Common Idioms
Idioms reveal a language's culture and humor. Learn them to sound natural and to understand native speakers' colorful expressions.
Time Idioms
Time idioms show how speakers think about moments, deadlines, and habits. They often use metaphors from clocks, seasons, and natural cycles.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| À l'heure | On time |
| Donner le coup d'envoi | To kick off |
| Être dans les temps | To be on schedule |
| Prendre son temps | To take one's time |
| Ne pas avoir une minute à perdre | Not to have a minute to lose |
Food Idioms
Food idioms make abstract ideas tastier and more relatable. They come from cooking, eating, and market scenes that everyone knows.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| Mettre son grain de sel | To put in one's two cents |
| Avoir la pêche | To be full of energy |
| C'est la cerise sur le gâteau | It's the icing on the cake |
| Couper la poire en deux | To split the difference |
| Être dans de beaux draps | To be in a fine mess |
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Animal Idioms
Animal idioms tap into instinctive behaviors to describe people and situations. They are vivid and easy to picture, which makes them memorable.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| Donner sa langue au chat | To give up guessing |
| Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter | To have other fish to fry |
| Être un loup pour l'homme | To be a wolf in sheep's clothing |
| Quand les poules auront des dents | When pigs fly |
| Faire le pied de grue | To stand around waiting |
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Emotion Idioms
Idioms about emotions capture fleeting feelings and reactions in a striking way. They often use physical images like heat, weight, or color changes.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| Avoir le cœur sur la main | To be very generous |
| Casser les pieds à quelqu'un | To annoy someone |
| Être rouge de colère | To be red with anger |
| Avoir la tête dans les nuages | To be daydreaming |
| Tomber des nues | To be amazed |
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Money Idioms
Money idioms reflect value, cost, and greed through market and treasure metaphors. They help speakers quickly judge worth and intentions.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| Coûter les yeux de la tête | To cost an arm and a leg |
| Mettre de l'argent de côté | To save money |
| Être riche comme Crésus | To be very rich |
| Jeter l'argent par les fenêtres | To throw money away |
| Ne pas lâcher le morceau | To not give up the fight |
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Useful Idioms
These useful idioms come up in everyday conversation and help you sound natural when giving advice, making plans, or reacting to news.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| Appeler un chat un chat | To call a spade a spade |
| Mettre les points sur les i | To dot the i's and cross the t's |
| Ne pas être sorti de l'auberge | To not be out of the woods |
| Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard | It's nothing special |
| Tourner autour du pot | To beat around the bush |
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Summary
Idioms give flavor to language and unlock cultural insights. Learn a few from each category and practice using them in context to make them stick.
Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025