l’oeil de Moscou

ByFast French April 19, 2023May 25, 2023

“L’oeil de Moscou” is a French idiom that literally means “the eye of Moscow.” It refers to an organisation or an individual who spies on other people for the benefit of others. It also refers to technical equipment used to spy on people.

It dates back to the era of the USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Inside the USSR, people were spied on by their government and by agents of their own government.

An equivalent English expression would be “Big Brother,” which is a term that comes from George Orwell’s novel “1984,” which is itself a critique of authoritarian (communist) regimes.

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Sayings & Expressions

mettre de l’eau dans son vin
ByFast French July 12, 2023July 12, 2023

The French saying “mettre de l’eau dans son vin” means literally “to put some water in one’s wine.” It means to be less ambitious, to moderate one’s claims or to moderate one’s demands. It comes from the practice of moderating the intensity of wine by adding water to it. The expression dates back at least to…

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Sayings & Expressions

manger sur le pouce
ByFast French August 31, 2023August 31, 2023

The French saying “manger sur le pouce” translates literally as “to eat on the thumb.” Figuratively, however, it means “to eat quickly,” “to eat rapidly,” or “to eat hastily.” It dates back to the 19th century. People like factory workers and soldiers often ate on the spot, with one hand holding a piece of bread…

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Sayings & Expressions

Parler français comme une vache espagnole
ByFast French February 17, 2022May 25, 2023

“Parler français comme une vache espagnole” means to speak French with difficulty, to speak French very badly, or just to speak any language badly. But it literally means “to speak French like a Spanish cow!” How did this phrase, which is insulting to both Spaniards and to cows, come about? The saying dates back to…

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Verbs

ne explétif vs ne littéraire
ByFast French August 4, 2025July 23, 2025

French learners often encounter the particle ne used in contexts where it does not indicate negation. This usage can be confusing, as it diverges from the more familiar negation structure ne…pas. Two forms of this non-negative ne are worth distinguishing: the ne explétif and the ne littéraire. Though both are considered stylistic or optional in…

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Verbs

verb: toucher
ByFast French November 22, 2023November 22, 2023

The French verb “toucher” has a few different meanings. Not all of them are obvious. It can mean “to touch,” “to hit,” “to affect,” “to be next to,” “to get,” “to receive,” or “to win.” “Le toucher” is also a masculine noun meaning “the touch” or “the sense of touch.” to touch to hit to…

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Verbs

prendre
ByFast French April 17, 2024April 15, 2024

The French verb “prendre” means “to take,” but a bit confusingly it can also mean “to bring.” Its conjugation in the present tense is irregular, so it must be memorised. However, “prendre” forms the basis for compound verbs such as “comprendre” (to understand), “apprendre” (to learn), “reprendre” (to take back), “surprendre” (to surprise) and many…

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