Learning French: Jouer à l’oreille: hit the right note with these musical phrases

This weekend, France’s musicians, both amateur and professional, will be entertaining crowds with street performances, impromptu gigs and concert hall shows for the annual Fête de la musique (June 21).

To celebrate the occasion, here we look at some useful French idioms that evoke hearing, musicality or instruments. 

Do listen out for them (être a l’écoute), and perhaps some will be music to your ears...

Trouver le ton juste

When talking in everyday conversation you might strive to hit the right note – trouver le ton juste or be as clear as a bell – parfaitement clair (perfectly clear). 

Read also: Learning French: the meaning of chanter comme une casserole

You might get it wrong and simply repeat yourself, like a broken record (comme un disque rayé).

If you have a big ego, beware – you may get accused of marching to the beat of your own drum – the French say “marcher de son propre pas” (to walk at your own pace). 

Read also: Learning French: from tout de suite to toot sweet

Chanter ses propres louanges

Even worse, do not blow your own trumpet – chanter ses propres louanges.

If you are not happy about something, be careful not to make a song and dance about it – faire toute une histoire. 

And if you change your tune, the phrase someone might accuse you of is changer de refrain. 

On the other hand, when two or more people have harmonising opinions you would say that they entend le même son de cloche. 

Jouer a l’oreille

The more modest might be happy to play second fiddle to another person – this is translated as jouer les seconds rôles à côté de quelqu’un (play the second role alongside someone) and on a literal musical note, you might play something by ear – jouer a l’oreille.

Read also: Learning French: avoir l’oreille fine and other ear-related expressions

Just make sure not to aller plus vite que la musique, an expression which refers to the idea of doing something too quickly and getting ahead of yourself.