A Penny for Your Thoughts

Written by Diana Yen, UVA Student & Intern at the AFC.


French and English aren’t so different. We hear words and phrases like “rendez-vous,” “façade,” and “je ne sais quoi” on TV, in magazines, in books, and in everyday conversations. Some French words have been so seamlessly integrated into our vocabulary that we don’t blink twice when we hear those distinctly nasally pronunciations. 

Even the meaning of some idiomatic phrases carries over from French to English and vise versa. For instance, a common idiomatic French phrase is “sur le bout de la langue,” which literally translates into “on the tip of the tongue.” Sound familiar?

Some other French idiomatic phrases that translate into English well include “advienne que pourra” (come what may), à cheval donné, on ne regarde pas les dents (don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, literally translated into “for a gift horse, one does not look at its teeth”), and “prendre le taureau par les cornes” (take the bull by its horns).

Similarly, the French have taken a liking to certain English words. Many French citizens say “le week-end,” in lieu (another French word) of “la fin de la semaine,” meaning the end of the week. Words like “le parking” and “l’email” are also borrowed from the English vocabulary

However, don’t expect a French person to understand “it’s raining cats and dogs.” Instead, try telling him/her “il pleut des cordes,” the French idiomatic equivalent meaning “it’s raining ropes.” If you want to ask “a penny for your thoughts,” try asking “à quoi penses-tu?” (à quoi pensez-vous if you don’t know the person that well). The French won’t understand why you’re offering money for their thoughts, so you’ll ask instead “what are you thinking?” If you don’t take my advice, you’ll be barking up the wrong tree, or as they say in France, “faire fausse route,” literally meaning you’re taking the wrong route.

The French also have some idioms that would confuse English-speakers, too. Here are a few:

• A bon chat, bon rat (two can play that game, literally translated: for a good cat, a good rat).
• Faire la tête (to sulk, literally translated: to do the head).
• Avoir les dent longues (to be ambitious, literally translated: to have long teeth).
• Faire la grasse matinée (to sleep in, literally translated: to do a fat morning).