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15 Common and Highly Useful French Idioms
15 Common and Highly Useful French Idioms
I would have liked to buy a new computer but it costs an arm and a leg.
“Astrid noticed that Charles drank two bottles of wine last night.”
Julien and Arnaud were in the middle of a fight when I got there – at the most awkward
moment.
7. C’est dommage
C’est dommage literally translates to ‘that’s a shame’. Imagine someone looking at a
small-scale disaster and sharply exhaling in sympathy – the expression also translates to
‘that’s too bad’. Here’s an example:
C’est dommage que tu ne sois pas au courant.
8. Coup de foudre
Coup de foudre literally translates to a strike of lightning. In fact, it refers to love at first
sight – one of those moments where you see a special someone, and can’t help but react
immediately. Here’s an example:
Quand je t’ai vu pour la première fois, c’était le coup de foudre.
If we don’t leave now, we won’t get to the show on time. Just saying…
I waited for her but she never came – she stood me up!
12. Ça marche!
Ça marche literally means “that works.” Marcher is an interesting verb because it
means both “to walk” and “to function/to work,” so it is not always transparent for
English speakers. You’ll use this expression much in the same way as its English
equivalent. If you and some friends are making some plans, you’ll say ça marche to
confirm that you’re on board. Note that this expression changes from region to region.
In Switzerland, for example, people say ça joue: that plays! Here’s an example:
“On se retrouve à midi pour déjeuner?”
“Oui, ça marche!”
Since I had slept poorly, I was out of it for the whole day.
“When she gets teased, you can see her getting angry!”
Source: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/french-idioms/