Avoir de la veine

“Avoir de la veine” means to be lucky or to have luck. “Une veine” is a vein. So what is the connection between veins and luck? The term comes from the world of men who searched for gold, diamonds or other precious metals. These metals and diamonds are found in concentrations in rock called “veins.” Finding a vein of gold or diamonds was the kind of luck that all miners strove for, so “to have some vein” means to be lucky.

Are you looking for VCE French tutoring? Try a free trial lesson with Fast French. No obligation. Fast French has a track record of helping students to progress and excel in their French studies.

Don’t miss out on new posts – subscribe now!

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • tomber des nues

    The French expression “tomber des nues” translates literally as “to fall from the clouds.” “Les nues” is a feminine plural noun meaning “the clouds” or “the heavens.” It is not used these days, except in a literary sense. The modern word for clouds is “les nuages” and for heavens it is “le ciel” or “le paradis.”…

  • ralentir

    The French verbs “alentir” and “ralentir” are related to the adjective “lent,” which means “slow.” The two verbs both mean “to slow down.” “Alentir” is only used in literature (or in Québec) these days, while “ralentir” is in common usage. Meanings and Usage: Conjugation in the Present Tense: Conjugation in the Passé Composé: Etymology: Both…

  • il vaut mieux

    The phrase “il vaut mieux” can be translated as “it is better” or “it is preferable.” It is employed to express a preference or recommendation, suggesting that one option is superior or more desirable than another. It uses an impersonal construction of the verb “valoir,” which means “to be worth.” An impersonal construction means that…

  • vouloir

    The French verb “vouloir” is a very important and frequently used verb. It means “to want.” It is often used with other verbs, eg “to want to do.” As such, it is described as an auxiliary verb, or helper verb, because it is useful when combined with other French verbs. Below are the conjugations for…

  • Verb: ouvrir

    The verb “ouvrir” is a regular -ir verb, and its conjugation follows a predictable pattern. Here is how it is conjugated in the present tense: Similar Conjugation Patterns The verbs “rouvrir,” “découvrir,” “recouvrir,” “offrir,” “souffrir,” and “couvrir” share a similar conjugation pattern with “ouvrir.” These verbs are also regular -ir verbs. By recognizing this pattern,…