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Exemples
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coûter les yeux de la tête
to cost an arm and a leg
📌 Note de grammaire
An idiomatic expression meaning something is extremely expensive. Takes plural 'les yeux'.
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poser un lapin
to stand someone up
📌 Note de grammaire
Common informal expression for failing to show up for a date or appointment.
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tomber dans les pommes
to faint
📌 Note de grammaire
A popular colloquial idiom meaning to lose consciousness. Literally 'to fall into the apples'.
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avoir le cafard
to feel blue
📌 Note de grammaire
Used to describe mild depression or melancholy. Literally means 'to have the cockroach'.
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vendre la mèche
to spill the beans
📌 Note de grammaire
Means to reveal a secret, often inadvertently. Literally 'to sell the wick'.
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mettre la main à la pâte
to pitch in
📌 Note de grammaire
Encourages active participation or hard work. Literally 'to put the hand to the dough'.
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avoir le vent en poupe
to be on a roll
📌 Note de grammaire
Nautical idiom indicating a period of great success and favorable conditions.
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péter plus haut que son cul
to be full of oneself
📌 Note de grammaire
Familiar and somewhat vulgar expression for arrogance. Use with caution in formal settings.
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avoir le pain sur la planche
to have a lot on one's plate
📌 Note de grammaire
Indicates having numerous tasks or heavy responsibilities ahead.
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passer l'éponge
to wipe the slate clean
📌 Note de grammaire
Used to forgive past mistakes or forget a disagreement.
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casser les pieds
to get on someone's nerves
📌 Note de grammaire
Informal expression meaning to annoy someone intensely.
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être dans son assiette
to feel like oneself
📌 Note de grammaire
Usually used in the negative form ('ne pas être dans son assiette') to mean feeling unwell or out of sorts.
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monter sur ses grands chevaux
to get on one's high horse
📌 Note de grammaire
Describes someone who suddenly reacts with excessive anger or indignation.
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faire la grasse matinale
to sleep in
📌 Note de grammaire
Often shortened to 'faire la grasse mat'. Note that the noun is 'matinée'.
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chercher midi à quatorze heures
to complicate things unnecessarily
📌 Note de grammaire
Literally 'to look for noon at 2 PM'. Used when someone overcomplicates a simple matter.
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donner sa langue au chat
to give up guessing
📌 Note de grammaire
Used when you surrender while trying to solve a puzzle or riddle.
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revenir à nos moutons
to get back to the point
📌 Note de grammaire
Used after a tangent to redirect the conversation back to the main topic.
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avaler des couleuvres
to swallow insults
📌 Note de grammaire
Means having to endure humiliations or unfair treatment without protesting.
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mettre de l'eau dans son vin
to tone it down
📌 Note de grammaire
Used when someone moderates their demands, ambitions, or aggressive stance.
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vendre la peau de l'ours
to count one's chickens before they hatch
📌 Note de grammaire
Full proverb is often shortened, warning against premature assumptions of success.
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coûter la peau des ouïes
to cost a fortune
📌 Note de grammaire
A colorful alternative to 'coûter cher' or 'coûter les yeux de la tête'.
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avoir un chat dans la gorge
to have a frog in one's throat
📌 Note de grammaire
Used when your voice is hoarse or you need to clear your throat.
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battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud
to strike while the iron is hot
📌 Note de grammaire
Encourages acting immediately while conditions are optimal.
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avoir le bras long
to have friends in high places
📌 Note de grammaire
Indicates having strong influence, powerful connections, or leverage.
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perdre le nord
to lose one's bearings
📌 Note de grammaire
Literally 'to lose the north'. Used when someone becomes confused or disoriented.
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