French Proverbs III

M

* Mange ton poisson à présent qu'il est frais, marie ta fille à présent qu'elle est jeune.
o Idiomatic translation: Eat your fish while it is fresh, marry your daughter while she is young.

* Mars venteux et avril pluvieux font mai gai et gracieux.
o Literal translation: Windy March and rainy April make May jolly and gracious
o Idiomatic translation: March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.

* Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné.
o Idiomatic translation: Better be alone than in bad company.

* Mieux vaut faire que dire.
o Literal translation: Better to do than to say.
o Idiomatic translation: Actions speak louder than words / Well done is better than well said.

* Mieux vaut plier que rompre.
o Idiomatic translation: Adapt and survive.
o Literal meaning: Better to bend than to break.

* Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir.
o Literal translation: Better to prevent than to cure.
o Idiomatic translation: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

* Mieux vaut rire que pleurer.
o Idiomatic translation: Laughter is the best medicine.
o Literal meaning: Better to laugh than to weep.

* Mieux vaut s'adresser à Dieu qu'à ses saints.
o Idiomatic translation: It is better to talk to the organ-grinder than to his monkey.
o Literal meaning: It is better to address God than His saints.

* Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
o Idiomatic translation: Better late than never.

* Mieux vaut tenir que courir.
o Idiomatic translation: A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
o Literal meaning: Better to hold than to run.

* Moineau à la main vaut mieux que grue qui vole.
o Idiomatic translation: A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
o Literal meaning: Better a sparrow in hand than a crane in flight.

* Mon petit doigt me l'a dit.
o Translation: A little bird told me.

* Morte la bête, mort le venin.
o Idiomatic translation: Dead dogs don't bite.
o Literal meaning: Dead is the beast, dead is the venom.

N

* Nécessité fait loi.
o Idiomatic translation: Beggars can't be choosers.
o Literal meaning: Need makes law.

* Noël au balcon, Pâques au tison.
o Idiomatic translation: A warm Christmas means a cold Easter.
o Literal meaning: Christmas on the balcony, Easter with a firebrand (in hand).

* Nul n'est prophète en son pays.
o Idiomatic translation: No man is a prophet in his country.

O

* Oignez vilain, il vous poindra.
o Literal meaning: Anoint a villain, he will stab you (oindre and poindre being outdated verbs)
o Idiomatic translation: Claw a churl by the breech, and he will shite in your fist.
o Also: Oignez vilain, il vous poindra; poignez vilain, il vous oindra (anoint a villain, he will stab you; stab a villain, he will anoint you) -- a villain will repay kindness with betrayal, but will flatter those who beat him.

* On a souvent besoin d'un plus petit que soi.
o Translation: We often need someone smaller than ourselves.

* On est tous dans le même bain.
o Literal meaning: We're all in the same bath.
o Idiomatic translation: We're all in the same boat.

* "On ne resiste pas l'invasion des idées"
o Literal Meaning: One doesn't resist the invasion of ideas
+ Idiomatic Expression: Don't resist new ideas

* On ne change pas une équipe qui gagne.
o Literal meaning: One doesn't change a team that wins.
o Idiomatic translation: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

* On ne fait pas boire un âne qui n'a pas soif.
o Literal meaning: One does not make a donkey drink if it isn't thirsty.
o Idiomatic translation: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

* On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des œufs.
o Translation: You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.

* On ne marie pas les poules avec les renards.
o Idiomatic translation: Different strokes for different folks.
o Literal meaning: You can't marry a hen and a fox.

* On ne peut avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre. Sometimes On ne peut pas avoir le beurre, l'argent du beurre et la crémière.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't have your cake and eat it.
o Literal meaning: You can't have both the butter and the butter money / and the dairywoman.

* On ne peut avoir le lard et le cochon.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't have your cake and eat it.
o Literal meaning: You can't have the bacon and the pig.

* On ne peut être à la ville et aux champs.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't be in two places at once.
o Literal meaning: You can't be in town and in the country.

* On ne peut être au four et au moulin.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't be in two places at once.
o Literal meaning: You can't be at the oven and in the mill.

* On ne peut faire d'une buse un épervier.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
o Literal meaning: You can't turn a buzzard / a dolt into a sparrowhawk.

* On ne prend pas les mouches avec du vinaigre.
o Idiomatic translation: Honey catches more flies than vinegar.
o Literal meaning: You don't catch flies with vinegar.

* On ne prête qu'aux riches.
o Translation 1: Reputations shape reactions.
o Translation 2: Only the rich get richer.
o Literal meaning: One lends only to the rich.

* On n'est jamais si bien servi que par soi-même.
o Idiomatic translation: If you want something done right, do it yourself.
o Literal meaning: One is never so well served as by oneself.

* On revient toujours à ses premières amours.
o Literal meaning: One always returns to his first loves.

* Où la vache / la chèvre est attachée, il faut qu'elle broute.
o Idiomatic translation: The cow / goat must browse where she is tethered.

P

* Pas de nouvelle, bonne nouvelle.
o Translation: No news is good news.

* Peu importe le flacon, tant qu'il y à l'ivresse.
o Literal meaning: What does the bottle matter, so long as there is drunkenness.

* Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid.
o Translation 1: Many a mickle makes a muckle.
o Translation 2: Little strokes fell great oaks.
o Literal meaning: Little by little the bird builds its nest.

* Petite pluie abat grand vent.
o Idiomatic translation: Little rain lays great dust.
o Literal meaning: Little rain calms great wind.

* Petit poisson deviendra grand.
o Translation 1: Tall oaks from little acorns grow.
o Translation 2: Boys will be men one day.
o Literal meaning: The little fish will grow.

* Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse.
o Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

* Plaie d'argent n'est pas mortelle.
o Idiomatic translation: Money isn't everything.
o Literal meaning: A wound caused by money is not mortal.

* Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
o Translation: The more it changes, the more it's the same thing.
o English equivalent: There is nothing new under the sun (from Ecclesiastes 1:9).
o Origin: An epigram by Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in the January 1849 issue of his journal Les Guêpes ("The Wasps").
o Variant: Plus ça change, plus c'est pareil.

* Plus fait douceur que violence.
o Idiomatic translation: Kindness succeeds where force will fail.
o Literal meaning: More does gentleness than violence.

* Plus on boit, plus on a soif.
o Translation: The more one drinks, the thirstier one gets.

* Plus on est de fous, plus on rit.
o Literal meaning: The more birdbrains we are, the more we laugh"
o Idiomatic translation: The more the merrier.

* Prendre le taureau par les cornes.
o Translation: Take the bull by the horns.

* Promettre et tenir sont deux.
o Literal meaning: Promising and keeping (one's promise) are two (different things).
o Idiomatic translation: It's one thing to promise and another to perform.

* Proverbe ne peut mentir.
o Literal translation: Proverb cannot lie.

* Prudence est mère de sûreté.
o Idiomatic translation: Discretion is the better part of valour.
o Literal meaning: Caution is the mother of safety.

Q

* Quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent.
o Idiomatic translation: While the cat's away the mice will play.
o Literal meaning: When the cat's away the mice dance.

* Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire.
o Idiomatic translation: In for a penny, in for a pound.
o Literal meaning: Once the wine is drawn, it must be drunk.

* Quand les poules auront des dents.
o Idiomatic translation: When pigs fly / When hell freezes over.
o Literal meaning: When chickens will have teeth.

* Quand on parle du loup, on en voit la queue.
o Idiomatic translation: Talk of the Devil and he will appear.
o Literal meaning: When you talk about the wolf, you see its tail.

* Quand on n'a pas ce que l'on aime, il faut aimer ce que l'on a.
o Translation: If you don't have what you love, you have to love what you have.

* Quand on veut, on peut.
o Literal meaning: When we want, we can.
o Idiomatic translation: When there's a will, there's a way.

* Qui a bon voisin a bon matin.
o Literal meaning: Those who have good neighbors, have good mornings.
o Idiomatic translation: Good neighbours give good days.

* Qui a bu, boira.
o Idiomatic translation: Once a drunkard, always a drunkard.
o Literal meaning: Who has drunk will drink.

* Qui aime bien, châtie bien.
o Idiomatic translation: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
o Literal meaning: Who loves well, punishes well.
o Latin: Qui bene amat, bene castigat

* Qui casse les verres les paie.
o Idiomatic translation: Who breaks pays.
o Literal meaning: Who breaks the glasses, pays for them.

* Qui cherche, trouve.
o Idiomatic translation: Seek and ye shall find.
o Literal meaning: Who seeks, finds.

* Qui donne aux pauvres prête à Dieu.
o Idiomatic translation: Charity will be rewarded in heaven.
o Literal meaning: Who gives to the poor, lends to God.

* Qui dort dîne.
o Idiomatic translation: He who sleeps forgets his hunger.
o Literal meaning: Who sleeps, dines.
o Historical origin: travelers staying overnight at hostels were required to also purchase meals.

* Qui m'aime aime mon chien.
o Idiomatic translation: Love me, love my dog.
o Literal meaning: Who loves me, loves my dog.
o Compare in Latin: Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.
+
# Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), French abbot (and who is not the St Bernard for whom that breed of dog is named, that's Bernard of Menthon). Quoted by Nigel Rees in Why Do We Say?, 1987.

* Qui ne dit mot, consent.
o Idiomatic translation: Silence gives consent.
o Latin: Qui tacet consentire videtur.
o Literal meaning: Who says no word, consents.

* Qui n'entend qu'une cloche, n'entend qu'un son.
o Idiomatic translation: Hear the other side and believe little.
o Literal meaning: Who hears naught but one bell, hears naught but one sound.

* Qui ne risque rien n'a rien.
o Idiomatic translation: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
o Literal meaning: Who risks nothing, gets nothing.

* Qui ne veut rien n'a rien.
o Idiomatic translation: Where there's a will there's a way.
o Literal meaning: Who wants nothing, gets nothing.

* Qui paye ses dettes s'enrichit.
o Idiomatic translation: The rich man is the one who pays his debts.
o Literal meaning: He who pays his debts, gets richer.

* Qui peut le plus peut le moins.
o Idiomatic translation: He who can do more can do less.

* Qui plus sait, plus se tait.
o Idiomatic translation: He who knows most, says least.

* Qui se couche avec les chiens se lève avec des puces.
o Idiomatic translation: Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas.

* Qui se fait brebis, le loup le mange.
o Literal translation: Who makes himself a ewe, the wolf eats him.
o Idiomatic translation: He that makes himself a sheep shall be eaten by the wolf.
o Idiomatic translation: Make yourself a sheep and the wolf will eat you.

* Qui sème le vent, récolte la tempête.
o Translation 1: As you sow, so you shall reap.
o Translation 2: He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind.

* Qui se ressemble s'assemble.
o Literal meaning: Those who look alike associate together.
o Idiomatic translation: Like attracts like / Birds of a feather flock together.

* Qui se sent morveux, qu'il se mouche.
o Idiomatic translation: Who feels snotty, let him blow his nose.

* Qui s’excuse, s’accuse.
o Translation: He who excuses himself accuses himself.

* Qui s'y frotte s'y pique.
o Literal meaning: He who rubs against it, get stung by it.
o Idiomatic translation: Gather thistles, expect prickles.

* Qui trop embrasse mal étreint.
o Literal meaning: He who embraces too much, fails to secure.
o Idiomatic translation: Grasp all, lose all.

* Qui va à la chasse perd sa place.
o Idiomatic translation: He who leaves his place, loses it.
o Literal meaning: Who goes hunting, loses his place.

* Qui veut la fin veut les moyens.
o Translation: He who wills the end wills the means.

* Qui veut noyer son chien l'accuse de rage.
o Idiomatic translation: Give a dog a bad name and hang him.
o Literal meaning: He who wants to drown his dog says it has rabies.

* Qui veut voyager loin, ménage sa monture.
o Translation: He who wishes to ride far spares his horse.

* Qui vivra verra.
o Idiomatic translation: Time will tell.
o Literal meaning: Who shall live, shall see.

* Qui vole un œuf vole un bœuf.
o Translation: He that steals an egg will steal an ox.

R

* Remuer le couteau dans la plaie.
o Idiomatic translation: To rub it in.
o Literal meaning: To twist the knife in the wound.

* Revenons à nos moutons
o A quotation from La Farce de maître Pierre Pathelin
o Idiomatic translation: Let's get back to what we were saying, doing.
+ Literally: "Let us get back to our sheep"

* Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point.
o Idiomatic translation: Slow and steady wins the race.
o Literal meaning: It is useless to run, one must leave in time.

* Rira bien qui rira le dernier.
o Literal meaning: Well laughs he who laughs last.
o Idiomatic translation: He who laughs last laughs best.

* Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour.
o Idiomatic translation: Rome wasn't built in a day.

* Rouge soir et blanc matin, c'est la journée du pèlerin.
o Idiomatic translation: Evening red and morning grey will set the traveller on his way.
o Literal Meaning: Red evening and white morning, such is the pilgrim's day.

S

* Sage comme une image.
o Idiomatic translation: As good as gold.
* Secret de deux, secret de Dieu; secret de trois, secret de tous.
o Idiomatic translation: When three people know, the whole world knows.
o Literal meaning: A secret shared by two is shared with God; a secret shared by three is shared with everybody.

* Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait.
o Idiomatic translation: Youth is wasted on the young.
o Literal meaning: If youth but knew, if old age but could.

* Si tu veux la paix, prépare la guerre.
o Literal meaning: "If you want peace prepare for war."
o (Original in Latin by Scipio Africanus: "Si vis pacem para bellum.")

* "Si tu veux connaitre la fille, regarde la mère"
o If you want to know the daughter, look at the mother
o If you don't like your mother-in-law, you'll hate your girlfriend/wife after a few years. (work for appereances and mind)

* Souris qui n'a qu'un trou est bientôt prise.
o Idiomatic translation: Better safe than sorry.
o Literal meaning: A mouse that has only one hole is soon caught.

* Souvent femme varie, bien fou qui s'y fie.
o Literal meaning: Often does a woman change her heart, mad be the man who will trust her.
o Idiomatic translation: Woman is fickle, man beware!

* Suffisance vaut abondance.
o Idiomatic translation: Enough is as good as a feast.
o Literal meaning: Enough is worth plenty.

T

* Tant crie-t-on Noël qu'il vient.
o Idiomatic translation: A constant importunity at length prevails.
o Literal meaning: So much does one shout 'Christmas' that it comes.

* Tant dort le chat qu'il se réveille.
o Translation: The sleeping cat at length awakes.

* Tant va la cruche à l'eau qu'à la fin elle se brise.
o Literal meaning: So often does the jug go to water that in the end it breaks.
o Translation 1: Do not strain your luck.
o Translation 2: Anyone can only take so much.

* Tel est petit qui boit bien.
o Idiomatic translation: Though he is little, he can tipple.

* Tel est pris qui croyait prendre.
o Translation 1: It's the biter bit.
o Translation 2: The hunter becomes the hunted.
o Literal meaning: He is caught who thought to catch.

* Tel maître, tel valet.
o Translation: Like master, like man.

* Tel père, tel fils.
o Idiomatic translation: The apple does not fall far from the tree.
o Translation: Like father, like son.

* Tel qui rit vendredi, dimanche pleurera.
o Idiomatic translation: Sing before breakfast, cry before night.
o Literal meaning: Laugh on Friday, cry on Sunday.

* Tous les chemins mènent à Rome.
o Translation: All roads lead to Rome.

* Tous les goûts sont dans la nature.
o Idiomatic translation: It takes all sorts to make a world.
o Literal meaning: All tastes are in nature.

* Toute médaille a son revers.
o Translation 1: Every rose has its thorn.
o Translation 2: Every path has its puddle.
o Literal meaning: Every medal has its back.

* Toute peine mérite salaire.
o Idiomatic translation: The labourer is worthy of his hire.
o Literal meaning: Every job deserves a wage.

* Toute vérité n'est pas bonne à dire.
o Translation: The truth is sometimes best left unsaid.

* Tout est poison. Rien n'est poison. Le poison c'est la dose.
o Literal meaning: Everything is poison. Nothing is poison. The poison is the dose.
o Attributed to Paracelsus.

* Tout nouveau, tout beau.
o Translation 1: Anything for a change.
o Translation 2: New brooms sweep clean.
o Literal meaning: All new, all beautiful.

* Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre.
o Literal meaning: All things come to those who can wait.
o Idiomatic translation: Every dog has his day.

* Trop de hâte nuit.
o Idiomatic translation: Haste makes waste.
o Literal meaning: Too much haste is harmful.

* Trop gratter cuit, trop parler nuit.
o Translation: Too much scratching pains, too much talking plagues.

U

* Un bienfait n'est jamais perdu.
o Translation: A favour is never lost.

* "un malheur n'arrive jamais seul"
o Translation: Misery does not arrive alone.

* Un chien regarde bien un évêque.
o Idiomatic translation: A cat may look at a king.
o Literal meaning: A dog may look at a bishop.

* Un clou chasse l'autre.
o Idiomatic translation: One man goes and another steps in.
o Literal meaning: One nail drives the other out.

* Un(e) de perdu(e), dix de trouvé(e)s.
o Idiomatic translation: There are plenty more fish in the sea.
o Literal meaning: One lost, ten found.

* Une fois n'est pas coutume.
o Translation 1: Just this once will not hurt.
o Translation 2: Once in a while does no harm.
o Literal meaning: Once does is no habit.

* Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps.
o Idiomatic translation: A swallow doesn't make the summer.
o Literal meaning: A swallow doesn't make spring.

* Un petit dessin vaut mieux qu'un long discours.
o Idiomatic translation: A picture is worth a thousand words.
o Literal meaning: A small drawing is better than a long speech.

* Une place pour chaque chose et chaque chose a sa place.
o Translation: A place for everything and everything in its place.

* Un homme averti en vaut deux.
o Translation 1: Forewarned is forearmed.
o Translation 2: Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
o Literal meaning: A forewarned man is worth two.

* Un jour sans vin est comme un jour sans soleil.
o Translation: A day without wine is like a day without sunshine.

* Un sou est un sou.
o Idiomatic translation: Every little helps.
o Literal meaning: A penny is a penny.

* Un tient vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras.
o Idiomatic translation: A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
o Literal meaning: One "here, take it" is worth more than two "you will have it"s.

* Une journée est perdu si l'on n'a pas ri.
o Literal meaning: A day is lost if one has not laughed.

V

* Vache de loin a lait assez.
o Idiomatic translation: Blue are the hills that are far away.
o Literal meaning: From afar, the cow has milk enough.

* Ventre affamé n'a pas d'oreilles.
o Idiomatic translation: Words are wasted on a starving man.
o Literal meaning: The hungry belly has no ears.

* Vive la différence.
o Literal meaning: Long live the difference (between the sexes, or any difference).
o Translation: Hooray for the difference!

* Vouloir, c'est pouvoir.
o Idiomatic translation: Where there's a will there's a way.
o Literal meaning: To want to is to be able to.