Once you have the basics, the quickest way to sound more natural in French is to pick up the little everyday French expressions that native speakers use all the time. Move beyond “Salut” and “Oui”, and these colloquial words and phrases will make your French sound far more fluent and confident.
Common French Idioms and Expressions
Quick reference
Here are the expressions in this guide at a glance:
| Expression | What it means | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| oh là là | Surprise, dismay or admiration | Reacting to almost anything |
| enchanté(e) | Pleased to meet you | Introductions |
| voilà | There it is / exactly | Presenting or confirming |
| truc, machin | Thingy, whatsit | The word you can't recall |
| ouais | Yeah (casual oui) | Informal speech |
| ah bon? | Oh really? | Mild surprise |
| enfin | Finally / well / anyway | Emphasis and as a filler |
| à tout à l'heure, à toute | See you soon | Goodbyes |
| n'importe quoi | Nonsense, rubbish | Dismissing what someone said |
| laisse tomber | Drop it, never mind | Letting something go |
| bref | In short, anyway | Wrapping up or changing subject |
| comme d'hab' | As usual | Everyday remarks |
| d'accord | OK, agreed | Agreeing |
| c'est clair | Totally, for sure | Agreeing emphatically |
| carrément | Totally, absolutely | Strong agreement or emphasis |
Reactions and surprise
A few expressions do a lot of emotional work:
Oh là là is the classic: contrary to the stereotype abroad, in France it has no particular sexual sense, it simply expresses surprise, admiration or dismay, whether something wonderful or something unfortunate has happened.
Ah bon? is a neat way to show mild surprise, close to "oh really?" or "is that so?".
And n'importe quoi! tells someone they are talking nonsense, as in "Tu racontes n'importe quoi!" ("You're talking rubbish!").
Fillers and softeners
These smooth out everyday speech:
Enfin literally means "finally", but it is also a filler, "enfin bon" ("anyway") or "enfin, tu vois" ("well, you see").
Bref means "in short" or "anyway", handy for wrapping up or steering away from a topic.
Voilà is everywhere: on its own it means "there it is" or "exactly", and it also introduces someone, "Voilà Jean, mon meilleur ami".
And when the word escapes you, the French reach for truc or machin (thingy, whatsit): "Où est le truc de ta sœur?" ("Where's your sister's thing?"), though using them of a person sounds dismissive.
Agreeing
To agree, d'accord ("agreed", "OK") is the everyday choice, or the fuller "je suis d'accord".
C'est clair! signals strong agreement ("absolutely", "for sure").
And carrément, literally "squarely", is used to mean "totally" or "definitely", as in "C'est carrément bien!" ("It's really good!").
Greetings and goodbyes
Enchanté(e) is what you say on being introduced, the equivalent of "pleased to meet you".
For goodbyes, "à plus tard" is the textbook "see you later", but the equally common à tout à l'heure ("see you soon") sounds more natural, often shortened to a casual à toute.
A note on register
Everyday French is more relaxed than the textbook version.
Many people say ouais (pronounced roughly "weh") instead of oui, though parents often tell children to stick to the proper oui, and comme d'hab' is the common short form of "comme d'habitude" ("as usual").
These are fine among friends; in formal settings, keep to the full forms.
Summary
To sound more like a local, weave in a few of these everyday French expressions: oh là là and ah bon? for surprise, enfin and bref as fillers, d'accord, c'est clair and carrément for agreement, and à tout à l'heure for goodbyes.
Use the relaxed forms (ouais, comme d'hab') with friends and the full forms when you need to be formal.
The best way to make them second nature is to hear them in context, on a French course with SPRACHCAFFE in Nice.
FAQ
Everyday favourites include "avoir le cafard" (to feel down), "coûter les yeux de la tête" (to cost a fortune), "poser un lapin" (to stand someone up) and "ça marche" (that works, OK). None can be translated word for word.
Idioms are how the language really sounds, so understanding them lets you follow jokes, films and casual conversation. Using a few naturally also makes your French sound far more fluent than correct grammar alone.
A set phrase is any fixed everyday expression, such as "s'il vous plaît", while an idiom carries a figurative meaning you cannot guess from its words. "Il pleut des cordes" (it is raining ropes) means it is pouring.
Learn a few at a time with an example and the situation they fit, then use them soon. Hearing them from native speakers, for instance on a French course with SPRACHCAFFE, fixes them far faster than memorising lists.
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