French Phrases

Matthias Desjardins

Here are some colorful French phrases:

• Un je-ne-sais-quoi: A mysterious quality that is hard to define.
• Un air de rien: A detached look, appearing unbothered.
• Qui vivra verra: Wait and see.
• L'habit ne fait pas le moine: You can’t judge a book by its cover.
• Chacun voit midi à sa porte: One tends to prioritize one's well-being before considering others.
• Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
• Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid: Slowly but surely.
• La vie est belle: Life is beautiful.

• C’est la vie: That’s life.
• Fais de beaux rêves: Sweet dreams.
• En faire tout un fromage: Making a big deal of something.
• Être né(e) sous une bonne étoile: Being born under a lucky star.
• Vivre d’amour et d’eau fraîche: Living a carefree existence, with no worries or responsibilities.

Additionally, here are some colorful idioms:

• Être blanc bonnet et bonnet blanc: The same thing.
• Être blanc comme un linge: To be as white as a ghost.
• Être blanc comme neige: To be pure as the driven snow.
• Passer une nuit blanche: To spend a sleepless night.

These phrases and idioms add color and depth to the French language, reflecting cultural insights and everyday life (3).pth to the French language, reflecting cultural insights and everyday life.