French expressions quiz
Your textbook never taught you these.
Could you keep up on the street, at a party, on a date or with friends? Let’s see how many of these you’d catch.
10 expressionsbeginner to advancedabout 2 minutesno sign-up
Word for word: “it’s raining ropes!”
So what does it really mean? Tap an answer to start.
Press 1 or 2
French expressions quiz
The 10 expressions in this quiz
Word for word, they make no sense. Here’s what people in France actually mean by them.
Il pleut des cordes !
BeginnerWord for word: “it’s raining ropes!”
It’s pouring
Prends un parapluie, il pleut des cordes. Take an umbrella, it’s pouring.
Fine at workcoûter les yeux de la tête
BeginnerWord for word: “to cost the eyes of your head”
To cost a fortune
Un café en terrasse à Paris, ça coûte les yeux de la tête. A coffee on a Paris terrace costs a fortune.
Fine at workposer un lapin
BeginnerWord for word: “to put down a rabbit”
To stand someone up
On avait rendez-vous à 20 h et il m’a posé un lapin. We were meeting at 8 and he stood me up.
With friendsavoir un coup de foudre
IntermediateWord for word: “to have a lightning strike”
To fall in love at first sight
Ils se sont rencontrés à un mariage : ça a été le coup de foudre. They met at a wedding. It was love at first sight.
Fine at worktomber dans les pommes
IntermediateWord for word: “to fall into the apples”
To faint
Il faisait tellement chaud dans la salle qu’elle est tombée dans les pommes. It was so hot in the room that she fainted.
Fine at workraconter des salades
IntermediateWord for word: “to tell salads”
To tell fibs
Arrête de me raconter des salades, je sais que tu étais au bar. Stop telling me fibs, I know you were at the bar.
With friendsavoir le cafard
IntermediateWord for word: “to have the cockroach”
To feel low
Depuis que ma meilleure amie a déménagé, j’ai un peu le cafard. Since my best friend moved away, I’ve been feeling a bit low.
With friendsce n’est pas la mer à boire
AdvancedWord for word: “it’s not the sea to drink”
It’s not that hard
Remplir ce formulaire, ce n’est pas la mer à boire. Filling in this form isn’t that hard.
Fine at workça me fait une belle jambe
AdvancedWord for word: “it makes me a nice leg”
A lot of good that does me (sarcastic)
La SNCF m’offre un bon d’achat pour le retard ? Ça me fait une belle jambe, j’ai raté mon rendez-vous. The railway is offering me a voucher for the delay? A lot of good that does me, I missed my appointment.
With friendsse prendre un râteau
AdvancedWord for word: “to take a rake”
To get turned down
Il l’a invitée à dîner et il s’est pris un râteau. He asked her out to dinner and got turned down.
With friends
Questions
Are these expressions still used?
Yes, every day. The quiz leaves out anything dated or crude, and every answer tells you where it’s safe to say: fine at work, with friends, or best avoided.
Why does the quiz go from beginner to advanced?
The first three are common and you’ll hear them early on. The last three need nuance, like sarcasm or mood, which is where most learners lose the thread.
What do I get if I unlock the 15?
A free deck with all 25 expressions, added for you when you finish setting up: the 10 from the quiz (the ones you missed first, each with its example), then the 15 new ones. Every card has audio and comes back for review just before you’d forget it.
Do people in Québec say these too?
Some, not all. This quiz sticks to France. Learning Québec French? There’s a separate Québec quiz with its own set.