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List the French expressions you like

A thread to try and collate all the French expressions which you like the sound off, with their equivalent and literal English translations.

I may be travelling to France soon, and I usually speak French to friends that I know when we're bored, so it'll be interesting to input an interesting expression once in a while.

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Reply 1
Avatar for Anatheme
Anatheme
18
"Être rond comme une queue de pelle" (to be very drunk)
"En faire baver des ronds de chapeau à quelqu'un" (to make it harsh to someone)
Reply 2
Avatar for HadrianH
HadrianH
OP
Anatheme
"Être rond comme une queue de pelle" (to be very drunk)
"En faire baver des ronds de chapeau à quelqu'un" (to make it harsh to someone)


I'll be shouting the first one (with je) when I am drunk to a pure English person - just to emphasise the point.

Mérci. :wink:
Reply 3
Avatar for kopi, ffs
kopi, ffs
15
Plein de morgue (conceited) cos I used to think it was plein de morve (full of mucus an' bogeys) :colone:
Reply 4
Avatar for Miss Mary
Miss Mary
14
C'est la vie :o:
Reply 5
Avatar for small_fry
small_fry
Je kiffe - I love, but in a cute way.
Can be said about person you fancy or a band/tv programme/etc, or just on its own as an exclamation
:h:
Poser un lapin à quelqu'un - To stand someone up (literally to hand them a rabbit)
Reply 7
Avatar for JamesWyl
JamesWyl
11
flaner dans les rues - stroll down the streets - I think, I get it confused with
trainer dans les rues - to hang out (I think), the i in trainer has a ^.

There's also
Il y a une mouche dans ma potage - There is a fly in my soup
Il y a une mouchoir dans ma potage - There is a napkin in my soup

Le chambre était sale - The room was dirty
Le chambre était salé - The room was salty.

I think that's all right, it's been a while since I did French. My class was amazing, we'd always find useless phrases!
S'appeller un chat un chat - to call a spade a spade

La tierce personne - the outsider

If you can work both of those into a French conversation...

:sexface:
Il a fallu que fasse, I think?

:beard: Royale with Cheese, as well.

Vachement is a cool word.
Reply 10
Avatar for Anatheme
Anatheme
18
small_fry
Je kiffe - I love, but in a cute way.
Can be said about person you fancy or a band/tv programme/etc, or just on its own as an exclamation
:h:


It's not cute, it's chavvy :colonhash:
Désolé, j'étais dans la lune.

Literally translated means 'Sorry, I was on the moon' but actually means 'sorry, I was miles away' :biggrin:

If this stuff interests you OP, you should buy Harrap's Idioms - I bought my copy in a FNAC in the south of france but you can get it online before you go if you really want... I find them really interesting, and I drop them into French conversation where possible! The book's in both English and French so don't worry about not understanding it.

Generally, I like 'a n'en citer que trois/deux' which means 'to mention but a few/couple' (used when giving examples).
Reply 12
Avatar for small_fry
small_fry
Anatheme
It's not cute, it's chavvy :colonhash:


I have been mislead :frown:
Reply 13
Avatar for nellydee
nellydee
2
Mon lit est cassé, savez-vous un monsieur à qui son anniversaire est aujourd'hui?
nellydee
Mon lit est cassé, savez-vous un monsieur à qui son anniversaire est aujourd'hui?


:biggrin:
Reply 15
Avatar for CocoPop
CocoPop
18
Avoir du chien = to be hot (sexy)
Le point visible de l'iceberg = tip of the iceberg
Reply 16
Avatar for MJlover
MJlover
21
Zut Alor!

huuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh
Reply 17
Avatar for thedude78
thedude78
6
du vin, du pain, du boursin

papa..........nicole?
Reply 18
Avatar for Wren
Wren
8
Vas-y mollo! - Easy tiger!

Found this gem in a holiday french expression book at my friends :smile:
Je t'adore!

:love:

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