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.
Almost everyone knows that the French word “merci” means “thank you.” But how do you express the idea of mercy or compassion in French, rather than thanking someone? “Merci” is a feminine noun. “La merci” means “the mercy.” It refers to mercy in the sense of power, not in the sense of compassion. “Pitié” is…
The French expression “ne pas envoyer dire” (also written as “ne pas l’envoyer dire”), means “to say something to someone, very directly, bluntly, or unceremoniously.” Example of usage
The French expression “faire une frite” literally means “to make a fry” or “to make a French fry.” However it has nothing to do with cooking. Instead it means to use the backs of your fingers to whip someone’s bottom in a downwards direction. This action, often done by kids teasing each other, will leave…
“être dans les choux” is a French saying that literally means “to be in the cabbages.” What it means really, however, is “to fail, to be in a bad situation, to be ranked last or to lose.” An equivalent English expression is “to be up the creek without a paddle.” It comes from the paronymy (the…
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,…
The letter “c” can be pronounced in two different ways in French. It can be hard, like the first “c” in the word “coriace,” meaning “tough,” “leathery,” or “hard-headed,” pronounced [KOH REE AHSS]. Or it can be soft, like the last “c” in “coriace.” How do you know whether a “c” will be hard or…
