In today’s episode, we will learn 10 popular French idioms.

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What are idioms?

1. Ça marche

Literal translation: it walks.

Figurative translation: 'it functions', but also 'got it' or 'okay'

Être dans la lune

Literal translation: to be in the moon

Figurative translation: to daydream, to pay zero attention.

This is easy to guess, right? Sometimes, French also use this for the same meaning: être tête en l'air - which literally means 'head in the air,' but actually means 'to be distracted'.

Est-ce que tu as compris ce que je viens de te dire?

Y: Quoi? Désolée, j'étais dans la lune.

X: Do you understand what I just told you?

Y: What? Sorry, I was daydreaming.

3.Ça coûte un bras

Literal translation: It costs an arm.

Figurative translation: It's super expensive.

I know, there's an identical idiom in English - It costs an arm and a leg. Who copied whom?

Ex.

ça coûte les yeux de la tête (it costs the eyes in the head)

This car was extremely expensive.

4.

Faire la grasse matinée

Literal translation: to do a fat morning.

Figurative translation: to stay in bed until late in the morning.

Chaque samedi, j'aime bien faire la grasse matinée.

Every Saturday, I like staying in bed until late.

5.

Coup de foudre

Literal translation: a lightning strike.

Figurative translation: to fall madly in love at first sight.

Did you guess it right? Use it if you feel like you've been hit by a lighting bolt when you see someone for the first time.

If it's only a 'moderate' love at first sight, this is what you use: coup de coeur.

C'était un coup de foudre entre lui et moi.

We fell madly in love at first sight, him and me.

6.

Être sage comme une image

Literal translation: to be reasonable like an image.

Figurative translation: it's usually used to define kids who are very calm.

Les enfants que je garde sont sages comme des images. C'est un travail facile et je suis très content.

The kids I babysit are very calm. It's an easy job, and I'm so glad.

7.

Boire comme un trou

Literal translation: to drink like a hole.

Figurative translation: well, you can guess, I think (hint: the picture of Kermit above).

Vous devrez le conduire chez lui, il boit comme un trou.

You'll have to drive him home; he's drinking heavily.