Learning a new language is no easy feat. Sometimes things are a direct translation from English to French and then it’s easy but other times, not so much. One story that comes to mind was when I was a child in Ontario and could barely speak English still. I was attending a hockey game with a friend and during the intermission I wanted some barbe à papa. So I began to start reciting all the lines I’ve been shown at school. Hi! (so far so good) I would like some… father’s beard! Ahhhh alas, foolish me. I quickly learned by the food clerk’s face that barbe à papa was not father’s beard but instead cotton candy. But how was I supposed to know that in this case it’s not a direct literal translation? Well, guess what! Today’s column will be to avoid these funny but awkward miscommunications and to help you avoid looking like a fool in front a stranger.

Idioms, or expressions as we call them in French, are not only something that we use on a daily basis (it is estimated by some that the English language as more than 25,000 of them!) but they are a great way to immerse yourself in a culture with a different language. They are an easy and fast way to convey a message but when you’re a stranger to them, it makes your life tough! Here are a list of commonly used expressions in French and their equivalence in English, you can thank me later!

Hopefully some of these help you feel more at home next time you have a conversation with either a Francophone or an Anglophone!