Learning french

The spooky story behind on n'est pas sorti de l'auberge

There are two possible etymologies for this expression - and one involves an alleged mass murder and cannibalism

What does lire dans le marc de café mean and when should it be used?

This useful expression draws a connection between coffee grounds and crystal balls

Adding ing does not make a phrase English

Many terms have been created using this misinformed technique

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What does carré mean and when should it be used?

Being a little square now has connotations of efficiency and competence

Learning French: when and why do we say être dur de la feuille?

A leaf-themed phrase for when a person is hard of hearing

Learning French: les carottes sont cuites and 10 other food idioms

Salads, carrots, apples, and onions are all used in common phrases. How many do you know?

Learning French: what does être à l'ouest mean and when should it be used?

Say this when someone zones out of a conversation

Learning French: enhance your language and cooking skills with TV shows

How watching French cookery shows can improve your vocabulary and culinary techniques at the same time

Learning French: what does clou du spectacle mean and when should it be used?

A show-stopping nail-themed phrase

Learning French: Connexion readers share 12 more tricky words - can you pronounce them?

From locksmiths to combine harvesters… plus, try saying our tongue-twisting short story

Learning French: beware of red herrings when using English idioms

Explore how expressions reveal cultural nuances between English and French

Learning French: when and why do we say noyer le poisson?

A fishy phrase for someone who creates confusion

Learning French: what does thune mean and when should it be used?

This casual word is used to talk about money, with roots dating back to the 17th Century

Learning French: pain bénit and six more expressions to do with bread

Bread is an important part of French culture - no wonder so many phrases are bread-related

Learning French: can you pronounce these 12 challenging words?

From squirrel to kettle, these are words you might use on a daily basis

Learning French: on ne va pas se mentir has become a linguistic tic

Filler phrases have been likened to 'window dressing'

Learning French: 'Le Grand Large' and more grand expressions

English-speaking visitors to France assume this intriguing coastal name translates as 'The Big Big'

Learning French: charbonner and more phrases to describe hard work

Our columnist Justin Postlethwaite highlights the many ways of describing 'serious graft' when in France

Learning French: phrases overheard in France during la canicule

From cooking in Marseille to air-con despair, we look at some of our favourite new expressions

Beaches: the different words for stone in French

Beaches in holiday hotspots such as Nice are famous for their pebbles

Learning French: when and why do we say se fendre la poire?

A fruity phrase for when you cannot stop laughing

Learning French: what does sursis mean and when is it used?

The word was heard in the recent court case involving actor Gérard Depardieu

Learning French: Ça crame and other phrases for when the weather is too hot

Discover different ways to describe the heat in French

Learning French: the origins and meaning of manger les pissenlits par la racine

A deadly dandelion saying

Five films and TV shows to improve your French during the August grandes vacances

From summer thrillers to lockdown throwbacks, there is something for everyone this month

Learning French: mes pensées t'accompagnent and other ways of expressing condolences

Find inspiration for writing sympathy messages

Learning French: what is the difference between la mer and l’océan?

Understand which words people in France use to talk about the shore

Learning French: when and why do we say jeter l'éponge?

A phrase to use when acknowledging defeat

Learning French: the origins and meaning of 22 v’la les flics and other police terms

Hearing the number 22 when in France may suggest the police are nearby

Learning French: when and why do we say il y a anguille sous roche?

Find out which Franco-American celebrity used this phrase in a TV interview

Learning French: when and why do we say entre chien et loup?

Use this saying to describe the moment after sunset

Eight examples of French romanticising everyday language

From death and black eyes to cooking and moving forward, French has a way of romanticising life

Learning French: avoir la pêche and other fruit expressions

With France's summer fruit season upon us, we pick out some of our favourite fruit-based French phrases

Learning French: the origins and meaning of avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez

A mustard metaphor for rising anger

Learning French: 12 words and phrases that are untranslatable in English

From faire du yaourt to l’esprit d’escalier, here are some words that have no direct English equivalents

Learning French: do acronyms confuse or simplify language learning?

We look at common sigles that you might come across in France

Learning French: test your Bastille Day vocabulary

From fireworks to military parades, do you know these words related to France’s fête nationale?

Learning French: the origins and meaning of ce n’est pas la mer à boire

Say this when something is easy-peasy

Learning French: what does faire semblant mean and when should it be used?

Say this when someone is putting on an act

Learning French: when and why do we say se faire des cheveux blancs?

Discover the connection between this worrisome phrase and Marie Antoinette

5 podcasts to improve your French this summer

Listening is one of the most important language skills to grasp and podcasts are a great tool

Learning French: vocabulary to use at a medical appointment in France

Practise key health phrases and vocabulary in this practical French lesson from the Little Language School

Learning French: rouler en chasse-patate and more Tour de France expressions

The 100-year-old annual bicycle race has long-standing traditions and even its own vocabulary

Learning French: what does fou rire mean and when should it be used?

A funny phrase for when you cannot suppress your laughter

Learning French: vocabulary to use at the post office in France

Practise key post-office phrases and vocabulary in this practical French lesson from the Little Language School

Learning French: Ça tape and nine other expressions for hot weather

From a 'lead sun' to 'swimming' in sweat, here are some phrases to use as the temperature soars across France

Learning French: what does quelconque mean and when should it be used?

An adjective to describe something ordinary or insignificant

French translations can be delightful... when done wrong

Columnist Nick Inman looks at author Mark Twain's humorous take on French translation

Learning French: how to tell the time in France

O’clock, half past, noon… Practise key time phrases and vocabulary in this practical French lesson from the Little Language School

What are the best methods to sound more native when speaking French?

Lessons focusing on pronunciation and phonetics are available

Learning French: Five fun ways to make a decision in France

From chifumi to chou-fleur... do you know the French equivalent to 'rock, paper, scissors'?

Five things they don’t tell you about... babies in France

From maternal diets to confusing names, there are many cultural differences to keep an eye out for...

Learning French: can you guess the film behind these translated titles?

Paris' Nuit Blanche 2025 shines a spotlight on cinema – here we look at the some of the surprising choices for translations of film names

Learning French: why do we say le vent d’autan rend fou?

Plus, more ways to describe madness when in France

Learning French: How to introduce yourself to a stranger in France

Practise key phrases and vocabulary for meeting new people, in this practical French lesson from the Little Language School

Dinguerie, débunker, deepfake… 150 words added to French dictionary, Le Petit Robert

Find out which of these trending terms you are familiar with

Learning French: the origins and meaning of c’est le serpent qui se mord la queue

Use this phrase when you find yourself in a catch-22

La Fête des Mères: 10 French expressions about mothers

'Mamie-gâteau', ‘mère courage’... we share some of our favourite mum-themed words and phrases

Learning French: Chapeau if you know these 10 clothing-themed phrases

Porter le chapeau, prendre une veste, lâcher les baskets, and more...

Learning French: How to write a cheque in France

Practise spelling-out numbers in this practical French lesson from the Little Language School

Learning French: understanding three words originating from Marseille

Have you ever heard someone say tarpin, gâté or tanquer?

Learning French: nouns that even native speakers commonly misgender

‘The struggle is real’, says our French writer Théophile Larcher - see if you can score higher than him in our mini quiz

Learning French: when and why do we say avoir le compas dans l'œil?

Say this to describe someone with good visual judgement of size or distance

Learning French: the origins and meaning of faire le mariole

Acting the goat or fooling around, we explore the French phrase to describe the class clown

Learning French: what does à fond mean and when should it be used?

An enthusiastic and thorough adverb

Learning French: the origins and meaning of être dans la force de l’âge

A saying to describe being in the prime of life

Learning French: what does recevoir une note salée mean and when should it be used?

A salty saying for inflated expenses

Learning French: when and why do we say qui se ressemble s’assemble?

This rhyming expression is all about highlighting similarities between people

Learning French: what does sacquer mean and when should it be used?

You may be able to guess one of the meanings behind this informal term that sounds just like an English equivalent

Learning French: the meaning of ça va le faire

Plus, what other ways can ça be used?

Learning French: Have you ever dreamt in your target language?

From passive listening to active speaking, dreaming in French can indicate you are regularly practicing it

From English teacher to TikTok star in France: 'The way to help students learn is to believe in them'

Toulouse-based Monsieur Prof's educational videos on learning English are a social media sensation

Learning French: what does fastoche mean and when should it be used?

Plus, can you guess the meaning behind more simple slang terms ending in -oche

Learning French: when and why do we say montrer patte blanche?

A French fairytale phrase for trustworthiness

Learning French: what does pile-poil mean and when should it be used?

Plus, find out how to pronounce this precise phrase