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French > French Level 4 > French Proverbs > Flashcards

French Proverbs Flashcards

Learn the French counterparts to many of the most common proverbs. (98 cards)

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1
Q

Translate to French:

Beggars can’t be choosers.

A

Un mendiant n’a pas le choix.

A beggar doesn’t have a choice.

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2
Q

Translate to French:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

A

Pomme du matin éloigne le médecin.

A morning apple keeps the doctor away.

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3
Q

Translate to French:

Home is where the heart is.

A

Où se trouve le Cœur, là est la maison.

Wherever the heart is, that’s home.

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4
Q

Translate to French:

You have to strike while the iron is hot.

A

Il faut battre le fer quand il est chaud.

You must strike the iron when it’s hot.

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5
Q

Translate to French:

A fool and his money are soon parted.

A

Aux idiots l’argent brûle les doigts.

For idiots, money burns the fingers.

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6
Q

Translate to French:

Every dog has its day.

A

À chacun son heure de gloire.

To each his/her hour of glory.

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7
Q

Translate to French:

When it rains, it pours.

A

Un malheur n’arrive jamais seul.

A misfortune never comes alone.

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8
Q

Translate to French:

You reap what you sow.

A

On récolte ce que l’on sème.

We harvest what we sow.

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9
Q

Translate to French:

Long absent, soon forgotten.

A

Qui s’absente, se fait oublier.

Those who make themselves absent get forgotten.

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10
Q

Translate to French:

Let bygones be bygones.

A

Passons l’éponge, oublions le passé.

Pass the sponge [wipe the slate clean], let’s forget the past.

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11
Q

Translate to French:

To err is human, to forgive divine.

A

L’erreur est humaine.

Mistakes are human.

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12
Q

Translate to French:

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

A

Il n’y a jamais de fumée sans feu.

There’s never smoke without fire.

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13
Q

Translate to French:

Actions speak louder than words.

A

Les actes en disent plus long que les mots.

Actions tell more than words.

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14
Q

Translate to French:

You’ve made your bed, and now you’ll have to lie in it.

A

Comme on fait son lit, on se couche.

We (go to) sleep as we make our beds.

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15
Q

Translate to French:

The early bird catches the worm.

A

Le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt.

The world belongs to those who wake up early.

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16
Q

Translate to French:

April showers bring May flowers.

A

En avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil.

In April, don’t remove a thread (of your clothing). [Warm weather in April isn’t to be trusted.]

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17
Q

Translate to French:

Better late than never.

A

Mieux vaut tard que jamais.

Better late than never.

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18
Q

Translate to French:

Better safe than sorry.

A

Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir.

Better to prevent than cure.

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19
Q

Translate to French:

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

A

Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras.

Better to have one than two promised.

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20
Q

Translate to French:

Birds of a feather flock together.

A

Qui se ressemble s’assemble.

Those who look similar gather together.

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21
Q

Translate to French:

Curiosity killed the cat.

A

La curiosité est un vilain défaut.

Curiosity is a dreadful flaw.

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22
Q

Translate to French:

The devil is in the details.

A

Le diable est dans les détails.

The devil is in the details.

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23
Q

Translate to French:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

A

Ne fais pas à autrui ce que tu n’aimerais pas que l’on te fasse.

Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t like them to do to you.

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24
Q

Translate to French:

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

A

L’habit ne fait pas le moine.

The (monk’s) robe doesn’t make the monk.

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25
# Translate to French: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
Les chiens ne font pas des chats. ## Footnote Dogs don't make (give birth to) cats.
26
# Translate to French: Better be alone than in bad company.
Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné. ## Footnote It's better to be alone than in bad company.
27
# Translate to French: The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
On juge l'arbre à ses fruits. ## Footnote We judge the tree by its fruit.
28
# Translate to French: Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Se coucher tôt, se lever tôt, c'est amasser santé et sagesse. ## Footnote To go to bed and wake up early is to pile up health and wisdom.
29
# Translate to French: When there's a will, there's a way.
Quand on veut, on peut. ## Footnote When one wants, one can.
30
# Translate to French: Let sleeping dogs lie.
Ne revenons pas sur les sujets qui fâchent. ## Footnote Let's not return to topics that anger.
31
# Translate to French: All talk and no action.
Ce sont de belles paroles. ## Footnote Those are/were beautiful words.
32
# Translate to French: You're casting pearls before swine.
Donner de la confiture à des cochons. ## Footnote Give jam to pigs. [Waste something by giving it to someone who won't use/appreciate it.]
33
# Translate to French: You can't have your cake and eat it too.
On ne peut avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre. ## Footnote We cannot have both the butter and the butter's money.
34
# Translate to French: He who pays the piper calls the tune.
Le client est roi. ## Footnote The customer is king.
35
# Translate to French: One can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des oeufs. ## Footnote One can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
36
# Translate to French: Not every truth should be said.
Toute vérité n'est pas bonne à dire. ## Footnote Not every truth should be said.
37
# Translate to French: All roads lead to Rome.
Tous les chemins mènent à Rome. ## Footnote All roads lead to Rome.
38
# Translate to French: Love is blind.
L'amour est aveugle. ## Footnote Love is blind.
39
# Translate to French: Think before you speak.
Réfléchis avant de parler. ## Footnote Think before speaking.
40
# Translate to French: As you sow, so shall you reap.
Qui sème le vent, récolte la tempète. ## Footnote He who sows the wind harvests the storm.
41
# Translate to French: You never know what you've got till it's gone.
On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu'il fait en claquant la porte. ## Footnote We recognize happiness from the sound it makes in slamming the door (behind it).
42
# Translate to French: Necessity is the mother of invention.
La nécessité est mère de l'invention. ## Footnote Necessity is the mother of invention.
43
# Translate to French: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Ce n’est pas aux vieux singes qu’on apprend à faire la grimace. ## Footnote It's not the old monkeys that you teach to make funny faces.
44
# Translate to French: If you want something done well, do it yourself.
On n'est jamais si bien servi que par soi-même. ## Footnote We are never better served than by ourselves.
45
# Translate to French: Time is money.
Le temps, c'est de l'argent. ## Footnote Time is money.
46
# Translate to French: Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.
Il ne faut jamais vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué. ## Footnote Never sell a bear's fur before killing it.
47
# Translate to French: The grass is always greener on the other side.
L'herbe est toujours plus verte ailleurs. ## Footnote The grass is always greener elsewhere.
48
# Translate to French: Every cloud has a silver lining.
À quelque chose malheur est bon. ## Footnote This French proverb means that even in misfortune, something good can come of it.
49
# Translate to French: When the cat’s away the mice will play.
Quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent. ## Footnote When the cat's away the mice will dance.
50
# Translate to French: The end justifies the means.
La fin justifie les moyens. ## Footnote The end justifies the means.
51
# Translate to French: Two heads are better than one.
Deux avis valent mieux qu'un. ## Footnote Two opinions are better than one.
52
# Translate to French: All that glitters is not gold.
Tout ce qui brille n'est pas or. ## Footnote All that glitters is not gold.
53
# Translate to French: Rome wasn't built in a day.
Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour. ## Footnote Rome wasn't built in a day.
54
# Translate to French: Out of sight, out of mind.
Loin des yeux, loin du coeur. ## Footnote Far from the eyes, far from the heart.
55
# Translate to French: One man's meat is another man's poison.
Le bonheur des uns fait le malheur des autres. ## Footnote One's happiness is others' misfortune.
56
# Translate to French: It is raining cats and dogs.
Il pleut des cordes. ## Footnote It's raining ropes.
57
# Translate to French: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C'est dans le besoin qu'on reconnaît ses vrais amis. ## Footnote It's when you are in need that you recognize your real friends.
58
# Translate to French: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Oeil pour oeil, dent pour dent. ## Footnote An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
59
# Translate to French: Do the right thing without hope of reward.
Donner sans attendre en retour. ## Footnote Give without waiting for something back.
60
# Translate to French: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir. ## Footnote Better to prevent than cure.
61
# Translate to French: Better one eye than quite blind.
Mieux vaut être borgne qu'aveugle. ## Footnote Better to be one-eyed than blind.
62
# Translate to French: Never put off to tomorrow what can be done today.
Ce qui est fait n'est plus à faire. ## Footnote What is done no longer has to be done.
63
# Translate to French: He who is absent is always in the wrong.
Les absents ont toujours tort. ## Footnote Those who are absent are always wrong.
64
# Translate to French: There is no free lunch.
On n'a rien sans rien. ## Footnote We don't have anything (We have nothing) without anything.
65
# Translate to French: One may sooner fall than rise.
Il est plus facile de tomber que de s'élever. ## Footnote It's easier to fall than to get up.
66
# Translate to French: It takes all kinds to make the world go around.
Il faut de tout pour faire un monde. ## Footnote It takes all kinds to make a world.
67
# Translate to French: Still waters run deep.
Les eaux tranquilles sont profondes. ## Footnote Be wary of sleeping (still) water.
68
# Translate to French: Don't put the cart before the horse.
Il ne faut pas mettre la charrue avant les bœufs. ## Footnote Don't put the plow before/in front of the oxen.
69
# Translate to French: The worm has turned
Il y a des limites à tout. ## Footnote Everything has its limits.
70
# Translate to French: Fortune favors the brave.
La fortune sourit aux audacieux. ## Footnote Fortune smiles on the bold.
71
# Translate to French: Money can't buy happiness.
L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur. ## Footnote Money does not make happiness.
72
# Translate to French: The exception proves the rule.
L'exception confirme la règle. ## Footnote The exception proves the rule.
73
# Translate to French: Assiduity makes all things easy.
L'habitude rend tout facile. ## Footnote Habits make everything easy.
74
# Translate to French: Short reckonings make long friends.
Les bons comptes font les bons amis. ## Footnote The right amounts make good friends.
75
# Translate to French: Great minds think alike.
Les grands esprits se rencontrent. ## Footnote Great minds meet each other.
76
# Translate to French: Time and tide wait for no man.
On n'arrête pas le temps qui passe. ## Footnote We do not stop the time that passes.
77
# Translate to French: All covet, all lose.
Pour avoir trop convoité, on laisse tout échapper. ## Footnote To covet too much is to let everything escape.
78
# Translate to French: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Qui aime bien châtie bien. ## Footnote He who cares chastises.
79
# Translate to French: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Qui ne tente rien n'a rien. ## Footnote Those who try nothing have nothing.
80
# Translate to French: Time will tell.
Qui vivra verra. ## Footnote He who lives will see.
81
# Translate to French: He who laughs last laughs best.
Rira bien qui rira le dernier. ## Footnote He who laughs last will laugh best.
82
# Translate to French: Knowledge is power.
Savoir, c'est pouvoir. ## Footnote Knowledge is power.
83
# Translate to French: Bear, and forbear.
Supporte et attends. ## Footnote Bear/Tolerate and wait.
84
# Translate to French: All good things come to an end.
Toutes les bonnes choses ont une fin. ## Footnote All good things come to an end.
85
# Translate to French: All things come to him who waits.
Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre. ## Footnote All things come to him who waits/to him who knows to wait.
86
# Translate to French: Forewarned is forearmed.
Un homme averti en vaut deux. ## Footnote Someone forewarned is worth two people.
87
# Translate to French: Shameless craving must have a shameful nay.
À demande insolente, réponse tranchante. ## Footnote To an insolent demand comes a sharp answer.
88
# Translate to French: God helps those who help themselves.
Aide-toi et le ciel t'aidera. ## Footnote Help yourself and the sky will help you.
89
# Translate to French: Everybody's friend is nobody's friend.
Ami de tous, ami de personne. ## Footnote Everybody's friend is nobody's friend.
90
# Translate to French: There are better days ahead.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ## Footnote After the rain comes the good weather.
91
# Translate to French: Triumph without peril brings no glory.
À vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire. ## Footnote To vanquish without peril is to triumph without glory.
92
# Translate to French: In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king.
Au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois. ## Footnote In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king.
93
# Translate to French: A good beginning makes a good ending.
Bien commencer, amène à bien terminer. ## Footnote A good beginning makes a good ending.
94
# Translate to French: Practice makes perfect.
C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron. ## Footnote It's in forging that one becomes a blacksmith.
95
# Translate to French: Slowly but surely.
Doucement mais sûrement. ## Footnote Slow but sure.
96
# Translate to French: All is fair in love and war.
En amour comme à la guerre, tous les coups sont permis. ## Footnote In love as in war, all blows are allowed.
97
# Translate to French: Money talks.
L'argent fait la loi. ## Footnote Money makes the law.
98
# Translate to French: United we stand, divided we fall.
L'union fait la force. ## Footnote There is strength in unity.

French Level 4 (26 decks)

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