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 phrase “il faut que” means “it’s necessary that.” It is used to express obligation and necessity. Unlike the phrase “il faut” (which is used without “que” and with a verb in the infinitive), “il faut que” specifies exactly who should do something. “Il faut que” is always accompanied by a second verb in…
The French verb “pousser” means “to push,” “to move,” “to push aside,” “to let out,” or “to grow,” among a variety of different meanings. The green sign in the photo means “Push to open.” To push: “Pousser” mainly means to push or shove. To grow: Expressions and Idiomatic Usage: Etymology: The French verb “pousser” traces…
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…
This French expression means “to go window shopping.” However it translates literally as “to do some lick-window.” This phrase comes from the idea that the window shopper is standing so close to the window and gazing in with such pleasure that it looks like she is licking the window. The idiom first appeared in the 20th…
Some words in French have almost identical spellings, but are actually different words with different meanings. Remember that accents are an important part of correct spelling in French. Accents are not optional extras. They are an integral part of the spelling of each word. A homonym is a word that sounds identical to another word,…
It is a common mistake to try to translate idiomatic expressions from English into French, word for word. The example of the English phrase “the writing is on the wall” shows us that this approach is often not effective. The English idiom “the writing is on the wall” originates from the Biblical story of Belshazzar’s…