tomber des nues

ByFast French

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.”

“Tomber des nues” means “to be surprised,” “to be amazed,” “to arrive unexpectedly” or “to be taken aback by an unexpected event.” It refers to the feeling of a hypothetical person living in the clouds, who suddenly falls to earth. Everything would be very different from life in the clouds, and the person would be very surprised.

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

  • à bâtons rompus

    ByFast French

    This phrase means “without continuity,” “with frequent interruptions,” “in a disordered fashion,” “informal,” or “in an irregular way.” The origins of this French expression are shrouded in mystery. Some believe it comes from a traditional tapestry design that contained an irregular mix of sticks or long, thin rectangular shapes. It is more likely that this…

  • prévenir

    ByFast French

    The French verb “prévenir” means “to prevent” or “to warn.” It also means “to let [someone] know,” “to avert,” “to advise,” “to inform,” “to guard against,” “to notify” and “to forewarn.” Examples Etymology The word “prévenir” comes from the Latin verb “praeventire,” composed of “prae” (before) and “eventire” (to come).

  • |

    -al words

    ByFast French

    French words that end in the letters “al” can be a trap for learners. That’s because in the plural, they change their spelling to “aux.” The classic example is “un cheval,” which in the plural becomes “des chevaux.” But this applies to every single noun and adjective ending in the letters “al.” Nouns are relatively…

  • il vaut mieux

    ByFast French

    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…