L’arbre qui cache la forêt

“L’arbre qui cache la forêt” – what does this French expression mean? Literally it translates as “the tree that hides the forest.” In English, you would refer to someone who “can’t see the forest for the trees” or who “can’t see the wood for the trees.” Someone who gets caught up in details that prevent them from perceiving the whole. Learn more interesting French expressions like this and learn to speak French fluently. Book now and see for yourself how easy it can be.

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

  • Cleopatra’s nose

    The French expression « le nez de Cléopâtre » (“Cleopatra’s nose”) comes from a famous line by the 17th-century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal. In his Pensées (1670), he wrote: « Le nez de Cléopâtre, s’il eût été plus court, toute la face de la terre aurait changé. »If Cleopatra’s nose had been shorter, the…

  • humour vs humeur

    Both “humour” and “humeur” are French nouns. But they mean different things. “L’humour” (masculine) means “the humour” or “the comedy.” It corresponds fairly closely to the English word “humour” (or “humor,” in US English). In French culture, especially cultivated and sophisticated French culture, “wit” was seen as more important. The French idea of “wit” is…

  • Faire vinaigre

    “Faire vinaigre” means literally to “make vinegar.” What could “make vinegar” possibly mean? It means to hurry up, to go faster. It’s also used by kids playing jump rope to indicate that they want the rope holders to turn the rope faster. The jump rope usage gives a clue as to the origin of this…

  • passer l’éponge

    Passer l’éponge means literally to pass the sponge, but in slightly better English it would be to wipe the sponge. The English saying it most closely resembles would be “to wipe the slate clean.” It means to restart from zero, to forgive, or to forget disagreeable acts. The expression dates back to the start of…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *