Image by France in New England via Flickr
All languages have their funny side; this is one fact we couldn’t argue about. Through these languages, we can choose to crack a joke and make everyone laugh with it. Either you could verbally speak it out or allow it to be read through a text message or a blog, if you want a hilarious approach, you will always need one important medium: language.
And as far as languages are concerned, English is not the only language that can crack a funny joke. Other foreign languages, particularly French, can blow something hilarious that can laugh us out loud. It is uncertain whether language schools include funny things among their learning process, but if they do, that’s a good advantage. It will really make learners dig in more to learn their target language.
Therefore, I have here top twenty funny French phrases that will certainly make us burst into laughter, especially if you are a French enthusiast. Let’s take a look at the lists and see if these are funny for you.
- Ah, la vache! – (lit: oh, the cow!): oh my god!
- à l’eau de rose – (lit: with rose water): sentimental/soppy
- à toutes les sauces – (lit: with all the sauces): in all sorts of ways
- au poil – (lit: to a hair): perfect; flawless
- avoir le gueule de bois – (lit: to have a wooden face): to have a hangover
- avoir le bourdon – (lit: to have the bumblebee): to feel down/have the blues
- avoir le cafard – (lit: to have the cockroach): be down in the dumps; have the blues
- avoir le démon de midi – (lit: to have the midday demon): to have a midlife crisis
- avoir un chat dans la gorge – (lit: to have a cat in your throat): to have a frog in your throat
- avoir une faim de loup – (to have the hunger of a wolf): to be ravenous/starving hungry
- avoir une peur bleue de quelque chose – (lit: to have the blue fear): to be scared stiff of something
- avoir une araignée au plafond – (lit: to have a spider in the head):to have a screw loose
- c’est la fin des haricots – (lit: that’s the end of the beans) : it’s the last straw/its hopeless or that’s the end of it
- chercher des puces (lit: to look for fleas) – to bug/annoy someone
- les carottes sont cuites – (lit: the carrots are cooked):I’ve had it/that’s enough
- quand on parle du loup (on en voit la queue) – (lit: When you talk about the wolf (you see its tail)): speak of the devil
- quelle mouche t’a piqué? – (lit: which fly bit you?): what’s your problem? what’s the matter with you?
- se fair une toile – (lit: to make a fabric): Go to the movies.
- un film trop mortel – (lit: a film too mortal): such a good movie
- zut alors! – (no translation!): holy smokes/darn!
Funny, isn’t it? We couldn’t really laugh at funny languages when we don’t necessarily understand what it really conveys. Moreover, if you don’t appreciate the foreign language in itself, it is also impossible for you to appreciate their funny phrases as well.
So, do you find funny French phrases fascinating and hilarious? Learn French at language schools and start your learning process in its basics. When you get to understand French, you will appreciate its funny side more, especially on its phrases.
