The French idiom “l’alpha et l’oméga” translates literally as “the alpha and the omega.” What it really means is the start and end of something, or something in its totality, or just the totality. Its origin is the Bible. In the book of Isaiah, God says “I am the first and the last.” This means…
The French verb “manquer à” means “to miss (someone)” “Manquer” is a regular “-er” verb. In fact it has several meanings, but one of its main meanings is to miss someone, in the sense of wishing that they were here. In this construction, it is used with either “à” or a indirect object pronoun. Examples…
The French saying “se brosser” literally means “to brush yourself.” What it really means is to be obliged to do without something you desire, to make a noise, to rummage around, or even just to wash yourself. It comes from a French idiom “faire brosse,” which meant to miss or to fail. This dates back…
The verb “ouvrir” is a regular -ir verb, and its conjugation follows a predictable pattern. Here is how it is conjugated in the present tense: Similar Conjugation Patterns The verbs “rouvrir,” “découvrir,” “recouvrir,” “offrir,” “souffrir,” and “couvrir” share a similar conjugation pattern with “ouvrir.” These verbs are also regular -ir verbs. By recognizing this pattern,…
“Mine de rien” is a popular French expression that is used in everyday conversations. Literally translated, it means “appearance of nothing,” “expression of nothing,” or “look of nothing,” but its true meaning goes beyond its literal interpretation. This expression is often used to describe someone’s behavior or attitude when they are doing something in a…
The Conditional tense expresses the idea that you WOULD do something, if a specific condition is met. So in English, it involves either the word “would” or its abbreviation “‘d” (apostrophe d). If we take the English verb “to give,” its conditional would be “I would give” or “I’d give.” The conditional of the English…
The Imperfect verb tense (l’imparfait) in French is used to express continuous action in the past. If we use the English verb “to give” as an example, the meanings of the French Imperfect version of this verb would be “I was giving,” “I used to give,” “I kept on giving,” or even “I gave.” There…
“Sur les chapeaux de roues” is a French saying that literally translates as “on the hats of the wheels.” A better translation would be “on the hubcaps.” It is a way of saying “at high speed.” If a vehicle travels at high speed and goes around a curve or a corner, it will tend to…
“Coeur d’artichaut” is a French saying that translates literally as “heart of artichoke” or “artichoke heart.” What it really means is someone who falls in love easily, or it can also mean someone who is fickle in love. An artichoke is a vegetable with tough leaves on the outside and a much softer centre. Comparing…
“Faire son miel de” is a French saying whose literal translation is “to make one’s honey from.” It means to make a profit from, or to take advantage of a situation to earn a lot of money. It comes from the activity of bees, who are known not only for their industriousness and hard work, but…