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 the 17th century and originally existed in the form “porter l’éponge” which meant to carry the sponge.
The French expression “levée de boucliers” literally means a raising of the shields. It dates back to ancient Roman times, when soldiers who opposed the wishes of their generals would raise their shields above their heads as a demonstration of their disapproval. Since the middle of the 15th century, this saying has come to mean…
The French idiom “prendre la clé des champs” translates literally as “to take the key of the fields.” It means “to escape,” “to flee,” “to liberate yourself,” “to leave,” or “to save.” “Le champ” means “the field” in French. But “les champs” means not only “the fields” but also “free space.” So the key in…
Unraveling the Distinction: “Le Tour” vs. “La Tour” in French There are a few words (homonyms) in French where the same word with the same spelling exists, but there is one meaning for the masculine version and a completely different meaning for the feminine version. So when speaking or listening, it is important to distinguish…
Meanings:“Rappeler” is a transitive verb, meaning “to remind” or “to call back.” It means to bring something or someone to one’s attention again. On the other hand, “se rappeler” is a reflexive verb, meaning “to remember” or “to recall.” Conjugation:Note the irregular spelling in the singular forms (je, tu & il) and the third person…
“Se plaindre” means “to complain,” “to whinge” or “to moan.” Conjugations in Present Tense and Passé Composé: Present tense: Passé composé tense: Etymology: The origin of “se plaindre” can be traced back to Latin, where the root “plangere” meant “to lament” or “to beat one’s chest.” Idiomatic Expressions and Usage:
The French adjective “prochain” means “next.” Like most adjectives, it is usually placed after the noun it describes, but not always. Let’s find out how the position of “prochain” can vary. Why do you say “la semaine prochaine” (next week) but you also say “les deux prochaines semaines” (the next two weeks)? In the first…