Monday 13 October 2014

French idioms I manage to use

Posted by Rosie

One of the ways to confirm that you are genuinely getting to grips with a foreign language is when you both understand and, more importantly, use a wide range of idioms.  Based on this fact then, I must confess that I have a long way to go with my French!

There are however 4 idioms that I do both know and use at times. 

1.  Avoir un poil dans le main – A hair in her hand.

... which means to be lazy.



2. Il pluie des cords – it’s raining ropes

... which means it’s raining hard/cats and dogs!

http://departs.wordpress.com/zavez-pas-vu-mirza/la-puce-a-loreille/divers-034jpg/

3. Tomber dans les pommes – to fall in the apples

... which means some-one has fainted ... and actually I do not know the correct word for the faint!

http://www.lucullus-succulus.com/webzine/tomber-dans-les-pommes/

4.  Avoir la tĂȘte dans la lune/les nuages –To have one's head in the moon/clouds

... which means they are day dreaming and/or a bit of an airhead!

http://www.tv5monde.com/TV5Site/publication/galerie-236-12-Avoir_la_tete_dans_les_nuages_br_etre_distrait_se_perdre_dans_des_reveries_confuses.htm

I really do need to build up my knowledge if idioms, if only to understand what people who use them are saying.  It can be so odd understanding all the words some-one says but having absolutely no idea what they mean!  This blog here gives  a few more idioms that perhaps I should learn.

(all images from Google - click on them to see the original page.) 

Do you know any weird French idioms I should be using or do you know any that are really odd?

Super Busy Mum

6 comments :

  1. What fantastic idioms and fab drawings. Did you do them? Clever!

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    Replies
    1. Sadly not my drawings but each one links back to the page where I found them. The last one also has a lot more idioms on it so I really should head there and do some homework!

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  2. Not sure my initial comment was accepted... So do delete if you have a double!
    I love languages. They can tell you so much about the history and the culture of the country, and the general outlook on life.
    There is Italian dialect, somewhere down south, where they don't have future tense as such. Italian's for you! No future planning required :)

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  3. What an interesting post. Thanks for linking up with #MMWBH x

    ReplyDelete

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