Idioms

FLE exercises

Bonjour de France invites you to discover the socio-cultural and historical significance of many idiomatic expressions also called « expressions of popular wisdom » . This section offers you multiple choice exercises to test your understanding. A simple and illustrated explanation is also available.

Beginner - A1 Intermediate - A2 Autonomous - B1 Advanced - B2 Expert - C1

You don’t know your level, do the french placement test here →

Idioms

To dress up to the nines (
B2

To dress up to the nines ("Se mettre sur son 31", literally "To put oneself on his/her 31")

Bonjour de France asks all Internet users "to put on their thirty-one" before doing the exercise!

Start
To never do a stroke of work (
B2

To never do a stroke of work ("Avoir un poil dans la main", literally "To have a hair in the hand")

In order to correctly learn a foreign language you mustn't have "a hair in the hand". We know that's not your case!

Start
Good grief
B1

Good grief

You are doing it this exercise, "nom d'une pipe"!! (literally "in the name of a pipe", meaning "dammit") It is but an example of the use of this idiom...

Start
Idiomatic expressions A2
B1

Idiomatic expressions A2

Thanks to Patrick MOYA for these illustrations that put a little color in the exercises of Bonjour de France!

Start
To faint (
B1

To faint ("tomber dans les pommes", literally "fall into the apples")

Another idiom: especially don't faint doing the exercises!!!

Start
Stand someone up
B1

Stand someone up

An idiom, "Poser un lapin" (literally "to place a rabbit", meaning "standing someone up"). Bonjour de France doesn't "place you a rabbit"... Turn quic...

Start
Being the fifth wheel (
C1

Being the fifth wheel ("Être la cinquième roue de la charrette / du carrosse", literally "Being the fifth wheel of the chariot")

Quickly, climb in the chariot of Patrick Moya, our favorite artist from Nice, and don't be the fifth wheel!

Start
To have your back against the wall (
B2

To have your back against the wall ("Êter au pied du mur", literally "To be at the foot of the wall")

Bonjour de France brings you a new idiomatic expression illustrated by Jean-Luc Desset, artist from Nice.

Start
Lined up like toy soldiers (
B2

Lined up like toy soldiers ("En rang d'onions", literally "In rows of onions")

It's pointless to put yourself "in rows of onions" to succeed the DELF!!!

Start