Welcome to our guide on 25 unique French idioms! Here, you’ll discover how to pronounce each idiom, learn their literal translations, and understand their meanings.
25 Unique French idioms
Here are the 25 idioms:
Poser un lapin
- Pronunciation in English: poh-zay uhn lah-pan
- Literal Translation: To put a rabbit
- Meaning: To stand someone up
Mettre son grain de sel
- Pronunciation in English: meh-truh sohn grahn duh sel
- Literal Translation: To put one’s grain of salt
- Meaning: To give one’s unsolicited opinion
Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard
- Pronunciation in English: sah nuh kahs pah trwah pat ah uhn ka-nar
- Literal Translation: It doesn’t break three legs to a duck
- Meaning: It’s nothing to write home about
Avoir le cafard
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar luh kah-far
- Literal Translation: To have the cockroach
- Meaning: To feel blue or depressed
Couper la poire en deux
- Pronunciation in English: koo-pay lah pwar ah duh
- Literal Translation: To cut the pear in half
- Meaning: To meet halfway or compromise
Passer du coq à l’âne
- Pronunciation in English: pah-say dew kohk ah lan
- Literal Translation: To go from the rooster to the donkey
- Meaning: To jump from one subject to another
Avoir un chat dans la gorge
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar uhn shah dahn lah gorj
- Literal Translation: To have a cat in the throat
- Meaning: To have a frog in one’s throat or to be hoarse
Être haut comme trois pommes
- Pronunciation in English: et-ruh oh kohm trwah pohm
- Literal Translation: To be as tall as three apples
- Meaning: To be very short
Avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar layz-yuh ploo groh kuh luh vahn-truh
- Literal Translation: To have eyes bigger than the stomach
- Meaning: To bite off more than one can chew
Jeter de l’huile sur le feu
- Pronunciation in English: jeh-tay duh lweel sir luh fuh
- Literal Translation: To throw oil on the fire
- Meaning: To add fuel to the fire
Tourner autour du pot
- Pronunciation in English: too-ray oh-too-r dew po
- Literal Translation: To turn around the pot
- Meaning: To beat around the bush
Faire la grasse matinée
- Pronunciation in English: fair lah grass mah-teen-ay
- Literal Translation: To have a fat morning
- Meaning: To sleep in
Mettre la main à la pâte
- Pronunciation in English: meh-truh lah mahn ah lah pat
- Literal Translation: To put the hand to the dough
- Meaning: To pitch in or get involved
En faire tout un fromage
- Pronunciation in English: ahn fair too uhn froh-mazh
- Literal Translation: To make a whole cheese out of it
- Meaning: To make a big deal out of something
L’appel du vide
- Pronunciation in English: lah-pell dew veed
- Literal Translation: The call of the void
- Meaning: The instinctive urge to jump from high places
Avoir un poil dans la main
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar uhn pwahl dahn lah man
- Literal Translation: To have a hair in the hand
- Meaning: To be lazy
Tirer les marrons du feu
- Pronunciation in English: tee-ray lay mah-ron dew fuh
- Literal Translation: To pull the chestnuts from the fire
- Meaning: To act for one’s own benefit, especially from a risky situation
Rouler quelqu’un dans la farine
- Pronunciation in English: roo-lay kel-kun dahn lah fah-reen
- **
Literal Translation:** To roll someone in the flour
- Meaning: To deceive or trick someone
Vendre la mèche
- Pronunciation in English: vahn-druh lah mesh
- Literal Translation: To sell the wick
- Meaning: To spill the beans or let out a secret
Prendre la tête
- Pronunciation in English: prahn-druh lah tet
- Literal Translation: To take the head
- Meaning: To annoy or bother immensely
Jeter l’éponge
- Pronunciation in English: jeh-tay leh-ponj
- Literal Translation: To throw the sponge
- Meaning: To throw in the towel, to give up
Faire un froid de canard
- Pronunciation in English: fair uhn fwa duh ka-nar
- Literal Translation: To do a duck’s cold
- Meaning: To be very cold
Battre le fer tant qu’il est chaud
- Pronunciation in English: ba-truh luh fair tah keel eh show
- Literal Translation: To strike the iron while it is hot
- Meaning: To take action at the right moment
Monter sur ses grands chevaux
- Pronunciation in English: mohn-tay sir say grahn shuh-voh
- Literal Translation: To climb on one’s high horses
- Meaning: To get angry or worked up
Tirer son chapeau
- Pronunciation in English: tee-ray sohn shah-poh
- Literal Translation: To pull one’s hat
- Meaning: To tip one’s hat, a way to express admiration or congratulations
We hope this list of 25 unique French idioms enhances your understanding and appreciation of the French language. Use them to sound like a native and enrich your conversations! Happy learning!