25 French expressions that real French people use
By Thierry Gustin
Published
Updated
4 min read
Contents
French expressions are the salt of the language: French people use them constantly, and if you don't know them, you'll miss part of every conversation. Here are 25 expressions that people really use, with their literal meaning, their English equivalent and an example.
Everyday expressions
| Expression | Literally | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ça marche | That works | OK, sounds good | On se voit à 8 h ? — Ça marche ! |
| C'est pas grave | It's not serious | No worries, it's fine | Désolé ! — C'est pas grave. |
| Avoir la flemme | To have the phlegm | To not be bothered, to feel lazy | J'ai la flemme de cuisiner ce soir. |
| Ça me dit | That says to me | I fancy it, I'm up for it | Un ciné, ça te dit ? |
| Bon courage ! | Good courage | Good luck! Hang in there! | Tu as un examen demain ? Bon courage ! |
| Ça roule | That rolls | All good, OK | Ça roule pour toi ? |
| Je m'en fiche | — | I don't care | Il pleut ? Je m'en fiche, j'y vais. |
Food expressions
The French talk about food… even when they're not talking about food.
| Expression | Literally | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| C'est du gâteau | It's cake | It's a piece of cake |
| Avoir la pêche | To have the peach | To be full of beans |
| Ce n'est pas ma tasse de thé | It's not my cup of tea | It's not my cup of tea |
| Raconter des salades | To tell salads | To tell tall stories, to lie |
| Avoir un cœur d'artichaut | To have an artichoke heart | To fall in love easily |
| Les carottes sont cuites | The carrots are cooked | The game is up |
| Mettre son grain de sel | To put in one's grain of salt | To put one's two cents in |
Animal expressions
- Poser un lapin (to put down a rabbit): to stand someone up. Il m'a posé un lapin hier soir.
- Avoir un chat dans la gorge (to have a cat in one's throat): to have a frog in one's throat.
- Être copains comme cochons (to be friends like pigs): to be as thick as thieves.
- Quand les poules auront des dents (when hens have teeth): when pigs fly.
- Appeler un chat un chat (to call a cat a cat): to call a spade a spade.
Body expressions
- Coûter les yeux de la tête (to cost the eyes from your head): to cost an arm and a leg.
- Avoir le cafard (to have the cockroach): to feel down, to have the blues.
- Casser les pieds à quelqu'un (to break someone's feet): to get on someone's nerves.
- Mettre la main à la pâte (to put one's hand in the dough): to pitch in.
- Avoir la tête dans les nuages: to have one's head in the clouds.
- Ne pas avoir sa langue dans sa poche (to not keep one's tongue in one's pocket): to never be lost for words.
Expressions that confuse English speakers
- Chercher midi à quatorze heures (to look for noon at two o'clock): to overcomplicate things.
- Faire la grasse matinée: to have a lie-in, not "to make a fat morning".
- Tomber dans les pommes (to fall into the apples): to faint.
- Ça coule de source (it flows from the spring): it goes without saying.
- Au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois: in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king (this one is the same!).
How can you learn expressions without forgetting them?
- Learn the expression in a full sentence, not on its own: Il m'a posé un lapin sticks better than poser un lapin.
- Hear them in context: TV series, podcasts and radio. Once you've heard an expression three times in different contexts, you won't forget it.
- Use it this week: pick two expressions and look for a chance to say them in your next conversation.
In my French conversation lessons we bring expressions like these into real topics, so they move from your notebook to your mouth. If you want to check the meaning or register of an expression, the Le Robert dictionary tells you whether it is informal or standard. And to avoid another kind of trap, see the French–English false friends.
Frequently asked questions
What does "poser un lapin" mean?
To stand someone up: not to turn up for a date or meeting without warning. Elle m'a posé un lapin.
What does "c'est du gâteau" mean?
That something is very easy, like "it's a piece of cake".
Can I use these expressions in the DELF?
In the speaking test, used naturally, they make a good impression. In the writing test, choose only standard-register expressions and avoid informal ones.
What is the most common French expression?
Probably ça marche or c'est pas grave: you'll hear them several times a day in any French city.
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