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French Idioms
To know a language you have to know its idioms, and French is no exception. All forms of the language, from the highly colloquial to the utterly erudite use idioms. Browse below to find the idiom you need, or just explore the many ways you can express yourself in French.
A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V
d’autres fois
at other times
d’entrée de jeu
right from the start
d’un certain âge
middle-aged; getting on in years (lit.: of a certain age)
d’un common accord
unanimously
damer le pion à
outwit; go one better; get the better of
dans l’embarras
in a spot; in trouble
dans l’ensemble
on the whole; overall
dans l’exercise de ses fonctions
in one’s official capacity
dans le bain
in the know; in trouble; in the picture (lit.: in the bath)
dans le tas
at random
dans les choux
in a fix (lit.: in the cabbages)
dans les coulisses
behind the scenes
dans nos pieds
in your place
danser devant le buffet
go hungry; go without dinner; skip a meal
dater de loin
go back a long way
de bon coeur
a lot, considerably
de bonne composition
easygoing
de bouche à oreille
by word of mouth
de bout des lèvres
halfheartedly; without conviction
de but en blanc
point-blank (range)
de commande
feigned
de conserve
hand in hand; together; in cooperation
de côté et d’autre
here and there; on both sides (lit.: from side to the other)
de deux chose l’une
one way or the other
de égal à égal
as equals; as an equal
de façon à
so as to
de fil en anguille
one thing leading to another
de la fête
in on it [something]
de long en large
from end to end; up and down
de mauvais poil
grumpy; bad mood (lit.: with bad hair)
de part et d’autre
here and there, in some places
de plein fouet
headlong
de plus belle
with renewed vigor
de point(e)
leading; latest; advanced; ultramodern; peak
de première main
firsthand; first-hand
de près
closely
de quel bois on se chauffe
what one is made of (lit.: of what wood is being burnt)
de sa façon
of one’s own making
de seconde main
secondhand; second-hand
de son côté
for one’s part
de son cru
of one’s own (creation, invention)
de temps à autre
from time to time; sometimes
de tout poil
of all types; of all sorts; of all kinds
de touts poils
of all types; of all sorts; of all kinds
de toute façon
in any case
demander des comptes
call to account
démarrer en flèche
start off with a bang
déménager à la cloche de bois
skip out on the rent
démon de midi
old goat; dirty old man or woman (lit.: demon of middle age)
dents du bonheur
the upper front incisors when there is a space between them (lit. teeth of joy)
dès
starting from, as far back as
des semaines durant
for weeks on end (lit.: for hard weeks)
des temps en temps
from time to time; sometimes
devoir une fière chandelle à
be deeply indebted to; owe a debt of gratitude to
dire des niaiseries
talk rubbish; talk nonsense
dire en bon français
tell it straight
dire la bonne adventure
tell fortunes
dire le mot et la chose
call a spade a spade
dire que
to think that
dire ses quatre vérités à qqn
tell someone off
dire son fait à
give a piece of one’s mind to
donnant donnant
even-steven; fair trade
donner à
sell out to
donner des ailes
give somebody wings
donner du fil à retordre à
give a lot of trouble to
donner l’éveil à
arouse the suspicions of
donner la patate
energize
donner la peine
go to the trouble (lit.: to give the pain/suffering)
donner le bouillon d’onze heures à
slip poison to
donner le change à
throw off the scent
donner le la
set the tone
donner le ton
set the tone
donner lieu à
give an opportunity for
donner prise à
give an opening to
donner raison à
agree with
donner sa langue au chat
give up guessing
donner son congé à qqn
give someone notice [of termination] (lit.: give someone a vacation)
donner sur
look out on; look over
donner tort à
disagree with
donner un coup de pouce à qqn/qch
give someone/something a boost; help someone/something get started (lit.: to give a thumb’s push to someone or something)
donner une gifle
slap someone in the face; give someone a slap in the face (lit.: to give a slap)
dorer la pilule
sweeten the pill; sweeten the deal
dormir à la belle étoile
sleep out of doors (lit.: to sleep at the good star)
dormir à poings fermés
sleep like a baby
dormir comme un loir
sleep like a log (lit.: to sleep like a dormouse)
dormir comme une marmotte
sleep like a log (lit.: to sleep like a hedgehog)
dormir comme une souche
sleep like a log (lit.: to sleep like a stump)
dormir dans les cartons
gather dust
dormir dans les fichiers
gather dust
dormir sur ses deux oreilles
sleep soundly
doubler le cap de
go beyond; turn
dresser une liste
make out a list
du coup
as a result
du fait de
as a result of
du moment que
since; seeing that; as long as
du tout au tout
completely
dur à cuire
a hard nut to crack
dur d’oreille
hard of hearing