Question

Sometimes you can miss the meaning of a sentence even when you understand all of the words in that sentence. Expressions like these area called idiomatic expressions or idioms.

For example, in English people say "he kicked the bucket." This does not mean that someone litererally kicked a bucket with their foot. It is a culturally-tied expression meaning "he died." There are many expressions like this in French, and they require a little bit of cultural or contextual understanding to use or comprehend.

You have learned about French proverbs earlier in the week.

Now do an internet search for more French idioms, and write down 2 of your favorites. Teach a family member to say them, and help them understand what they mean.

In the box provided below, write the two idioms you learned in French, and what they really mean in English. (10 points per idiom = 20 points)

Answer 1

I know of a few idioms

Boire comme un poisson= To drink like a fish

Example: Mark a bu comme un poisson > Mark drank like a fish

This idiom mean when someone is drinking (alcohol) they drink a LOT of it, like a fish would when they are in the water.

(Boire comme un trou, is another way to put it)

Ne rien savoir faire de ses dix doigts = Do not know anything about your ten fingers

This idioms is basically how you call someone useless, they don't know anything.

{I haven't done french in almost seven years, but I remember these two from a movie I watched when I was young, I hope this kinda helps!}

Answer 2

Bonjour

some French idioms commonly used ==>

Il pleut des cordes (it's raining ropes)= it's raining cats and dogs

j'ai un chat dans la gorge (I have a cat in the throat) = I have a frog in my throat

Il a un poil dans la main (he has a hair in the hand) = he is lazy

je suis crevé ( I am flat) = I am exhausted

j'en ai raz le bol (I have the bowl full of it) = I'm fed up, I'm sick of it ....

J'ai eu une peur bleue : (I had a blue fear !) = I was really terrified

Aujourd'hui je ne suis pas dans mon assiette (today I'm not in my plate) = Today I'm not feeling good, I feel under the weather

manger sur le pouce ( to eat on the thumb) = to eat very quickly, on the run,

Il fait un froid de canard (it's a duck of cold) = It's very cold, icy cold

Il me casse les pieds (he breaks my feet) = he annoys me

raconter des salades (tell salads) = to lie, to tell stories not true, to spin a yard

.....................

There are many others ... some are really new , but might be not accepted here so I prefer to stop !!!

Hope this will help ..

Merry Xmas :)