Quick answer: French idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning cannot be guessed from the separate words. Avoir le cafard means to feel down, poser un lapin means to stand someone up, and coûter les yeux de la tête means to cost a fortune. Learn each idiom as one block, conjugate its verb normally, and never translate it word for word.
Level: French 4 (high school, ACTFL Intermediate Mid) · Standards: ACTFL Intermediate Mid, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational, WL 4.1 Language Comparisons
What is an idiom, and why can’t it be translated word for word?
Definition
An idiom (une expression idiomatique) is a fixed group of words whose meaning is different from the meaning of its parts. English has plenty, such as to kick the bucket, and French has just as many. If you translate them literally, the result is funny but wrong.
Which idioms should a French 4 student know first?
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| avoir le cafard | to feel down | Après le match, Idriss avait le cafard. |
| poser un lapin à quelqu’un | to stand someone up | Maëlle m’a posé un lapin devant le cinéma. |
| coûter les yeux de la tête | to cost a fortune | Ce manteau coûte les yeux de la tête. |
| avoir la pêche | to be full of energy | Ce matin, j’ai la pêche ! |
| tomber dans les pommes | to faint | Il a vu le sang et il est tombé dans les pommes. |
| donner sa langue au chat | to give up guessing | Je donne ma langue au chat : c’est qui ? |
| sauter du coq à l’âne | to jump from topic to topic | Grand-père saute toujours du coq à l’âne. |
| mettre son grain de sel | to butt in | Il met son grain de sel partout. |
How do you use an idiom in a sentence?
Rule
Keep the fixed words in the same order. Conjugate the verb for the subject and the tense, and place object pronouns before the verb as usual. With poser un lapin, the person who is stood up is an indirect object: à quelqu’un, me, lui.
Examples
- Elle m’a posé un lapin hier. — She stood me up yesterday.
- Nous avions le cafard en novembre. — We felt blue in November.
- Ces baskets coûtaient les yeux de la tête. — Those sneakers cost a fortune.
Common mistake
English speakers translate piece by piece: J’ai un cockroach or Il a posé moi un lapin. Memorize the whole block, then add the pronoun in front of the verb: Il m’a posé un lapin. Also watch the false friend un cafard: it really is a cockroach, so context decides.
Culture note
French teenagers swap idioms in texts and on the school bus, and a well-placed one makes a speaker sound natural. Many come from farm and kitchen life, which is why animals and food appear so often.
Zoé’s tip
Draw the silly literal picture for each idiom, then write the real meaning under it. The funny image makes the expression stick.
Key points to remember
- An idiom keeps its words in a fixed order; only the verb and the pronouns change.
- Avoir le cafard = to feel blue; poser un lapin à quelqu’un = to stand someone up.
- Coûter les yeux de la tête = to cost an arm and a leg.
- Many French idioms use animals (cafard, lapin, chat, canard, coq, âne) but the animal is never the point.
- Idioms belong to everyday spoken French; use them with friends and teachers, less in formal writing.
Everyday French Idioms and What They Really Mean: frequently asked questions
What does avoir le cafard mean in French?
It means to feel down or gloomy. Literally, un cafard is a cockroach, but in this idiom the insect only symbolizes a dark mood. You can say it about yourself or someone else: Elle a le cafard.
What does poser un lapin mean?
It means to stand someone up, that is, to not show up for a meeting without warning. The person left waiting is the indirect object: Il m’a posé un lapin.
How do you say that something is very expensive in French?
Use coûter les yeux de la tête, or the shorter coûter un bras. Both mean to cost a fortune, like the English cost an arm and a leg.
Can I translate French idioms word for word?
No. Word-for-word translation usually gives nonsense or the wrong meaning. Learn the idiom as one unit with its real meaning, then conjugate the verb as usual.
Are idioms too informal for school writing?
Most everyday idioms are fine in speaking and in friendly writing. In a formal essay, use them sparingly, and prefer a neutral verb when your teacher expects formal French.