The land of love, good wine and cheese. We can’t help but love everything French. Here are some of our favourite French quotes and sayings, with the English translation to accompany them. Take some inspiration and fall in love with the country further; with this insider knowledge people will mistake you for a local.
The Language Of Love
Known for being home to the most romantic city in the world, how could we not include some French quotes all about love.
- L’amour est comme le vent, nous ne savons pas d’où il vient- Love is like the wind, we never know where it will come from.
- Oh ! si tu pouvais lire dans mon coeur, tu verrais la place où je t’ai mise!- If you could read my heart, you would see the place I have given you there.
- Entre deux cœurs qui s’aiment, nul besoin de paroles- Two hearts in love need no words.
- La vie est un sommeil, l’amour en est le rêve- Life is a long sleep and love is its dream.
- Il n’est rien de réel que le rêve et l’amour- Nothing is real but dreams and love.
- Aimer, ce n’est pas se regarder l’un l’autre, c’est regarder ensemble dans la même direction- Love does not consist in looking at each other, but rather in, together, looking in the same direction.
- La vie est une fleur dont l’amour est le miel- Life is a flower, of which love is the honey.
- C’est cela l’amour, tout donner, tout sacrifier sans espoir de retour- That is love, to give away everything, to sacrifice everything, without the slightest desire to get anything in return.
- Car, vois-tu, chaque jour je t’aime davantage, aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain- For, you see, each day I love you more, today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
- Amour veut tout sans nombre, amour n’a point de loi- Love wants everything without condition, love has no law.
General Sayings To Sound Like A Local
- Battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud- Strike the iron while it is hot.
- Comme on fait son lit, on se couche- You’ve made your bed, now lie on it.
- Ce n’est pas la mer à boire- It’s not as if you have to drink the sea, meaning it’s not a big deal.
- Vouloir, c’est pouvoir- To want to is to be able to.
- Impossible n’est pas français- Impossible isn’t French.
- La nuit porte conseil- The night brings advice.
- Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné- Better alone than in a bad company.
- Les murs ont des oreilles- The walls have ears.
- Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard- Nothing should be left to chance.
- L’habit ne fait pas le moine- The outfit doesn’t make the monk.
- Après la pluie, le beau temps- After the rain, good weather.
French Quotes About Food And Wine
There is nothing we love more than good food and good wine, especially French wine. The French take pride in their food and wine, meaning there are plenty of food and wine related French quotes.
- L’appétit vient en mangeant- Appetite comes with eating.
- La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin- Life is too short to drink bad wine.
- On ne peut pas avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre- You can’t have butter as well as the money from the butter.
- S’occuper de ses oignons- To take care of your own onions.
- Un bon repas doit commencer par la faim- A good meal must begin with hunger.
- Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup- Eat well, laugh often, love a lot.
- On ne fait pas d’omelette sans casser des œufs- You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
- Courir sur le haricot- To run on the bean, meaning to get on someone’s nerves
- Il faut casser le noyau pour avoir l’amande- One must break the shell in order to have the almond, meaning no pain, no gain.
All About Our Furry Friends
As our co-residents on this earth, animal sayings are very popular. Here are some common French quotes about animals.
- Avoir un chat dans la gorge- To have a cat in the throat.
- Avoir une araignée au plafond- To have a spider on the ceiling, used in reference to someone who is a bit crazy.
- Les chiens ne font pas des chats- Dogs don’t make cats, meaning you inherit the qualities and faults of your parents.
- Poser un lapin- To place a rabbit, meaning to stand someone up
- Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat- There’s no reason to whip the cat, meaning it’s no big deal.
- Ce n’est pas la vache qui crie le plus fort qui fait le plus de lait- It’s not the cow that moos the loudest who gives the most milk, meaning the one who talks the most is not always the smartest or the most resourceful.
Funny French Phrases
These funny French quotes are amusing in both French and English, either way they are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
- Ah, la vache!- Oh, my cow meaning Oh my gosh.
- Avoir le cafard- To have the cockroach, meaning to fell depressed.
- Devenir chêvre- To become a goat, meaning to be driven mad.
- Arrête ton char- Stop your chariot, meaning slow down.
- Faire l’andouille- To make the sausage, to do something ridiculous.
- Tomber dans les pommes- Fall in apples, meaning to lose consciousness.
Add A Bit Of France Into Your Closet
Go one steps further in your appreciation of French quotes and phrases and add them to your wardrobe in the form of a personalised T-shirt. At Bags Of Love we can take your love of all things French and give you the means to make your very own French quote T-shirt. Handmade here in the UK your bespoke top has many different printable areas, which you can design. So select your favourite French quote, add your own images from your travels, and create a T-shirt that makes the perfect gift, or memory for yourself.
