10 Weird French Expressions That Make No Sense in English
Mar 02, 2025French is a beautiful language, full of poetic turns of phrase and elegant expressions. But sometimes, French idioms can sound absolutely bizarre when translated word for word into English. If you’ve ever heard a French person say something like "avoir le cafard" (literally “to have the cockroach”), you might have been left scratching your head.
Let’s dive into 10 weird French expressions that make little to no sense in English—but are completely normal in France!
1. Avoir le cafard πͺ³
Literal translation: “To have the cockroach”
Meaning: To feel down or depressed
Imagine a cockroach crawling inside your mind—that’s the uncomfortable image this expression evokes. But don’t worry, the phrase has nothing to do with actual insects. It comes from French poet Charles Baudelaire, who used le cafard (which also means “melancholy” in old French slang) to describe a state of sadness.
π J’ai le cafard aujourd’hui. (I’m feeling down today.)
2. Tomber dans les pommes π
Literal translation: “To fall in the apples”
Meaning: To faint
No, the French aren’t passing out in apple orchards. This odd phrase is believed to have originated from the old French phrase être dans les pommes cuites (to be in cooked apples), which meant being exhausted.
π Elle est tombée dans les pommes en apprenant la nouvelle. (She fainted upon hearing the news.)
3. Avoir la gueule de bois π²
Literal translation: “To have a wooden face”
Meaning: To have a hangover
Waking up after a wild night of drinking? In French, that pounding headache and dry mouth feel like your face has turned to wood. A very creative way to describe the dreaded hangover!
π J’ai la gueule de bois après cette soirée. (I have a hangover after that party.)
4. Poser un lapin (à quelqu’un) π°
Literal translation: “To put down a rabbit (to someone)”
Meaning: To stand someone up
No, this has nothing to do with actual rabbits. This idiom dates back to the 19th century when un lapin (a rabbit) also referred to avoiding payment in cabarets. Over time, it evolved to mean leaving someone hanging.
π Il m’a posé un lapin hier soir. (He stood me up last night.)
5. Les carottes sont cuites π₯
Literal translation: “The carrots are cooked”
Meaning: It’s over, there’s nothing left to do
This phrase is used when a situation is beyond saving, much like carrots that are already cooked and can’t be undone. It was also used in WWII as a secret code in the French Resistance.
π Les carottes sont cuites, on ne peut plus rien faire. (It’s over, there’s nothing we can do.)
6. Se prendre un râteau π‘
Literal translation: “To take a rake”
Meaning: To get rejected (romantically)
Ever stepped on a rake and had it smack you in the face? That’s the perfect metaphor for getting brutally rejected when asking someone out. Ouch.
π Il lui a proposé un rendez-vous, mais il s’est pris un râteau. (He asked her out, but she turned him down.)
7. Avoir un coup de foudre β‘π
Literal translation: “To have a lightning strike”
Meaning: Love at first sight
This French expression captures the idea of love striking unexpectedly—like a bolt of lightning! Romantic, right?
π Quand je l’ai vue, ça a été un coup de foudre. (When I saw her, it was love at first sight.)
8. Faire la grasse matinée π
Literal translation: “To do the fat morning”
Meaning: To sleep in
The idea here is that when you sleep in, your morning is “fat” with extra hours of rest. Sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?
π Le dimanche, j’adore faire la grasse matinée. (On Sundays, I love to sleep in.)
9. Mettre son grain de sel π§
Literal translation: “To put in one’s grain of salt”
Meaning: To give an unsolicited opinion
Similar to the English phrase “to put in one’s two cents,” this French expression refers to people who just can’t help but butt into a conversation with their opinion.
π Il met toujours son grain de sel dans nos discussions. (He always sticks his nose into our conversations.)
10. Avoir le coup de barre ποΈβοΈ
Literal translation: “To have the bar hit”
Meaning: To feel suddenly exhausted
Ever felt a wave of sudden fatigue hit you in the middle of the day? In French, it’s like a heavy bar coming down on you—hence the expression.
π J’ai un coup de barre après le déjeuner. (I feel really tired after lunch.)
French idioms are full of quirky and amusing imagery that often makes little sense when translated literally. But these expressions give the language its unique charm and cultural depth. So, next time you tomber dans les pommes (faint) or poser un lapin (stand someone up), at least you’ll know exactly what it means!
