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French Idioms > Sayings > Flashcards

Sayings Flashcards

0
Q

Over the moon

In the 7th heaven

A

Aller être ange.
Tu vas être ange!
Ange = angel

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1
Q

I keep u posted

A

Tenir qqn au courant
Je vous tiendrais au courant pour la maison.
I keep u posted on the house.

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2
Q

Have a ball

A

Se régaler

On va se régaler . We will have a ball

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3
Q

A busy week

A

Une semaine très chargée

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4
Q

It was amazing

A

C’était la classe

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5
Q

We got on well.

We clicked

A

Le courant est bien passé entre nous

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6
Q

We chatted for quite a while

A

Nous avons bavardé pendant une bonne heure.

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7
Q

Don’t fret!

A

Ne te bille pas

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8
Q

It annoys me!

A

Ça m’agasse!

Embêter to annoy

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9
Q

Don’t worry!

A

Ne t’inquiète pas

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10
Q

A long weekend

A

Un petit weekend rallongé

Or a grand weekend

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11
Q

I have paperwork to do

A

J’ai des papiers à faire.

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12
Q

I have lots to tell u

A

J’ai plein de choses à vous raconter.

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13
Q

I headed to…

A

Je me suis dirigé vers….

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14
Q

I have to go

A

Je dois y aller

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15
Q

I have many news

A

J’ai beaucoup de nouvelles.

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16
Q

I’d like another coffee

A

Je voudrais encore un café

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17
Q

At the time…

A

A l’époque …

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18
Q

Go straight on

A

Allez tout droit

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19
Q

Have just done something

A

Venir de + inf

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20
Q

To give someone unsolicited, unwanted opinion

A

Mettre son grain de sel

Encore une fois, elle a mis son grain de sel.

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21
Q

It’s too bad..

A

C’est dommage
C’est dommage que tu ne sois pas au courant.
It’s too bad you’re not up to speed.

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22
Q

I fell head over heals (love)

A

Coup de foudre
Quand je t’ai vue pour la première fois, c’était le coup de foudre.
The first time I saw you, I fell head over heals.

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23
Q

To stand someone up. Not turning up

A

Poser un lapin a quelqu’un .

Je l’ai attendue mais elle n’est jamais arrivée , elle m’a posé un lapin !

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24
Q

Ok. That works.

A

Oui, ça marche!
On se retrouve à midi pour déjeuner? Oui, ça marche.
Let’s meet at noon for lunch. Yes that works.

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25
Q

And this is completely unrelated…

Starting a new topic in a conversation.

A

Sauter du coq à l’âne
Et, je saute du coq à l’âne mais…
And this is completely unrelated, but…

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26
Q

I’m getting angry

A

La moutarde me/lui monte au nez.
Quand elle se fait taquiner, on peut voir que la moutarde lui…..
When she gets teased, you can see her getting angry.

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27
Q

Being crazy, out of it

A

Être à l’ouest.
Comme j’avais mal dormi, j’étais complètement à l’ouest toute la journée.
Since I had slept poorly, I was out it for the whole day.

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28
Q

At thé risk of, even though, and then

A

Quitte à
Quitte à me répéter , je tiens à dire
At the risk of repeating myself, I want to say..AND to avoid si constr.
Quitte à travailler fort, j’aime autant avoir de plaisir..
If I have to work hard, I like to enjoy …

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29
Q

Ok. Go ahead.

A

D’accord, allez-y

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30
Q

If you open a door to someone

A

Allez-y, allez-y, après vous.

Please after you

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31
Q

Of course, be my guest. (Response to may I )

A

Est çe que je peux?

Mais bien sur, allez-y!

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32
Q

Hurry up!

A

Dépêchez vous

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33
Q

Let’s go

A

On y va!

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34
Q

To be doing something

A

Être en train de + infinitive
If past tense always imperfect
J’étais en train de…

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35
Q

I was supposed to

I must have, I had to

A

Je devais
J’ai dû
Devoir diff meanings imp vs pc

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36
Q

I was capable, I was allowed
I succeeded
I couldn’t , I failed

A

Je pouvais
J’ai pu
Je n’ai pas pu
Pouvoir diff meanings imp vs PC

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37
Q

I knew

I found out

A

Je savais

J’ai su

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38
Q

I wanted to
I tied, I decided
I refused

A

Je voulais
J’ai voulu
Je n’ai pas voulu
Vouloir

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39
Q

Hâve just …

A

Venir de + inf.

If past tense alw imp eg. je venais de…

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40
Q

I have been driving for a long time

A

Je conduis depuis longtemps.
Depuis is always used with the present form unless something HAD been going on for a long time then imp. If NEG use pc
Je n’ai pas conduit depuis mon mariage.

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41
Q

I rented a car for a week

A

J’ai loué une voiture pendant une semaine.

Use pc. The action was done for a period of time for it refers to a specific time

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42
Q

I learned to drive two years ago.

A

J’ai appris à conduire il y a deux ans.

For an action that was completed some time ago use il y a + expression of time, also with pc.

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43
Q

Subjunctive

A 
Il faut que j'apprenne le français
Je préfère que je lise le livre
Je veux que tu sois bien
Je doute que M sache parler le français 
Il est dommage qu'elle soit malade.
Bien que although: il est sorti bien qu'il soit malade
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44
Q

Although

A

Bien que + subjcontive

45
Q

Angry with

A

Être fâché contre

46
Q

To be on the plane

A

Être dans l’avion

47
Q

To wait FOR

A

Attendre NO prep

48
Q

To look AT

A

Regarder no prep

49
Q

To answer

A

Répondre à

50
Q

I decided to leave

A

J’ai décidé de partir.

Décider DE + inf

51
Q

Paul gave his sister a gift

A

P a donné un cadeau à sa sœur .

Only sentence order possible in French. Engl can have two: p gave his sister a gift or p gave a gift to his sister.

52
Q

The student enters the classroom

A

L’étudiant entre DANS la salle de classe.

53
Q

Look for something

A

Chercher

Il cherche LE livre.

54
Q

To ask a person

A

Demander à qqn

55
Q

For how long have you been playing the….

A

Depuis quand joues-tu de la clarinette?

56
Q

I have been playing for three years.

A

Ça fait trois ans que je joue.

With ca fait + time use present tense

57
Q

He has just seen the film Dracula.

A

Il vient de voir le film Dracula

58
Q

I have another call

A

J’ai un autre appel

59
Q

To have a bruise

A

J’ai un bleu.

60
Q

The ups and downs

A

Des hauts et des bas

61
Q

He has a bird brain.
She is clueless
She’s got nothing between her ears

A

Petit pois à la place du cerveau

Pois chiche à la place du cerveau

62
Q

Run through yr mind, tick over in yr mind

A

Trotter dans la tête

63
Q

Feeling blue

A

broyer du noir, avoir le cafard, avoir le bourdon
Le cafard cockroach
Le bourdon bumblebee

64
Q

Chicken. Scaredy cat fam

A

Trouillarde

65
Q

Blueberry

A

Myrtille f

66
Q

Stuff yr self

A

S’empiffrer

67
Q

Piece of mind well-being

A

Bien- être m

68
Q

Thingamajig

69
Q

Carcass frame framework

A

Carcasse f

70
Q

Moo low bellow

71
Q

Un/in definable

A

Indéfinissable

72
Q

Struggle falter

A

Cafouiller

73
Q

Enormous gigantic

A

Faramineux -se

74
Q

Lunch break

A

Pause de midi f

75
Q

Frolic flirt laze around

76
Q

Drizzle fine rain

77
Q

Pang of hunger twinge indesicion

A

Tiraillement

78
Q

Pasture

A

Pâturage f

79
Q

Clearing cleaning out

A

Déblayage

80
Q

Suntan

A

Bronzage m

81
Q

Glum dreary gloomy

A

Lugubre adj

82
Q

Swap trade

83
Q

Fancy whim

84
Q

Scarlet

85
Q

Innards guts
Guts colloquial
Heart and soul fam

A

Trip m
Tripe f
Tripes mpl

86
Q

Sleep walker

A

Somnambule nmf

87
Q

Be finicky sniff at

A

Faire la fine bouche

88
Q

See someone’s face

A

Voir la tête

89
Q

It’s out of the question

A

C’est hors de question

90
Q

Of flesh and bone

A

En chair et en os

91
Q

Slip one’s mind

A

Sortir de la tête

92
Q

Day of toil/work

A

Journée de labeur

93
Q

Show what yr a made of, show yr true colours

A

Se dévoiler

94
Q

Go to fight a losing battle, go like a lamb to slaughter

A

Aller au casse-pipe

95
Q

At a loss for words, speechless, tongue tied + mute, dumb

96
Q

To wonder

A

Se demander

97
Q

I have to go

A

Je dois y aller.

98
Q

Break the vicious cycle

A

C’est un cercle vicieux à briser

99
Q

At equal distance

A

À égale distance de

100
Q

Spitting image

To spit

A

Craché adj

Cracher

101
Q

Smoke ring

102
Q

Gloss, glimmer, glow, flash beam

Glimmer of hope

A

Lueur f
Nous avions encore une lueur d’espoir.
There was still a glimmer of hope for us

103
Q

Greedily, eagerly, keenly

104
Q

Unfashionable, uncool, fuddy duddy

105
Q

Curse, swear word

106
Q

Examine, consult

A

Ausculter

Je vais vous ausculter, le médecin dit

107
Q

Hissing, whistling adv

A

Chuintement

108
Q

This is the calm before the storm

A

c’est le calme avant la tempête

109
Q

Sneak out

A

Faire le mur

110
Q

To tone down one’s opinion

A

Mettre de l’eau dans son vin (à ce sujet)

French Idioms (3 decks)

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