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French > French Level 4 > French Idioms > Flashcards

French Idioms Flashcards

Use this deck to learn the French translations to some of the most common idioms.

1
Q

Translate to French:

to cost an arm and a leg

A

coûter les yeux de la tête

Example: Ce manteau coûte les yeux de la tête. “This coat costs an arm and a leg.”

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2
Q

Translate to French:

to drink like a fish

A

boire comme un trou

Example: Hier soir, j’ai bu comme un trou. “Last night, I drank like a fish.”

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3
Q

Translate to French:

to be useless

A

ne rien savoir faire de ses dix doigts

Example: Il est stupide, il ne sait rien faire de ses dix doigts. “He’s stupid, he is really useless.”

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4
Q

Translate to French:

to enter/interrupt a situation at an awkward moment

A

arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe

Example: Nous étions en train de parler et elle est arrivée comme un cheveu sur la soupe. “We were talking and she interrupted us at the most awkward moment.”

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5
Q

Translate to French:

to offer an unsolicited opinion

A

mettre son grain de sel

Example: Elle met toujours son grain de sel. “She’s always offering an unsolicited opinion.”

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6
Q

Translate to French:

to sleep in

A

faire la grasse matinée

Example: Mon fils a passé son week-end à faire la grasse matinée. “My son spent his weekend sleeping in.”

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7
Q

Translate to French:

It’s too bad

A

C’est dommage

Example: J’aimais beaucoup cet acteur, c’est dommage! “I really liked that actor, it’s too bad!”

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8
Q

Translate to French:

to fall head over heels (in love) with/for

A

avoir le coup de foudre

Example: Dès que je l’ai vu, j’ai eu le coup de foudre.” Right when I saw him, I fell head over heels in love with him.”

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9
Q

Translate to French:

to tell it like it is

A

appeler un chat un chat

Example: Il s’est énervé car j’ai été directe ; mais il faut bien appeler un chat un chat. “He got mad because I was direct; but you have to tell it like it is.”

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10
Q

Translate to French:

Just saying

A

Je dis ça, je dis rien

Example: J’aimerai bien une part de gâteau. Je dis ça, je dis rien. “I’d love a slice of cake, just saying.”

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11
Q

Translate to French:

to stand someone up

A

poser un lapin à quelqu’un

Example: On avait un rendez-vous, mais elle m’a posé un lapin. “We had a date, but she stood me up.”

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12
Q

Translate to French:

It/That works!

A

Ça marche !

Example: Ça marche ! À demain ! “That works! See you tomorrow!”

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13
Q

Translate to French:

to speak about something completely unrelated

A

sauter du coq à l’âne

Example: On discutait de notre nouveau projet et il a sauté du coq à l’âne. “We were discussing our new project and he started talking about something completely unrelated.”

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14
Q

Translate to French:

to be out of it / to space out

A

être à l’ouest

Example: Peux-tu répéter? J’étais totalement à l’ouest. “Can you repeat that? I was totally out of it.”

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15
Q

Translate to French:

to get mad

A

la moutarde me/lui monte au nez

Example: Je voyais bien que la moutarde lui montait au nez. “I could tell that he was getting mad.”

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16
Q

Translate to French:

to get straight to the point

A

aller droit au but

Example: Je n’ai pas de temps à perdre, va droit au but. “There’s no time to waste, get straight to the point.”

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17
Q

Translate to French:

sleeping brings advice

A

la nuit porte conseil

Example: Va dormir, tu prendras ta décision demain. La nuit porte conseil. “Go to bed, you’ll make a decision tomorrow. Sleeping brings advice.”

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18
Q

Translate to French:

(as a) general estimate / ballpark figure

A

au pif

Example: Bon, j’avoue… j’ai dit ça au pif. “Well, OK… I said that as a general estimate.”

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19
Q

Translate to French:

begrudgingly / reluctantly

A

à contrecoeur

Example: Je lui ai présenté mes excuses à contrecoeur. “I apologized to him begrudgingly.”

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20
Q

Translate to French:

against the grain

A

à contre-courant

Example: Il pense toujours à contre-courant. “He’s always thinking against the grain.”

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21
Q

Translate to French:

in the short run/term

A

à court terme

Example: À court terme, nous devons commencer par acheter une maison. “In the short run, we have to start by buying a house.”

22
Q

Translate to French:

to be on edge / nervous

A

être à cran

Example: Avec la journée que je viens de passer, je suis vraiment à cran. “Given the day I just had, I am reallly on edge.”

23
Q

Translate to French:

justly / rightfully

A

à juste titre

Example: Ce film a eu de très mauvaises critiques à juste titre. “That movie rightfully got really bad reviews.”

24
Q

Translate to French:

within an inch of

A

à deux doigts de

Example: Je suis vraiment à deux doigts d’être le meilleur dans ma classe. “I’m within an inch of being the best in my class.”

25
Q

Translate to French:

to mean

A

vouloir dire

Example: Je veux dire que je suis vexée. “I mean I feel offended.”

26
Q

Translate to French:

to not have a soul

A

ne pas avoir d’âme

Example: Il a fait du mal à un enfant, il n’a vraiment pas d’âme. “He hurt a kid, he really doesn’t have a soul.”

27
Q

Translate to French:

to be pessimistic

A

voir les choses en noir

Example: Je n’ai pas envie de passer du temps avec lui, il voit toujours les choses en noir. “I don’t want to spend time with him, he’s alway too pessimistic.”

28
Q

Translate to French:

to have your head in the clouds

A

marcher à côté de ses pompes

Example: Depuis qu’il est parti, je marche vraiment à côté de mes pompes. “Ever since he left, I’ve had my head in the clouds.”

29
Q

Translate to French:

to close down

A

mettre la clef sous la porte

Example: La compagnie de mon frère a dû mettre la clef sous la porte. “My brother’s company had to close down.”

30
Q

Translate to French:

to show what one is made of

A

montrer de quel bois on se chauffe

Example: Il avait des désirs de vengeance et voulait donc montrer de quel bois il se chauffe. “He had designs for revenge and wanted to show what he’s made of.”

31
Q

Translate to French:

unanimously

A

d’un commun accord

Example: Nous avons pris cette décision d’un commun accord. “We arrived at this decision unanimously.”

32
Q

Translate to French:

grumpy / in a bad mood

A

de mauvais poil

Example: Il m’a mis de mauvais poil dès mon réveil avec cette nouvelle. “When I woke up he put me in a bad mood with the news.”

33
Q

Translate to French:

deeply indebted to

A

devoir une fière chandelle à

Example: À mon arrivée à Paris, ils m’ont tellement bien reçu que je leur devais une fière chandelle. “When I first came to Paris, they hosted me so well that I was deeply indebted to them.”

34
Q

Translate to French:

to add fuel to the fire

A

jeter de l’huile sur le feu

Example: Arrête de t’énerver ! Tu ne fais que jeter de l’huile sur le feu ! “Stop getting mad! You’re only adding fuel to the fire!”

35
Q

Translate to French:

to look at/over / to take a look at / to glance at

A

jeter un coup d’oeil sur

Example: Peux-tu jeter un coup d’oeil sur mon devoir ? “Can you look over my homework?”

36
Q

Translate to French:

to tell someone off

A

dire ses quatre vérités à quelqu’un

Example: J’ai décidé de lui dire ses quatre vérités. “I decided to tell him off.”

37
Q

Translate to French:

to throw money out the window

A

jeter de l’argent par les fenêtres

Example: Attendons les soldes, ce serait bête de jeter de l’argent par les fenêtres. “Let’s wait for the sales. It would be dumb to just throw money out the window.”

38
Q

Translate to French:

to be in the habit of / to make a habit of

A

prendre l’habitude de

Example: J’ai pris l’habitude de me lever tôt. “I made a habit of waking up early.”

39
Q

Translate to French:

to flee / to take flight / to run away

A

prendre la fuite

Example: Ma fille est devenue rebelle et a pris la fuite. “My daughter became a rebel and ran away.”

40
Q

Translate to French:

to hold firm (against)

A

tenir tête (à)

Example: La troupe militaire tient tête malgré l’épuisement. “The troops held firm despite their exhaustion.”

41
Q

Translate to French:

to clear off

A

prendre le large

Example: J’en ai marre de cette ville, j’ai besoin de prendre le large. “I am done with this city, I need to clear off.”

42
Q

Translate to French:

to be/go on a diet

A

être au régime

Example: Après les vacances de Noël, tout le monde se met au régime. “After Christmas break, everyone goes on a diet.”

43
Q

Translate to French:

far-fetched

A

tiré par les cheveux

Example: Cette histoire est totalement tirée par les cheveux. “That story is totally far-fetched.”

44
Q

Translate to French:

to be really bored / to be bored out of one’s mind

A

s’ennuyer comme un rat mort

Example: Ce cours est vraiment inutile, je m’ennuie comme un rat mort ! “This class is really useless, I’m bored out of my mind!”

45
Q

Translate to French:

to take the trouble to

A

prendre la peine de

Example: Il a pris la peine de me guider même s’il était en retard. “He took the trouble to guide me even though he was running late.”

46
Q

Translate to French:

clean cut

A

propre sur soi

Example: J’aime beaucoup ton ami, il est très propre sur lui. “I really like your friend, he’s clean cut.”

47
Q

Translate to French:

We’re finished / We’re through / It’s over

A

Tout est fini entre nous

Example: Je lui ai dit que tout était fini entre nous. “I told him that we’re finished.”

48
Q

Translate to French:

to be aware (of) / to notice / to realize

A

s’en rendre compte

Example: Rends-toi compte à quel point ta mère tient à toi ! “Realize how much your mother cares about you!”

49
Q

Translate to French:

at the time

A

sur le moment

Example: Sur le moment, je pensais qu’il s’agissait d’un rêve. “At the time, I thought it was a dream.”

50
Q

Translate to French:

to be sick of/finished with something

A

en avoir marre de quelque chose

Example: J’en ai marre de ce cours. “I’m sick of this class.”

French Level 4 (26 decks)

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