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'Faux amis' and irregular idioms/expressions list

[LIST]
i just wondered if ppl wanted a thread where they could post all the faux amis and silly grammar irregularities that they have come across to share with other ppl.
this website has made me realise i need to brush up on these myself and i wondered if anybody was in the same position

you could also put some strange idioms/expressions/slang or peculiar verbs in here.
what do ppl think?

:juggle:

faux amis, verbs :juggle:

•

assister = to attend

-
- attirer = to attract/ entice
- commander = to order (as in a meal)
- contôler = to check/verify
- demander = to ask (not demand)
- passer un examen = to take an exam (not pass)
- réaliser = to create
- retirer = to take off/ remove
-rester - to stay
-licencier - to dismiss
-former- to train [a bit like inFORMation in english, which is something you require to be trained??]

:embarasse Faux amis nouns:embarasse

- avertissment = warning
- bon = slip/ form/ coupon
- caméra = a video camera not a photgraphic one
- car = coach
- courtier = broker
- déception = dissapointment
- étiquette = ticket/label
- forfait = set price
- location = renting/ letting
- monnaie = change (coins)
- occasion = second hand buy, bargain
- plaisanterie = joke
- publicité = advertising
- raisin = grape
- sinistre = accident/ disaster
- coin - corner
- la formation- training
-jeûne - fast (as in abstinence from food)
-fumier - manure heap (not a smoker, although there are similarities...)

:albertein Faux amis adjectives:albertein

- ancien = old/ former/ ex-
- extra = first/ rate/ teriffic
- génial = brilliant
- rentable = profitable
- sensible = sensitive

__________________________________________________ _____________

Remember that the subjunctive is used to express either a mood or feeling (Category 1) or a doubt or uncertainty (Category 2)? ......

Subjunctive- i'm sorry i haven't diffentiated between the types of subjunctive, ie mood, expressions of doubt but i'm afaid that would take ages!! and if you see any repeated i'm sorry, tho tell me and i'l sort it!#

:redface:

subjunctive :p:

désirer que
vouloir que
aimer mieux que = to prefer ('like better')
préférer que
c'est dommage que = it's a pity that
craindre que = to fear/ be afraid
s'étonner que = to be amazed that
regretter que
avoir honte que = to be ashamed that
avoir peur que = to fear / be afraid
être content que
être heureux que
être surpris que
être désolé que
il est possible que
il se peut que= its possible that
il semble que
il est impossible que
douter que
il paraît que
bien que/quoique
pour que/afin que
de sorte que
à condition que
à moins que
avant que
jusqu'à ce que
sans que
il faut que
il est question que
il vaut mieux que
Any superlatives, although you'd get away without it.

:confused:

And some naughty phrases that look like they take the subjunctive but DO NOT!; :confused:

Slang

If you are a male and you want to say 'I am mad', you say 'Je suis fou'.
But for some reason, if you use the feminine version eg. 'Je suis folle'.... Well it means 'I am gay' lol. So to all the straight- guys out there with a mental illness, NEVER confuse your genders!

:questionm idioms:questionm
"chercher midi à quatorze heures" to over complicate, to look for complications
'avoir un chat dans le gorge' - 'to have a frog in your throat'
"on noie le poisson" - "you may as well try and drown a fish" ie its impossible.
"donner sa langue aux chats" to be unable to guess the answer/ to give up/ "cat got your tongue?"

:smile:

verlan slang :smile:

'looc' = cool [spelt backwards]

:ciao:

Misc

la gueule de bois- hang over [of a sort]

:biggrin:

Verbs and verb constructions :biggrin:

-avoir une case de vide = to have a screw loose (literally, to have an empty compartment!)
-être bien foutu = to have a great body/to work well
-to crap = chier (a bit extreme!)
-faire caca = to poo (childish term)
-avoir un oeuil qui dit merde à l'autre = to be cross-eyed
reluquer- to eye up, to check out, to scope out [this must come from the english word look or at least sounds so]

:eek:

phrases

je n'en ai pas foutre (a bit extreme!) !!!!!
je m'en fiche
je m'en contrefiche
je m'en contrefous
je m'en balance
je m'en bats l'oeil
the above= i don't give a damn

are you crazy?? = ça va pas, non?
'quel raseur!' - what a drag.

:p:

nice nous

un ballot = a nitwit
une bécasse = a silly goose
mauviette [f]- a jessy, wussy, feeble man
mocheté [f] - a minger, unattractive person

:rolleyes:

ADJs

tordu(e) = weird
assoment = deadly boring

IF I HAVE ANYTHING WRONG POST IT!!

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

LeeC

Yeh sure that would be a great idea! Really useful since I'm trying to change from 'dictionary' French to real spoken French. I.e some things translate well but a real French person would never say them in that way. I have a list of faux amis ill put it on soon.

Reply 2

blondemoment

thank you! i'm not a loaner! i don't no if there's some proper way to make lists in threads, i'm a bit blonde when it comes to computers. as my name suggests.

that u'd be brillo!!

Reply 3

Cunning Linguist

'avoir un chat dans le gorge' - 'to have a frog in your throat' :biggrin:

Reply 4

blondemoment

which reminds me....

la gueule de bois- hang over [of a sort]

Reply 5

LeeC

I guess to make a list you could just edit your post and copy and paste in everything everone sends in? A bit tedious but shouldn't take too much time if you do it once every two days, hopefully we could have a sizeable list up before long.

Well here are the faux amis (and other stuff);

Faux amis verbs

- assister = to attend
- attirer = to attract/ entice
- commander = to order (as in a meal)
- contôler = to check/verify
- demander = to ask (not demand)
- passer un examen = to take an exam (not pass)
- réaliser = to create
- retirer = to take off/ remove

Faux amis nouns

- avertissment = warning
- bon = slip/ form/ coupon
- caméra = a video camera not a photgraphic one
- car = coach
- courtier = broker
- déception = dissapointment
- étiquette = ticket/label
- forfait = set price
- location = renting/ letting
- monnaie = change (coins)
- occasion = second hand buy, bargain
- plaisanterie = joke
- publicité = advertising
- raisin = grape
- sinistre = accident/ disaster

Faux amis adjectives

- ancien = old/ former/ ex-
- extra = first/ rate/ teriffic
- génial = brilliant
- rentable = profitable
- sensible = sensitive

_______________________________________________________________

Some phrases that DO take the subjunctive;

Remember that the subjunctive is used to express either a mood or feeling (Category 1) or a doubt or uncertainty (Category 2)? ......

(Category 1) 'Mood' Subjunctive phrases

désirer que
vouloir que
aimer mieux que = to prefer ('like better')
préférer que
c'est dommage que = it's a pity that
craindre que = to fear/ be afraid
s'étonner que = to be amazed that
regretter que
avoir honte que = to be ashamed that
avoir peur que = to fear / be afraid
être content que
être heureux que
être surpris que
être désolé que

The ones I haven't translated are fairly obvious/ well known, if they're not known to you just look up them up in the dictionary. :wink:

(Category 2) Subj. expressions of possibility or doubt

il est possible que
il se peut que= its possible that
il semble que
il est impossible que
douter que
il paraît que

And some naughty phrases that look like they take the subjunctive but DO NOT!; :eek:

il me semble que = it seems to me that
il est probable que

je pense que AND je crois que don't take the subjunctive UNLESS they are in the negative (ie expressing doubt (Category 2)), the same applies for any other verbs meaning 'to think'

For example:

Je crois que l'anorexie est un problème grave - Expressing what you think so DOES NOT take the subjunctive

Ils ne pensent pas que leurs amis veuillent au café - In negative form so DOES take the subj.

Slang

If you are a male and you want to say 'I am mad', you say 'Je suis fou'.
But for some reason, if you use the feminine version eg. 'Je suis folle'.... Well it means 'I am gay' lol. So to all the straight- guys out there with a mental illness, NEVER confuse your genders!

Phew! Happy learning.

Reply 6

Lazlow

Here's a website with a load of French idioms. It's quite interesting to look trough, and some may just come in useful!

http://www.one.under.btinternet.co.uk/list.html

Reply 7

Dez

False friends:
former/formation - training, to train
coin - corner
rester - to stay
licencier - to dismiss
jeûne - fast (as in abstinence from food)
fumier - manure heap (not a smoker, although there are similarities...)

For the subjunctives:
bien que/quoique
pour que/afin que
de sorte que
à condition que
à moins que
avant que
jusqu'à ce que
sans que
il faut que
il est question que
il vaut mieux que
Any superlatives, although you'd get away without it.

Reply 8

blondemoment

Thanks all, cheers LeeC, i hope you don't mind but iv nicked your layout :smile:

Reply 9

LeeC

Thats fine by me! I just hope you haven't bothered to learn them all yet because... well I haven't lol. Maybe it can be made into a sticky if it gets big enough. I'll have a hunt around for a few more interesting things this weekend, see you soon.... BTW I'm very jealous that your location includes the South of France! I miss that place sooo much. :frown:

(Even though I was only there for a week haha).

Reply 10

blondemoment

NO i have not learnt them as yet!! i wish i had the time, life's full at the moment!!
just from looking at your list, you don't have the book [or bible as i like to call it] called 501 french verbs, or something along those lines.

yeah frace is ACE off set by the bordem on lincolnshire... where abouts were you? Aude is apparently the 'untapped' region of the south of france so you probably won't have heard of it!

being a bit blonde here, but 'Sticky'? eh??

Reply 11

Cunning Linguist

sticky is when the thread stays at the top (a bit like the translation thread)

anyway, cool things:

être bien foutu = to have a great body/to work well
un ballot = a nitwit
tordu(e) = weird
are you crazy?? = ça va pas, non?
avoir une case de vide = to have a screw loose (literally, to have an empty compartment!)
une bécasse = a silly goose
assoment = deadly boring

je n'en ai pas foutre (a bit extreme!)
je m'en fiche
je m'en contrefiche
je m'en contrefous
je m'en balance
je m'en bats l'oeil

= i don't give a damn!

to crap = chier (a bit extreme!)
faire caca = to poo (childish term)
avoir un oeuil qui dit merde à l'autre = to be cross-eyed

i hope these are useful (some are a bit extreme, remember!)

Reply 12

blondemoment

Guess what i've just got....Harrap's "PARDOM MY FRENCH!" dictionary, a must have for any french student!!--> i'm sure they do them for other languages tho.

my favorites

verb
reluquer- to eye up, to check out, to scope out [this must come from an english word]

noun
mauviette [f]- a jessy, wussy, feeble man
mocheté [f] - a minger, unattractive person

phrases

'quel raseur!' - what a drag.

actually this book is quite rude.......

Linguist786? if you've done this sticky thing before will you tell me when i shud do it with it?

Reply 13

Dez

If you go into advanced mode, there's a button for making a bulleted list (

) or a numbered list (

). You still have to manage it manually, unfortunately.

Reply 14

blondemoment

ok, i'm feeling rather thick so i'll do it but i'm still not sure what this really is. Also i've noticed there is no undo button on advanced posts, which is my usual escape route on computers, so if it all hits the fan will someone rescue me?

here it goes..........

[EDIT] ok, PANIC NOT, got it sussed, tho it may take some time and i have some luscious cswk to do *sigh*

Reply 15

blondemoment

This post is for AVOIR + something expressions [i can't fit them all on the first post as it would be stupidly long]

avoir ___ ans -to be ___ years old
avoir 3 bouches à nourrir -to have 3 mouths to feed
avoir à -to have to / be obliged to
avoir besoin de-to need; -to have to
avoir bonne mine -to look healthy, well
avoir chaud -to be hot
avoir confiance en -to have confidence in, to trust
avoir d'autres chats à fouetter -to have other fish to fry
avoir de la chance -to be lucky
avoir du champ -to have room to move
avoir du mal à faire qqch -to have a hard time doing s.t.
avoir envie de -to want
avoir faim -to be hungry
avoir froid -to be cold
avoir honte -to be ashamed
avoir la bouche amère -to have a bitter taste in one's mouth
avoir la bouche en coeur- to simper
avoir la bouche en cul-de-poule -to purse one's lips
avoir la bouche fendue jusqu'aux oreilles -to be grinning from ear to ear
avoir la bouche pâteuse -to have a thick-feeling or coated tongue
avoir la bouche pleine de ... -to be able to talk of nothing but ...
avoir la bouche sèche -to have a dry mouth
avoir la gorge serrée -to be all choked up
avoir l'air + adjective -to look ____
avoir l'air de + noun- to look like a ____
avoir la langue bien pendue -to be a good talker
avoir la main douce -to wear kid gloves
avoir la tête qui tourne -to be dizzy, one's head is spinning
avoir le (triste) devoir de -to have the (sad) duty of, (to regret to)
avoir le champ libre -to be free to do as one pleases
avoir le chic pour faire ça -to have a knack for doing that
avoir le coup -to have the knack
avoir le coup de main -to have the touch
avoir le coup d'oeil -to have a good eye
avoir le dessous -to get the worst of, be at a disadvantage
avoir le dessus -to have the upper hand
avoir le jour dans les yeux -to have the light in one's eyes
avoir le mal de mer -to be seasick
avoir le mal du pays -to be homesick
avoir les dents longues -to have one's sights set high
avoir l'idée que...- to have the impression that...
avoir l'impression que...- to have a feeling that...
avoir l'intention de -to intend to
avoir mal à la tête, à l'estomac -to have a headache, stomachache
avoir mal au coeur -to be sick to one's stomach
avoir mal aux dents, aux yeux -to have a toothache, eye ache
avoir mauvaise mine -to look unhealthy
avoir meilleur goût -to taste better
avoir par-dessus la tête de -to be fed up with, to have had enough of
avoir peur de -to be afraid of
avoir pour une bouchée de pain- to get (s.t.) for a song
avoir qqch sur le bout de la langue -to have s.t. on the tip of one's tongue
avoir quarante ans bien sonnés (inf)- to be on the wrong side of 40
avoir qqch de prévu -to have s.t. planned (be busy)
avoir raison- to be right
avoir soif- to be thirsty
avoir sommeil -to be sleepy
avoir tort -to be wrong
avoir toujours la critique à la bouche -to always be ready with a criticism
avoir toujours la tête dans les nuages -to always have one's head in the clouds
avoir toujours l'injure à la bouche -to always be ready with an insult
avoir toute liberté -to be completely free
avoir un bon coup de crayon -to be good at drawing
avoir un bon fromage -to have a cushy job
avoir un compte à régler avec qqun -to have a bone to pick with s.o.
avoir un coup de barre (inf) -to be drained/exhausted
avoir un mal de tête, de dents -to have a headache, toothache
avoir un petit creux -to be a little hungry
avoir une dent contre qqun -to have a grudge against s.o.
avoir une faim de loup -to be starving
avoir une langue de vipère -to have a forked tongue
avoir une mémoire d'éléphant -to never forget anything
avoir une panne d'essence -to run out of gas

Reply 16

helenounette

je n'en ai pas foutre (a bit extreme!) !!!!!
je m'en fiche
je m'en contrefiche
je m'en contrefous
je m'en balance
je m'en bats l'oeil
the above= i don't give a damn

--> c'est plutôt " je n'en ai rien à foutre ... " :p:

car "je n'en ai pas foutre" ça ne veut rien dire ... :rolleyes:

Reply 17

unfinished sympathy

blondemoment

blondemoment where did you buy the book from?

Reply 18

Da Bachtopus

This might be of interest:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/225315444X/qid=1143905074/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1_1/202-1050796-3865434

Reply 19

blondemoment

Mrs. Political

blondemoment where did you buy the book from?

I got it from Ottakars i'm sure its in all big books stores. ill get you the ISBN number later, havent got iton me at the mo

........................ISBN: 0071440712. --> methinks

thank you whoever repped me for this sticky, much appreciated!! i don't know your user name or i would have done it back for you being *such a nice person* :smile:

thank you!!