way!