Funny French Phrases

Funny French phrases are a great way to learn how to speak French! You can study grammar tables, verb conjugations, and French tenses all day long, but at the end of the day, dry, boring grammar is hard to remember. Likewise, most programs and textbooks which teach French, as well as most French dictionaries, provide long lists of French words for you to memorize and recite. But when it comes to actually using this new vocabulary in a sentence or in a conversation with a French-speaking family member, friend, or client, most of what you spent hours drilling into your head goes out the window.

This is where funny French phrases come into the picture. Humor is easy to remember, fun to learn, and when new vocabulary is placed within a context, it's easier to retain. The same principle applies to learning common French expressions and French greetings. The best way to learn any new language, of course, is to role play with another person and to practice, practice, practice!

Where can you find good French humor and funny French phrases? Nowadays, you can find almost anything on the Internet, so going online and doing a search on Google or any other search engine will likely yield some entertaining results. Furthermore, there are many humorous quotations by noted French personalities that are guaranteed to generate a laugh.

Here are some funny French phrases by some noted sources to get you started:

• "Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternatives." - French actor and singer Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972)
• "Mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux" - French expression promising a happy marriage as a result of a rainy wedding day
• "Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age." - French Proverb
• "Nature gives you the face you have at twenty, but it's up to you to merit the face you have at fifty." - Coco Chanel

Of course, the French language is full of idioms which when translated directly or word-for-word into English don't make any sense at all! For a good laugh, consider the following funny phrases, their literal English translations, and their actual meanings:

• A la vache! = Oh, my Cow! (Good God!)
• C'est la fin des haricots = It's the end of the green beans. (It's hopeless)
• Les carottes sont cuites = The carrots are cooked. (I've had it!)

Finally, another clever use of funny French phrases is in photo album or photo calendar captions. What better way is there to capture the spirit of your France or Paris trip photographs and keep to the memories alive than to add some entertaining and fun French humor?

French love phrases