French sayings/idioms/proverbs

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SophieRandall
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French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby SophieRandall » Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:14 pm

I'm currently studying French A-level and I want to expand my knowledge of common French sayings/idioms/proverbs. So if you know any please post them below with the literal translation and the meaning. :)
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Speakeasy
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Re: French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby Speakeasy » Sat Sep 29, 2018 9:17 pm

French (Québec): Ah, oui? Aimerais-tu un petit sandwich avec ça? Ou, encore mieux, tu peux toujours copier et coller toi-même! :D
English: Oh,ya? Would you like a small sandwich with that? Better still, you can always copy/paste! :D

French Idioms - Wiktionary
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:French_idioms#T

French Proverbs - Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/French_proverbs

Speakeasy’s Opinion on Learning Idiomatic Expressions, Proverbs, Aphorisms, Common Phrases, and the Like
Idiomatic expressions abound. While some have been in more-or-less constant use for centuries, others do not outlive the generation that popularized them. Every language has literally thousands of them. Some exist only in certain regions of country whereas others exist only within a given socio-economic-cultural sub-set of the population of native speakers.

I do not believe that memorizing a long list of colloquial expressions, even those drawn from a collection of the more frequently-occurring ones, would be a good use of your study time. If you’re not already encountering them in your conversations, in the audio-visual media that you regularly watch or listen to, or in the literature and in whatever other reading material you frequently consult, then you’re unlikely to remember them. Loading Anki with these expressions won’t help either.

The easiest way to absorb idiomatic expressions is to learn them in context; that is, in the spoken word and in the written word as you encounter them. As you become increasingly comfortable at the Upper Intermediate Level of French, you will discover that the meanings of many colloquialisms are often quite clear; so much so, that they will go unnoticed as idiomatic expressions. Yes, the more opaque ones might send you to the dictionary but, as you become increasingly familiar with the language, even these will appear to be rather rare occurrences.


EDITED:
Replacement of original French text by a genuine Québécois idiom (... petit sandwich).
Speakeasy's pontifications on learning idiomatic expressions.
Last edited by Speakeasy on Sun Sep 30, 2018 4:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby Querneus » Sun Sep 30, 2018 2:08 am

Speakeasy wrote:French (Québec): Ah, oui? Aimerais-tu un petit sandwich avec ça? Ou, encore mieux, tu peux toujours copier et coller toi-même! :D
English: Oh,ya? Would you like a small sandwich with that? Better still, you can always copy/paste! :D

Is there anything particularly québécois about those sentences? They look like normal international French to me.

Now, if you had written a more informal Ah, ouain? T'aimerais-tu un petit sandwich avec ça?..., then I wouldn't be asking this...
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Re: French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby Speakeasy » Sun Sep 30, 2018 4:00 am

Ser wrote: ... Is there anything particularly québécois about those sentences? They look like normal international French to me...
I have travelled widely throughout France and have lived for over thirty years in Québec and, in my experience, the French of France do not express themselves by saying "aimerais-tu un petit sandwich avec ça?" in the sense that it is generally understood in Québec (c'est-à-dire, empregnée de sarcasme). The French immigrants whom I know here in Québec have been very slow to adopt this particular expression. I'm curious, how frequently have you come across this expression? Where and in what circumstances? Does your experience in France differ from mine?

Ser wrote: ... Now, if you had written a more informal Ah, ouain? T'aimerais-tu un petit sandwich avec ça?... ...
To my way of thinking, you are conflating an exaggerated, and not very flattering, misrepresentation of how most Québécois pronounce their mother tongue and generally employ its grammar with an expression that is commonly used in Québec but which I have never encountered in France. How many years did you live in Québec? Where? In what capacity were you here? Who were your daily contacts? How "current" do you believe yourself to be in French as it is commonly used in Québec?
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Re: French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby MamaPata » Sun Sep 30, 2018 9:09 am

Ah yes, A levels love to ask for idiomatic expressions don't they? However, I would definitely echo Speakeasy and say that idiomatic expressions are best learned in context. If you use them wrong, it will be clear that you're just trying to collect points. You'd be better off, particularly at this point, watching French youtubers and shows and picking them up there. If your French is generally very fluent and accurate, you'll get a good grade regardless of idiomatic expressions.

That said, if you do want to find some out of context, many French teachers have made lists online. Search idiomatic expressions French on pinterest and you'll get more than you could possibly need.

Sarafina recently did IB French which - while different - does have similarities to A levels so her log might be a useful source of ideas, I know she has posted about her feelings about her preparation and also what she was doing in the run up to the exam.
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Re: French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby zenmonkey » Sun Sep 30, 2018 2:07 pm

French idioms, slang and argot are fantastic !! I'm a huge fan.

However, as others have said they have context and using them improperly will result in issues.
Almost 25 years ago, working in a science lab, I walked into my work area and found that students had left a mess. I was with my research director and I expressed myself, on seeing the mess, "What a brothel!"

I got dressed down on the spot. My director explained that I was not to use that type of language ever in front of him or anyone under his guidance. For me, it wasn't a big deal and obviously for him it was. Quite the error in register.

Story aside here is a great song full of slang...

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Re: French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby Querneus » Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:49 pm

Speakeasy wrote:I have travelled widely throughout France and have lived for over thirty years in Québec and, in my experience, the French of France do not express themselves by saying "aimerais-tu un petit sandwich avec ça?" in the sense that it is generally understood in Québec (c'est-à-dire, empregnée de sarcasme). The French immigrants whom I know here in Québec have been very slow to adopt this particular expression. I'm curious, how frequently have you come across this expression? Where and in what circumstances? Does your experience in France differ from mine?
[...]
To my way of thinking, you are conflating an exaggerated, and not very flattering, misrepresentation of how most Québécois pronounce their mother tongue and generally employ its grammar with an expression that is commonly used in Québec but which I have never encountered in France. How many years did you live in Québec? Where? In what capacity were you here? Who were your daily contacts? How "current" do you believe yourself to be in French as it is commonly used in Québec?

I was speaking from a position of ignorance, I don't have any ill will towards Quebec French. :) There is a range of pronunciations of oui available to a Quebecois(e) including [wi], but I was asking what was particularly Quebecois about that sentence. I also didn't know that was an expression, for one.
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Re: French sayings/idioms/proverbs

Postby SM11 » Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:10 pm

Hi SophieRandall,

Like in the previous answers, I think the best way to learn idiomatic expressions is to learn them in context when you meet them. It's probably the most efficient way to learn.

But I can give a few colloquial terms/expressions I can think of if you want. I'll try to give you an example in a full sentence, but yes, know that you'll remember them better when you meet or use them in real conversations.

Some idiomatic expressions:

1 - Il est dans la lune > He is spacing out/in the clouds (literraly "He is in the moon)
2 - Garder son sang froid > To keep calm/find the right nerve... (literraly "To keep your blood cold")
3 - Avoir du pain sur la planche > To have a lot to do (literraly "To have bread on the cutting board")
4 - Allez, bouge tes fesses ! > Come on, hurry up! (literraly: "Come on, move your butt) (col)
5 - On s'en fout > I / We don't care (quite vulgar)

Some colloquial terms. (I wouldn't suggest to use them if you are a beginner though, unless you are with really close friends. But you might here them quite often by French people on TV shows, movies, the street... so it could be good to know what they mean).

1- Une clope, a cigarette (Il faut que je fume une clope > I have to smoke a cigarette)
2 - Du fric, money (T'as du fric sur toi ? > Do you have money with you?)
3 - Un(e) pote, a friend (Nicolas, c'est vraiment un bon pote > Nicolas is really a good friend)
4 - Un truc, a thing (Je crois que j'ai oublié un truc > I think I forgot something)
5 - Bosser, to work (Je vais bosser ce soir > I'm going to work tonight)
6 - Un mytho, a liar (T'es un mytho > You're lying)
7 - Un taré, a crazy person (Ce mec, c'est un taré > This guy is crazy)
8 - Galérer, to struggle (to do smthg) (J'ai galéré à trouver le chemin > I struggled to find the way)
9 - Puer, to stink (Elle pue cette station de métro > This metro station stinks)
10 - Paumé, lost (On est complètement paumé > We are completely lost)

But anyway, I don't if it really helps because there are so much more... The best would be really to talk regularly with French natives to improve your level I think.
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