Une bête de somme means a workhorse or a beast of burden. Back in the 12th century, “une somme” meant the load that a horse or a mule could carry. Then, in the 16th century, the term “bête de somme” arrived. These days, the more common word for burden is “un fardeau,” but the term “bête de somme” survives in its original form.
The French saying “marquer d’une pierre blanche” literally means “to mark with a white stone.” It means to write down a date so as to remember it for a long time, or to identify a period of time as being especially memorable and auspicious because a happy or favourable event took place then. This idiom…
The French idiom “montrer patte blanche” translates literally as “to show white paw.” What it really means is “to prove your identity,” “to present authorisation to enter a place,” or “to be recommendable.” This saying dates back to the time of Jean de La Fontaine. He was a poet and a writer of fables who…
“Tout baigne” is a French saying that literally means “everything bathes.” This conjures up visions of a perfect summer beach setting, where some people lay in the sun and others splash about in the water. The meaning of the saying seems to confirm this, because it means “everything is going well, it’s happening for the best,…
Literally this expression means “occupy yourself with your onions.” But it translates into English as “Mind your own business.” It is sometimes abbreviated to “c’est pas tes oignons” or simply “pas tes oignons” (none of your business, or “not your onions”). One theory as to the origin of this expression comes from the word “l’oigne,” which…
The French verb “venir” means “to come.” It is one of the most frequently used verbs in the French language. Present Tense (Présent) Future Tense (Futur Simple) Passé Composé In the passé composé, the verb “venir” uses “être” as the auxiliary verb, and the past participle “venu” agrees in gender and number with the subject.
The French word “après” can function either as a preposition or as an adverb. It means “after” or “afterwards.” It is used before a noun, such as “après la pluie” (after the rain), or “après la guerre” (after the war). When it is used before a phrase containing a verb, the word “que” is added…
