Every language has its quirks, but French really takes the cake when it comes to colorful expressions. If you've ever tried learning French, you've probably stumbled upon phrases that made you pause and think, "Wait, did I hear that right?"
I'm not just talking about the accent or those tricky conjugations. I'm talking about expressions that, when translated literally, sound absolutely bonkers but somehow make perfect sense to French speakers. In this post, let me serve you some of the funniest French expressions you’ll hear the locals say all the time.
- 5 French Accent Marks You Need To Know
- 9 Best Short Stories In French For Beginners
- 15 French Slang Phrases And Words You Need to Know
Funny Food-Related Expressions
Occupe-toi de tes oignons - Mind your own onions
When someone's poking their nose where it doesn't belong, the French don't tell them to mind their own business—they tell them to mind their own onions! This delightfully food-centric way of telling someone to back off reveals how central gardening and growing one's own food have historically been in French culture.
Next time someone's asking too many questions about your love life, try responding with a casual "Occupe-toi de tes oignons!" You'll either impress them with your cultural savvy or confuse them enough to change the subject—win-win!
Avoir la banane - To have the banana
Looking at someone with a big smile in France? They've "got the banana!" This expression perfectly describes a wide, curved smile resembling—you guessed it—a banana. It's visual, silly, and much more fun than simply saying someone is happy.
Raconter des salades - To tell salads
When your French friend accuses you of "telling salads," they're calling you out for spinning tales or lying. Similar to how a salad tosses together many ingredients, someone "telling salads" is mixing truths and fabrications.
Les carottes sont cuites - The carrots are cooked
When a French person dramatically declares, “The carrots are cooked," they're telling you all hope is lost! This expression means the situation is beyond saving, similar to saying, "It's all over" or "There's nothing more to be done." Basically, this funny-sounding French expression reportedly dates back to World War II, when food shortages made cooked carrots a sign that you'd used up your limited resources.
En faire tout un fromage - To make a whole cheese out of it
Making a mountain out of a molehill? In France, they make a cheese! When someone "makes a whole cheese" about something, they're blowing it way out of proportion.
Avoir la patate - To have the potato
Are you feeling energetic and positive today? In France, you might say you "have the potato!" This quirky expression for feeling great shows how the humble potato—a staple food that provides sustenance and energy—became associated with vitality and good spirits.
Tomber dans les pommes - To fall in the apples
If the sight of your bill at a fancy Paris restaurant makes you "fall into the apples," you’ve actually fainted! This bizarre expression for passing out has several origin theories—some claim it's a corruption of "tomber en pâmoison" (to faint), while others suggest it refers to the practice of throwing rotten apples at poor performers, who would fall onto a stage covered with fruit.
Whatever its origins, it's distinctly more whimsical than simply saying someone fainted, adding color and humor to an otherwise concerning situation.
Avoir la pêche - To have the peach
Similar to "having the potato," when someone has "the peach," they're feeling fantastic, energetic, and in great spirits. But why a peach specifically? Perhaps because a ripe, juicy peach represents the perfect summer treat—sweet, refreshing, and full of energy-giving natural sugars.
C'est la fin des haricots - It's the end of the beans
When all hope is lost and things couldn’t possibly get worse, the French declare "it's the end of the beans." This pessimistic saying dates back to when beans were considered a last-resort food, where, when you ran out of beans, you truly had nothing left.
Jonathan Del Prado
Funny French Expressions Related To Animals
Avoir un chat dans la gorge - To have a cat in the throat
This delightful expression for being unable to speak clearly due to a scratchy throat shows how differently languages can visualize the same sensation. Next time you wake up with a raspy voice, try telling your friends "J'ai un chat dans la gorge" and see if they can picture the poor kitty stuck in your esophagus.
Avoir le cafard - To have the cockroach
Feeling down? In France, you don't just have the blues. Instead, you have the cockroach! This peculiar expression for feeling depressed or melancholy conjures up the image of a pest that’s notoriously difficult to get rid of, much like persistent negative feelings.
Entre chien et loup - Between dog and wolf
This poetic phrase refers to twilight (the time of day when it's difficult to distinguish between a dog and a wolf). Beyond its literal meaning, it's used to describe ambiguous situations or uncertain times, capturing that sense of being caught between the familiar (dog) and the wild (wolf).
Quand les poules auront des dents - When hens have teeth
Will something impossible ever happen? The French would say, "When hens have teeth," their equivalent of "when pigs fly." This expression is particularly fun because it combines biological impossibility with deadpan delivery.
Other Surprising French Sayings
Il pleut des cordes - It's raining ropes
While English speakers see cats and dogs falling from the sky during heavy rain, the French observe ropes! This vivid expression creates the image of long, straight lines of heavy rainfall that resemble ropes hanging from the clouds.
Un vent à décorner les bœufs - A wind strong enough to remove the horns from cattle
When describing an exceptionally violent wind, the French don’t just say it's windy. Instead, they claim it’s powerful enough to blow the horns off cattle! Interestingly, this expression reportedly dates back to the 19th century when farmers would remove cattle horns during particularly windy days, as the wind would keep away the flies attracted to the wounds
Avoir un petit vélo dans la tête - To have a small bicycle in the head
Someone acting a bit eccentric or crazy? In France, they might have a small bicycle spinning around in their head! This whimsical expression creates the perfect image of thoughts cycling around chaotically.
Un soleil de plomb - A lead sun
On particularly hot, oppressive days, the French describe the sun as being made of lead—heavy and crushing. This expression perfectly captures the feeling of being weighed down by intense heat.
Casser les oreilles - To break someone’s ears
When something is painfully loud or annoying in France, it means the ears are breaking. This dramatic expression is used when someone or something is making an unbearable noise.
Using These Expressions Without Making a Whole Cheese About It
Ready to pepper your French conversations with these expressions? Here are some tips:
- Start with the most common ones: "Avoir la pêche" (feeling great) and "Raconter des salades" (telling lies) are widely used and easily understood.
- Match the formality level: "Occupe-toi de tes oignons" (mind your own onions) is casual and shouldn't be used in formal settings.
- Understand the tone: Some expressions like "Les carottes sont cuites" (all hope is lost) are quite dramatic—use them with appropriate gravity!
- Practice with context: Instead of memorizing in isolation, create mini-scenarios where you might use each expression.
- Listen for them: French media is full of these expressions—train your ear to catch them in movies, songs, and podcasts.
Where to Practice Your New Expressions
These expressions will remain mere ingredients in your vocabulary pantry unless you actually cook with them! Try these opportunities to practice:
- Language exchange partners: Find a French speaker online who can help you use these expressions naturally.
- French films and TV shows: Watch with subtitles and note when these expressions appear.
- Role-playing scenarios: Practice ordering at a restaurant or shopping at a market, incorporating these phrases.
- French cooking classes: Many expressions will make more sense when you're actually working with the foods they reference!
Learn French Expressions With Lingopie
Now that you've gotten a taste of the deliciously quirky world of French expressions, you might be wondering: “How can I actually hear these phrases used by native speakers in natural contexts?” If you’re serious about mastering these expressions and sounding authentically French, Lingopie is a must- try!
Lingopie is a language learning platform that uses authentic French TV shows, movies, and videos to help you learn real, conversational French. Unlike traditional language learning methods that rely heavily on scripted dialogues, Lingopie immerses you in real French content created by and for native speakers.
Curious? Give it a try for 7 days and discover why it's the most recommended platform out there!
![Can You Pronounce These Old French Names? [French Language Day Quiz]](/blog/content/images/size/w300/2025/03/Lingopie-Extension-2.jpg)
