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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.

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:

It never rains, but it pours.

A

Un malheur n’arrive jamais seul.

A misfortune never comes alone.

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8
Q

Translate to French:

The chickens have come home to roost.

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
Q

Translate to French:

The apple does not fall far from the tree.

A

Les chiens ne font pas des chats.

Dogs don’t make (give birth to) cats.

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26
Q

Translate to French:

Better be alone than in bad company.

A

Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné.

It’s better to be alone than in bad company.

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27
Q

Translate to French:

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

A

On juge l’arbre à ses fruits.

We judge the tree by its fruit.

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28
Q

Translate to French:

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

A

Se coucher tôt, se lever tôt, c’est amasser santé et sagesse.

To go to bed and wake up early is to pile up health and wisdom.

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29
Q

Translate to French:

When there’s a will, there’s a way.

A

Quand on veut, on peut.

When one wants, one can.

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30
Q

Translate to French:

Let sleeping dogs lie.

A

Ne revenons pas sur les sujets qui fâchent.

Let’s not return to topics that anger.

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31
Q

Translate to French:

All talk and no action.

A

Ce sont de belles paroles.

Those are/were beautiful words.

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32
Q

Translate to French:

You’re casting pearls before swine.

A

Donner de la confiture à des cochons.

Give jam to pigs. [Waste something by giving it to someone who won’t use/appreciate it.]

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33
Q

Translate to French:

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

A

On ne peut avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre.

We cannot have both the butter and the butter’s money.

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34
Q

Translate to French:

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

A

Le client est roi.

The customer is king.

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35
Q

Translate to French:

One can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.

A

On ne fait pas d’omelette sans casser des oeufs.

One can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.

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36
Q

Translate to French:

Not every truth should be said.

A

Toute vérité n’est pas bonne à dire.

Not every truth should be said.

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37
Q

Translate to French:

All roads lead to Rome.

A

Tous les chemins mènent à Rome.

All roads lead to Rome.

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38
Q

Translate to French:

Love is blind.

A

L’amour est aveugle.

Love is blind.

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39
Q

Translate to French:

Think before you speak.

A

Réfléchis avant de parler.

Think before speaking.

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40
Q

Translate to French:

As you sow, so shall you reap.

A

Qui sème le vent, récolte la tempète.

He who sows the wind harvests the storm.

41
Q

Translate to French:

You never know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

A

On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu’il fait en claquant la porte.

We recognize happiness from the sound it makes in slamming the door (behind it).

42
Q

Translate to French:

Necessity is the mother of invention.

A

La nécessité est mère de l’invention.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

43
Q

Translate to French:

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

A

Ce n’est pas aux vieux singes qu’on apprend à faire la grimace.

It’s not the old monkeys that you teach to make funny faces.

44
Q

Translate to French:

If you want something done well, do it yourself.

A

On n’est jamais si bien servi que par soi-même.

We are never better served than by ourselves.

45
Q

Translate to French:

Time is money.

A

Le temps, c’est de l’argent.

Time is money.

46
Q

Translate to French:

Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.

A

Il ne faut jamais vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué.

Never sell a bear’s fur before killing it.

47
Q

Translate to French:

The grass is always greener on the other side.

A

L’herbe est toujours plus verte ailleurs.

The grass is always greener elsewhere.

48
Q

Translate to French:

Every cloud has a silver lining.

A

À quelque chose malheur est bon.

To something, misfortune is good.

49
Q

Translate to French:

When the cat’s away the mice will play.

A

Quand le chat n’est pas là, les souris dansent.

When the cat’s away the mice will dance.

50
Q

Translate to French:

The end justifies the means.

A

La fin justifie les moyens.

The end justifies the means.

51
Q

Translate to French:

Two heads are better than one.

A

Deux avis valent mieux qu’un.

Two opinions are better than one.

52
Q

Translate to French:

All that glitters is not gold.

A

Tout ce qui brille n’est pas or.

All that glitters is not gold.

53
Q

Translate to French:

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

A

Rome ne s’est pas faite en un jour.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

54
Q

Translate to French:

Out of sight, out of mind.

A

Loin des yeux, loin du coeur.

Far from the eyes, far from the heart.

55
Q

Translate to French:

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

A

Le bonheur des uns fait le malheur des autres.

One’s happiness is others’ misfortune.

56
Q

Translate to French:

It is raining cats and dogs.

A

Il pleut des cordes.

It’s raining ropes.

57
Q

Translate to French:

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

A

C’est dans le besoin qu’on reconnaît ses vrais amis.

It’s when you are in need that you recognize your real friends.

58
Q

Translate to French:

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

A

Oeil pour oeil, dent pour dent.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

59
Q

Translate to French:

Do the right thing without hope of reward.

A

Donner sans attendre en retour.

Give without waiting for something back.

60
Q

Translate to French:

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

A

Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir.

Better to prevent than cure.

61
Q

Translate to French:

Better one eye than quite blind.

A

Mieux vaut être borgne qu’aveugle.

Better to be one-eyed than blind.

62
Q

Translate to French:

Never put off to tomorrow what can be done today.

A

Ce qui est fait n’est plus à faire.

What is done no longer has to be done.

63
Q

Translate to French:

He who is absent is always in the wrong.

A

Les absents ont toujours tort.

Those who are absent are always wrong.

64
Q

Translate to French:

There is no free lunch.

A

On n’a rien sans rien.

We don’t have anything (We have nothing) without anything.

65
Q

Translate to French:

One may sooner fall than rise.

A

Il est plus facile de tomber que de s’élever.

It’s easier to fall than to get up.

66
Q

Translate to French:

It takes all kinds to make a world.

A

Il faut de tout pour faire un monde.

It takes all kinds to make a world.

67
Q

Translate to French:

Still waters run deep.

A

Il faut se méfier de l’eau qui dort.

Be wary of sleeping (still) water.

68
Q

Translate to French:

Don’t put the cart before the horse.

A

Il ne faut pas mettre la charrue avant les bœufs.

Don’t put the plow before/in front of the oxen.

69
Q

Translate to French:

Even a worm will turn.

A

Il y a des limites à tout.

Everything has its limits.

70
Q

Translate to French:

Fortune favors the brave.

A

La fortune sourit aux audacieux.

Fortune smiles on the bold.

71
Q

Translate to French:

Money can’t buy happiness.

A

L’argent ne fait pas le bonheur.

Money does not make happiness.

72
Q

Translate to French:

The exception proves the rule.

A

L’exception confirme la règle.

The exception proves the rule.

73
Q

Translate to French:

Assiduity makes all things easy.

A

L’habitude rend tout facile.

Habits make everything easy.

74
Q

Translate to French:

Short reckonings make long friends.

A

Les bons comptes font les bons amis.

The right amounts make good friends.

75
Q

Translate to French:

Great minds think alike.

A

Les grands esprits se rencontrent.

Great minds meet each other.

76
Q

Translate to French:

Time and tie wait for no man.

A

On n’arrête pas le temps qui passe.

We do not stop the time that passes.

77
Q

Translate to French:

All covet, all lose.

A

Pour avoir trop convoité, on laisse tout échapper.

To covet too much is to let everything escape.

78
Q

Translate to French:

Spare the rod and spoil the child.

A

Qui aime bien châtie bien.

He who cares chastises.

79
Q

Translate to French:

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

A

Qui ne tente rien n’a rien.

Those who try nothing have nothing.

80
Q

Translate to French:

Time will tell.

A

Qui vivra verra.

He who lives will see.

81
Q

Translate to French:

He who laughs last laughs best.

A

Rira bien qui rira le dernier.

He who laughs last will laugh best.

82
Q

Translate to French:

Knowledge is power.

A

Savoir, c’est pouvoir.

Knowledge is power.

83
Q

Translate to French:

Bear, and forbear.

A

Supporte et attends.

Bear/Tolerate and wait.

84
Q

Translate to French:

All good things come to an end.

A

Toutes les bonnes choses ont une fin.

All good things come to an end.

85
Q

Translate to French:

All things come to him who waits.

A

Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre.

All things come to him who waits/to him who knows to wait.

86
Q

Translate to French:

Forewarned is forearmed.

A

Un homme averti en vaut deux.

Someone forewarned is worth two people.

87
Q

Translate to French:

Shameless craving must have a shameful nay.

A

À demande insolente, réponse tranchante.

To an insolent demand comes a sharp answer.

88
Q

Translate to French:

God helps those who help themselves.

A

Aide-toi et le ciel t’aidera.

Help yourself and the sky will help you.

89
Q

Translate to French:

Everybody’s friend is nobody’s friend.

A

Ami de tous, ami de personne.

Everybody’s friend is nobody’s friend.

90
Q

Translate to French:

There are better days ahead.

A

Après la pluie le beau temps.

After the rain comes the good weather.

91
Q

Translate to French:

Triumph without peril brings no glory.

A

À vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire.

To vanquish without peril is to triumph without glory.

92
Q

Translate to French:

In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king.

A

Au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois.

In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king.

93
Q

Translate to French:

A good beginning makes a good ending.

A

Bien commencer, amène à bien terminer.

A good beginning makes a good ending.

94
Q

Translate to French:

Practice makes perfect.

A

C’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron.

It’s in forging that one becomes a blacksmith.

95
Q

Translate to French:

Slow but sure.

A

Doucement mais sûrement.

Slow but sure.

96
Q

Translate to French:

All is fair in love and war.

A

En amour comme à la guerre, tous les coups sont permis.

In love as in war, all blows are allowed.

97
Q

Translate to French:

Money talks.

A

L’argent fait la loi.

Money makes the law.

98
Q

Translate to French:

United we stand, divided we fall.

A

L’union fait la force.

There is strength in unity.

French Level 4 (26 decks)

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