To ask what your favourite French words and expressions are?

[WellAlwaysHaveParis]

Very random AIBU, but I’d be interested to find out: what are your favourite French words and expressions? :)

I’m restarting a weekly post on French expressions for my blog on French language and culture, and I’ve run out of inspiration

Shameless plug alert.... if you’d like to know more about the blog or if you or anyone you know might like to contribute to it, please let me know on here or via private message :)

and are all up for grabs as prizes for the best words

[Daffodildainty]

Plus ca change plus c’est la meme chose

Chacun a son gout

Sacre coeur et coups de bleu

[DannyLaRuesBestFrock]

We love comme ci comme ca in our house.

Dd had been feeling poorly on time and when we asked her how she was, she came out with that chestnut. She was only about 5 😂.

Its a really succinct way of saying a bit good, a bit rubbish.

[EmilyAlice]

Il faut faire avec. (popular in our village).
On verra....

[TweenageAngst]

Merde- said with haughty disdain

[MongerTruffle]

Mettre son grain de sel - to put in one's grain of salt (i.e. to offer an unsolicited opinion)

e.g.:
Encore une fois, ma belle-mère a mis son grain de sel.

[myidentitymycrisis]

prestidigatuer

[EmilyAlice]

And à tantôt which is very Norman.

[MongerTruffle]

myidentity Do you mean prestidigitateur?

[RoseCuntedGlasses]

Ooh pm me a link please

I’ve been reading some Tchoupi books to my dd and the favourite words I’ve come across are ‘ronronnant’ for purring - very onomatopoeic, really sounds like an old cat if you throw yourself into your French Rs. And ‘chouchote’ for whisper, again very onomatopoeic because of the shh shh sounds.

I love French

[UtterlyDesperate]

Coup de foudre is a favourite. Not from personal experience, though

[Greenteandchives]

Zut alors! And Mon Dieu!
Said with appropriate Gallic gestures.

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

Meubles, which I think means furniture. Just love the sound of the word.

[TattyCatty]

Mal dans sa peau = ill at ease, which literally translates as "in in his / her skin". First heard it in connection with a very shy teenager, and it just described that awkward child / adult transition stage!

[OnlyGlowingSlightly]

Bon courage! I find it really frustrating that it doesn't exist in English. Good luck just isn't the same - too passive.

[Piffpaffpoff]

I might not spell these right....

Attraper u coup de soleil - literally ‘been slapped by the sun’ aka sunburn

Les pompiers - firemen. I just love the way the word sounds.

Finally ‘ooooh la laaaaa’ - I know it’s a cliche but I worked with a French lady who actually said this where I would say ‘oh my god!’ or ‘no way!’ and it tickled me no end!

[FinnegansCake]

Il pete plus haut que son cul

[TattyCatty]

*ill in his /here skin!

[halfwitpicker]

Do you want Quebec-isms or not, OP?

[UtterlyDesperate]

Oh, and pour encourager les autres!

[FinnegansCake]

J’ai d’autres chats a fouetter (sorry, can’t do accents)

[FinnegansCake]

Entre chien et loup

[WellAlwaysHaveParis]

Thanks so much for all of these, everyone! :)

Yes please to Quebec-isms too, HalfWitPicker :)

[WontLetThoseRobotsDefeatMe]

Capitain(e) du soiree = designated driver

[MrsFig]

J'ai la gueule de bois

[WellAlwaysHaveParis]

Finally ‘ooooh la laaaaa’ - I know it’s a cliche but I worked with a French lady who actually said this where I would say ‘oh my god!’ or ‘no way!’ and it tickled me no end!

I also love hearing French people say this PiffPaff