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French idioms worksheet with answers for French 4 (free PDF download)

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Everyday French Idioms and What They Really Mean – French 4 worksheet with Zoé, the Français PDF coach

Quick answer: French idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning cannot be guessed from the separate words. For French 4 students practising French idioms, this worksheet gives 20 problems from easy to hard: meaning of a classic, stood up at the movies and match the idiom. The answer key is on a separate page, and the worksheet is a free printable PDF.

These 20 problems train French 4 students to recognize and use common French idioms, from simple matching to short reading and writing. They support the ACTFL Intermediate Mid goals for interpretive and presentational communication and for comparing languages.

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

Problem 1 Meaning of a classic ★★★

Choose the meaning of avoir le cafard.

  1. to be hungry
  2. to feel down
  3. to be afraid of insects

Problem 2 Stood up at the movies ★★★

Complete with the correct past participle: Hier, Awa a ____ un lapin à Théo : il l’a attendue une heure.

Problem 3 Match the idiom ★★★

Match each idiom to its meaning.

Two columns for matching: four French idioms numbered 1 to 4 on the left and four English meanings lettered A to D on the right1. avoir la pêche2. tomber dans les pommes3. donner sa langue au chat4. mettre son grain de selA. to give up guessingB. to butt inC. to feel full of energyD. to faint
Match 1-4 with A-D.

Problem 4 Word box ★★★

Complete each sentence with a word from the box: cafard, lapin, yeux, chat.

  1. Ce sac coûte les ____ de la tête.
  2. Je donne ma langue au ____.
  3. Après la défaite, nous avons le ____.
  4. Il m’a posé un ____ devant le lycée.

Problem 5 True or false ★★★

Write true or false.

  1. Tomber dans les pommes means to eat apples.
  2. Avoir la pêche means to be energetic.
  3. Poser un lapin means to give a gift.

Problem 6 Expensive sneakers ★★★

Translate into French with an idiom: It costs an arm and a leg.

Problem 7 Fainting at the gym ★★★

Conjugate in the passé composé: Hugo (tomber) dans les pommes pendant le cours de sport.

Problem 8 Nosy brother ★★★

Translate into English: Mon frère met toujours son grain de sel dans nos conversations.

Problem 9 Jumping around ★★★

Choose the best idiom: Sacha ne finit jamais une idée ; il passe d’un sujet à l’autre.

  1. avoir le cafard
  2. sauter du coq à l’âne
  3. poser un lapin

Problem 10 Fix the preposition ★★★

Correct the mistake: Samuel a posé un lapin de Maya.

Problem 11 Sad evening ★★★

Rewrite the sentence with an idiom: Léa se sent triste ce soir.

Problem 12 A cat in the throat ★★★

The idiom avoir un chat dans la gorge is not about a cat. Write its meaning in English.

Problem 13 Daydreamer ★★★

Choose the meaning of être dans la lune.

  1. to travel to space
  2. to be daydreaming
  3. to be very rich

Problem 14 Energy after sports ★★★

Complete with the idiom avoir la pêche in the present tense: Après dix minutes de course, Inès ____.

Problem 15 Concert tickets ★★★

Translate into French with an idiom and the imperfect: The concert tickets cost a fortune, so Malik stayed home.

Problem 16 Text message ★★★

Read the text message, then answer the questions in English.

Phone text message from Karim to Nadia in FrenchTu m’as posé un lapin !J’ai attendu 1 h.Désolée ! Je suis tombéedans les pommes.Ah ! Tu as la pêche ?
Karim writes to Nadia.
  1. Why is Karim upset?
  2. What explanation does Nadia give?
  3. Is her explanation literal? What does the idiom mean?

Problem 17 Word order ★★★

Put the words in order: pommes / dans / elle / les / est / tombée / hier

Problem 18 Rain in the past ★★★

Rewrite in the imperfect: Il pleut des cordes et nous avons le cafard. (Il pleut des cordes means it is pouring.)

Problem 19 Guided writing ★★★

Write 3 or 4 sentences in French about a bad day at school. Use at least two idioms from this worksheet, one in the passé composé.

Problem 20 Café story ★★★

Translate into French using idioms: My friend (male) stood me up at the café. I felt down, but I didn’t faint!

See the French Idioms worksheet answer key

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