Where there’s a will – French expression What does ” vouloir, c’est pouvoir ” mean? How do you say ‘ where there is a will, there is a way ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. vouloir, c’est pouvoir – to want, it’s to be able to. Featuring two infinitive verbs vouloir, c’est pouvoiris a proverb I hear often. In everyday French, it means that if you want something, you can get/do it, that...

to feel good – French expression What does ” avoir la pêche ” mean? How do you say ‘ to feel good ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. avoir la pêche – to have the peach, fishing – means to feel good, to be full of energy, to be enthusiastic in everyday French. You may also hear: avoir la banane – to have the banana, avoir la patate – to have the potato, avoir la frite – to have...

an opinion – French expression What does ” un son de cloche ” mean? How do you say ‘ an opinion ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un son de cloche – a sound of bell. In everyday French, un son de clochemeans ‘an opinion’. It’s often used with même (same) or autre (another). Le même son de cloche: the same opinion, I agree. un autre son de cloche: another opinion, another story,...

a bitter taste – French expression What does ” un goût amer ” mean? How do you say ‘ a bitter taste ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. laisser un goût amer – to leave a bitter taste. In everyday French, laisser un goût amer means ‘to leave a bitter taste’ to be resentful’. * « La dernière réunion pour la vente de la maison m’a laissé un goût amer. »* “The last meeting for the...

what a disaster – French expression What does ” bonjour les dégâts ” mean? How do you say ‘ what a disaster ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. bonjour les dégâts – hello the damages – In everyday French, bonjour les dégâtsmeans ‘what a disaster’. * « Regarde cet arrêt de bus détruit après la manif. Bonjour les dégâts ! » * “Look at the this destroyed bus stop after the...

to shake things up – French expression What does ” mettre la zone ” mean? How do you say ‘ to shake things up ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. mettre la zone – to put the zone – In everyday French, mettre la zone means ‘to disrupt, to wreak something, to shake things up’. * « Les gosses ont bien mis la zone dans la voiture pendant que je conduisais. Je ne retrouve plus mon...

police station – French expression What does ” un hôtel de police ” mean? How do you say ‘ a police station ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un hôtel de police – a hotel of police. I’m sure you figured out un hôtel de police isn’t a hotel at all. In everyday French, un hôtel de police is ‘a police station, a police precinct’. * « Si tu ne paies pas tes articles, tu finiras à...

police station – French expression What does ” un hôtel de police ” mean? How do you say ‘ a police station ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un hôtel de police – a hotel of police. I’m sure you figured out un hôtel de police isn’t a hotel at all. In everyday French, un hôtel de police is ‘a police station, a police precinct’. * « Si tu ne paies pas tes articles, tu finiras à...

Leave me alone – French expression What does ” lâche-moi les baskets ” mean? How do you say ‘ leave me alone ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. lâche-moi les baskets – let go of me the tennis shoes. In everyday French, lâche-moi les baskets means ‘leave me alone’. * « Lâche-moi les baskets avec les escargots ! C’est non, je n’en mangerai pas. »* “Leave me alone with snails....

Leave me alone – French expression What does ” lâche-moi les baskets ” mean? How do you say ‘ leave me alone ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. lâche-moi les baskets – let go of me the tennis shoes. In everyday French, lâche-moi les baskets means ‘leave me alone’. * « Lâche-moi les baskets avec les escargots ! C’est non, je n’en mangerai pas. »* “Leave me alone with snails....

un sac de noeuds – Mot du jour a can of worms – French expression What does ” un sac de nœuds ” mean? How do you say ‘ a can of worms ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un sac de noeuds (nœuds) – a bag of knots. As you can imagine if you have to untangle knots in a bag, it’s a difficult task to accomplish. In everyday French, un sac de noeuds means exactly that: a difficult...

un sac de noeuds – Mot du jour a can of worms – French expression What does ” un sac de nœuds ” mean? How do you say ‘ a can of worms ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un sac de noeuds (nœuds) – a bag of knots. As you can imagine if you have to untangle knots in a bag, it’s a difficult task to accomplish. In everyday French, un sac de noeuds means exactly that: a difficult...

les siens – Mot du jour his or her loved ones – French expression What does ” les siens ” mean? How do you say ‘ loved ones ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. les siens – the his or hers. In everyday French, les siens means his or her parents, people, loved ones. * « Il sera plus serein quand il aura retrouvé les siens. »* “He will be happier when he’s back with  his...

les siens – Mot du jour his or her loved ones – French expression What does ” les siens ” mean? How do you say ‘ loved ones ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. les siens – the his or hers. In everyday French, les siens means his or her parents, people, loved ones. * « Il sera plus serein quand il aura retrouvé les siens. »* “He will be happier when he’s back with  his...

avoir de quoi voir venir – Mot du jour to relax about the future – French expression What does ” avoir de quoi voir venir ” mean? How do you say ‘ to relax about the future’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. avoir de quoi voir venir – to have of what to see to come – The everyday French translation of avoir de quoi voir venir often has to do with money. It means ‘to feel...

avoir de quoi voir venir – Mot du jour to relax about the future – French expression What does ” avoir de quoi voir venir ” mean? How do you say ‘ to relax about the future’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. avoir de quoi voir venir – to have of what to see to come – The everyday French translation of avoir de quoi voir venir often has to do with money. It means ‘to feel...

ballon de rouge – Mot du jour glass of wine – French expression What does ” ballon de rouge ” mean? How do you say ‘ glass of wine ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un ballon de rouge – a ball of red. In everyday French, un ballon de rouge is used to describe a glass of cheap wine served in a round, ball-shape wine glass. That  cultural aspect is lost in translation and is...

ballon de rouge – Mot du jour glass of wine – French expression What does ” ballon de rouge ” mean? How do you say ‘ glass of wine ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un ballon de rouge – a ball of red. In everyday French, un ballon de rouge is used to describe a glass of cheap wine served in a round, ball-shape wine glass. That  cultural aspect is lost in translation and is...

à l’eau de rose – Mot du jour mushy – French expression What does ” à l’eau de rose ” mean? How do you say ‘ mushy ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. à l’eau de rose – at the water of rose. In everyday French, à l’eau de rose means ‘sappy’, ‘mushy’. * « Je suis d’humeur romantique aujourd’hui et je lis un roman à l’eau de rose. »* “I’m feeling romantic today and I’m...

à l’eau de rose – Mot du jour mushy – French expression What does ” à l’eau de rose ” mean? How do you say ‘ mushy ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. à l’eau de rose – at the water of rose. In everyday French, à l’eau de rose means ‘sappy’, ‘mushy’. * « Je suis d’humeur romantique aujourd’hui et je lis un roman à l’eau de rose. »* “I’m feeling romantic today and I’m...

avoir un cœur d’artichaut – Mot du jour to be fickle in love – French expression What does ” avoir un cœur d’artichaut ” mean? How do you say ‘ fickle ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. avoir un cœur d’artichaut – to have a heart of artichoke. This beautiful artichoke can feed many mouths, one leaf at a time. It gives all of us a bit of food, never the whole thing. In everyday...

avoir un cœur d’artichaut – Mot du jour to be fickle in love – French expression What does ” avoir un cœur d’artichaut ” mean? How do you say ‘ fickle ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. avoir un cœur d’artichaut – to have a heart of artichoke. This beautiful artichoke can feed many mouths, one leaf at a time. It gives all of us a bit of food, never the whole thing. In everyday...

hardly a secret – French expression What does ” un secret de polichinelle ” mean? How do you say ‘hardly a secret’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un secret de polichinelle – a secret of Punchinello, the character from Italian ‘la commedia dell’arte’. In everyday French, un secret de polichinelle means that there is something that everyone knows, but won’t talk about. In English, t’s...

hardly a secret – French expression What does ” un secret de polichinelle ” mean? How do you say ‘hardly a secret’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. un secret de polichinelle – a secret of Punchinello, the character from Italian ‘la commedia dell’arte’. In everyday French, un secret de polichinelle means that there is something that everyone knows, but won’t talk about. In English, t’s...

in a pickle – French expression What does ” dans le pétrin ” mean? How do you say ‘ in a pickle ’ in French? How is it pronounced? How is it used in a French sentence? Listen to Anne, a French native say it at FrenchHour.com. être dans le pétrin – un pétrin is food related. It is a dough trough. être dans le pétrin – to be in the dough trough. To keep the culinary analogy, the English translation for être dans le pétrin is ‘to be in a pickle’.  Sometimes instead of je...