Common Idioms & Expressions
French idioms reveal cultural flavors and thinking patterns, so learning them helps you sound natural and witty. This guide groups idioms by theme for quick reference, with market‐day examples to show them in action.
Food Idioms
Food metaphors are everywhere in French, and they often convey judgment or surprise with vivid images. Market scenes naturally bring out expressions about taste, spoilage, and appetite.
Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🥐 Il a tout mangé sans laisser une miette. | He ate everything without leaving a crumb. |
| 🍵 Cette idée me paraît un peu tiède. | This idea seems a bit lukewarm to me. |
| 🍳 Elle a mis les petits plats dans les grands. | She pulled out all the stops. |
| 🍞 C’est du pain béni pour eux. | It’s a blessing for them. |
| 🍊 Il a toujours une orange à offrir. | He always has something to offer. |
Market Vocabulary
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧺 Je prends un panier pour faire le marché. | I’m taking a basket to go to the market. |
| 🥖 Une baguette s’il vous plaît. | A baguette, please. |
| 🍓 Les fraises sont fraîches ce matin. | The strawberries are fresh this morning. |
| 🧀 Je voudrais du fromage du vendeur là-bas. | I would like some cheese from that vendor. |
| 🍯 Un pot de miel, s’il vous plaît. | A jar of honey, please. |
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Animal Idioms
Animal expressions tap into instinctive behaviors to comment on people’s character or actions. At a market, vendors and shoppers might joke with such idioms when bargaining or observing crowds.
Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🐸 Il fait le guêpe ce soir. | He’s being really snappy tonight. |
| 🐓 Elle se lève avec les poules. | She gets up with the chickens. |
| 🐝 Ils travaillent comme des abeilles. | They work like bees. |
| 🐍 Attention, il est un peu serpent. | Watch out, he’s a bit sneaky. |
| 🐴 Il travaille dur comme un cheval. | He works hard like a horse. |
Market Vocabulary
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🐟 Le poissonnier nettoie ses filets. | The fishmonger is cleaning his nets. |
| 🥚 Je prends une douzaine d’œufs. | I’ll take a dozen eggs. |
| 🍗 Le vendeur propose du poulet rôti. | The seller offers roasted chicken. |
| 🐠 Regardez ces poissons colorés ! | Look at those colorful fish! |
| 🧴 Je prends aussi un peu de sauce pour les crevettes. | I’ll also take some sauce for the shrimp. |
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Time Idioms
Time‐related idioms stress urgency, delay, or routine, and they often use memorable metaphors like clocks or seasons. Market contexts highlight time pressure for setting up stalls or catching customers.
Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ⏰ Il arrive toujours à la dernière minute. | He always arrives at the last minute. |
| 🌅 Je commence au lever du jour. | I start at dawn. |
| 🕰️ C’est vendu au temps perdu. | It’s sold when there’s spare time. |
| ⏳ Elle compte les heures qui restent. | She’s counting the hours left. |
| 🗓️ On se voit à la fin de la semaine. | We’ll see each other at the end of the week. |
Market Vocabulary
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🕤 Le marché ferme à dix heures et demie. | The market closes at half past ten. |
| 🧑🌾 Les agriculteurs arrivent tôt le matin. | The farmers arrive early in the morning. |
| 🪑 Il y a une pause déjeuner au stand de pain. | There is a lunch break at the bread stall. |
| 🛍️ Je fais vite le tour des étals. | I’m quickly going around the stalls. |
| 🗝️ Le marchand range ses clés avant de partir. | The merchant puts away his keys before leaving. |
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Money Idioms
Money idioms reflect value, cost, and greed, frequently colorized by imagery of coins, pockets, or spending. Market transactions naturally evoke such expressions when negotiating prices or describing bargains.
Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 💰 Il a mis de l’argent de côté. | He put some money aside. |
| 🪙 C’est donné, ça ne vaut pas une pièce. | It’s a giveaway, not worth a coin. |
| 🧾 Elle a réglé l’addition sans sourire. | She paid the bill without smiling. |
| 🤑 Ils font fortune en vendant des paniers. | They make a fortune selling baskets. |
| 🥡 J’ai pris un plat à emporter ce soir. | I took a takeout dish tonight. |
Market Vocabulary
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧴 Combien coûte la bouteille d’huile ? | How much is the bottle of oil? |
| 🥚 Les œufs sont à deux euros la douzaine. | The eggs are two euros a dozen. |
| 🥬 Je voudrais un kilo de salade, s’il vous plaît. | I would like a kilo of lettuce, please. |
| 💳 Je paye par carte. | I’m paying by card. |
| 🧾 Pouvez-vous me donner un reçu ? | Can you give me a receipt? |
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Summary
French idioms pack cultural meaning into short phrases, so learning key expressions for food, animals, time, and money will make your market conversations lively and authentic.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025