J

* Jamais couard n'aura belle amie.
o Idiomatic translation: Faint heart never won fair lady.

* Jamais deux sans trois.
o Literal translation: Never twice without thrice.

* Je ne suis ni pour, ni contre, bien au contraire.'
o Literal translation: On the contrary, I am neither for it or against it.

L

* La bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe.
o Idiomatic translation: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
o Literal meaning: The spit of the toad doesn't reach the white dove.

* La caque sent toujours le hareng.
o Idiomatic translation: What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh.
o Literal meaning: A herring barrel will always smell of herring.

* La curiosité est un vilain défaut.
o Idiomatic translation: Curiosity killed the cat.
o Literal meaning: Curiosity is a wicked fault.

* La faim chasse le loup hors du bois.
o Idiomatic translation: Hunger drives the wolf out of the wood.

* La fête passée, adieu le saint.
o Idiomatic translation: The river passed, and God forgotten.

* La fin justifie les moyens.
o Idiomatic translation: The ends justify the means.

* La nuit porte conseil.
o Translation 1: Take advice of your pillow.
o Translation 2: Sleep on it.

* La nuit tous les chats sont gris.
o Translation: At night all cats are grey.

* La parole est d'argent, mais le silence est d'or.
o Idiomatic translation: Silence is golden.
o Literal meaning: Talk is silver, silence is golden.

* La plus belle fille du monde ne peut donner que ce qu'elle a.
o Translation: The prettiest girl in the world can only give what she has.

* L'appétit vient en mangeant.
o Idiomatic translation: The more you have, the more you want.
o Literal meaning: Eating whets the appetite. OR Appetite arrives while eating.

* La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure.
o Idiomatic translation: Might is always right.
o Literal meaning: The motive of the strongest is always the best.

* L'argent n'a pas d'odeur.
o Idiomatic translation: Money is money (wherever it comes from).
o Literal meaning: Money has no smell.

* L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur.
o Idiomatic translation: Money can't buy happiness.
o Literal meaning: Money doesn't make happiness.

* L'argent ne se trouve pas sous le pas / le sabot d'un cheval.
o Idiomatic translation: Money doesn't grow on trees.
o Literal meaning: Money is not found under a horse's hoof.

* L'herbe est toujours plus verte chez le voisin.
o Idiomatic translation: The grass is always greener on the other side.
o Literal translation: The grass is always greener round the neighbours'

* L'homme est un loup pour l'homme.
o Idiomatic translation: Brother will turn on brother. /'dog eat dog'
o Latin: Homo homini lupus
o Literal meaning: Mankind is a wolf for mankind.

* La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid.
o Idiomatic translation: Revenge is a dish best served cold.
o Literal: Vengeance is a dish that is eaten cold.

* La vérité est dans le vin.
o Idiomatic translation: In wine is truth.
o Latin: In vino veritas
o Literal: The truth is in the wine.

* La vérité sort de la bouche des enfants.
o Idiomatic translation: Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings comes forth truth.
o Latin: Ex ore parvulorum veritas
o Literal meaning: The truth comes from the mouth of children.

* Le crime ne paie pas.
o Translation: Crime does not pay.

* Le Diable chie toujours au même endroit.
o Idiomatic translation: The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.
o Literal meaning: The Devil always shits in the same place.

* Le malheur des uns fait le bonheur des autres.
o Idiomatic translation: One man's meat is another man's poison. OR One man's trash is another man's treasure.
o Literal meaning: The troubles of some make the joy of others.

* Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien.
o Idiomatic translation: Let well alone.
o Literal meaning: Better is the enemy of good.

* Le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt.
o Idiomatic translation: The early bird catches the worm.
o Literal meaning: The world belongs to those who rise early.

* Le roi est mort, vive le roi!
o Translation: "The King is Dead, Long live the king!"

* L'enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions.
o Idiomatic translation: The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
o Literal meaning: Hell is paved with good intentions.

* L'erreur est humaine.'
o Translation: To err is human.
o Latin: Errare humanum est

* Les absents ont toujours tort.
o Idiomatic translation: The absent are always in the wrong.
o Literal meaning: Absentees are always wrong.

* Les affaires sont les affaires.
o Translation: Business is business.

* Les amis de nos amis sont nos amis.
o Idiomatic translation: A friend of yours is a friend of mine.
o Literal meaning: Friends of our friends are our friends.

* Les apparences sont trompeuses.
o Idiomatic translation: All that glitters is not gold.
o Literal meaning: Appearances are deceptive.

* Les bons comptes font les bons amis.
o Translation 1: Short reckonings make long friends.
o Translation 2: Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
o Literal meaning: Good accounts make good friends.

* Les bons outils font les bons ouvriers
o Translation: Good tools make good workers.

* Les chiens aboient, la caravane passe.
o Idiomatic translation: Let the world say what it will.
o Literal meaning: The dogs bark, the caravan passes by.

* Les chiens ne font pas des chats.
o Idiomatic translation: Like breeds like.
o Literal meaning: Dogs don't make cats.

* Les conseillers ne sont pas les payeurs.
o Idiomatic translation: Advice is cheap.
o Literal meaning: Advisors aren't the ones who pay.

* Les cordonniers sont les plus mal chaussés.
o Idiomatic translation: The cobbler's children go barefoot.
o Literal translation: The cobbler's children have the worst shoes

* Les fruits défendus sont les meilleurs.
o Idiomatic translation: Forbidden fruits are the sweetest.
o Literal meaning: Forbidden fruits are the best.

* Les grands diseurs ne sont pas les grands faiseurs.
o Idiomatic translation: Talkers are not doers.
o Literal meaning: Big talkers are not big doers.

* Les grands esprits se rencontrent.
o Idiomatic translation: Great minds think alike.
o Literal meaning: Great spirits meet one another.

* Les jours se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas.
o Translation 1: After Christmas comes Lent.
o Translation 2: Time changes and we with time.
o Literal meaning: Days follow themselves and do not resemble themselves.

* Les loups ne se mangent pas entre eux.
o Translation 1: Dog does not eat dog.
o Translation 2: There is honour among thieves.
o Literal translation: Wolves don't eat each other.

* Les murs ont des oreilles.
o Translation: Walls have ears.

* Le soleil luit pour tout le monde.
o Idiomatic translation: The sun shines for one and all.
o Literal meaning: The sun shines for everybody.

* Les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières.
o Idiomatic translation: Tall oaks from little acorns grow.
o Literal meaning: Little streams make big rivers.

* Les plaisanteries les plus courtes sont les meilleures.
o Idiomatic translation: Brevity is the soul of wit.
o Literal meaning: The shortest jokes are the best.

* L'espoir fait vivre.
o Idiomatic translation: Where there's life, there's hope.
o Literal meaning: Hope makes living.

* Les voyages forment la jeunesse.
o Idiomatic translation: Travel broadens the mind.
o Literal meaning: Travels make youth.

* Le temps c'est de l'argent.
o Translation: Time is money.

* L'exactitude est la politesse des rois.
o Translation: Punctuality is the politeness of kings.

* L'exception confirme la règle.
o Idiomatic translation: It's the exception that proves the rule.

* L'excès en tout est un défaut.
o Idiomatic translation: Too much is too much.
o Literal meaning: Excess in anything is a fault.

* L'habit ne fait pas le moine.
o Idiomatic translation: Don't judge the book by its cover.
o Literal meaning: The cowl does not make the friar.

* L'occasion fait le larron.
o Idiomatic translation: Opportunity makes the thief.

* Loin des yeux, loin du cœur.
o Idiomatic translation: Out of sight, out of mind.
o Literal translation: Far from the eyes, far from the heart

* L'oisiveté est la mère de tous les vices.
o Translation 1: Idleness is the root of all evils.
o Translation 2: An idle mind is the devil's workshop.

* L'union fait la force.
o Idiomatic translation: United we stand, divided we fall.
o Literal meaning: Unity makes strength.

M

* Mange ton poisson à présent qu'il est frais, marie ta fille à présent qu'elle est jeune.
o Idiomatic translation: Eat your fish while it is fresh, marry your girl while she is young.

* Mars venteux et avril pluvieux font mai gai et gracieux.
o Idiomatic translation: March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.

* Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné.
o Idiomatic translation: Better be alone than in bad company.

* Mieux vaut faire que dire.
o Translation 1: Well done is better than well said
o Translation 2: Actions speak louder than words.

* Mieux vaut plier que rompre.
o Idiomatic translation: Adapt and survive.
o Literal meaning: Better bend than break.

* Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir.
o Idiomatic translation: Prevention is better than cure.

* Mieux vaut rire que pleurer.
o Idiomatic translation: Laughter is the best medecine.
o Literal meaning: Better laugh than weep.

* Mieux vaut s'adresser à Dieu qu'à ses saints.
o Idiomatic translation: It is better to talk to the organ-grinder than to his monkey.
o Literal meaning: It is better to appeal to God than to His saints.

* Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
o Idiomatic translation: Better late than never.

* Mieux vaut tenir que courir.
o Idiomatic translation: A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
o Literal meaning: Better hold than run.

* Moineau à la main vaut mieux que grue qui vole.
o Idiomatic translation: A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
o Literal meaning: Better a sparrow in hand than a crane in flight.

* Morte la bête, mort le venin.
o Idiomatic translation: Dead dogs don't bite.
o Literal meaning: Dead is the beast, dead is the venom.

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