N

* Nécessité fait loi.
o Idiomatic translation: Beggars can't be choosers.
o Literal meaning: Need makes law.

* Ne vendez pas la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué.
o Idiomatic translation: Don't count your chickens before they have hatched.
o Literal meaning: Do not sell the skin of the bear before you have killed it.

* Noël au balcon, Pâques au tison.
o Idiomatic translation: A warm Christmas means a cold Easter.
o Literal meaning: Christmas on the balcony, Easter by the fireside.

* Nul n'est prophète en son pays.
o Idiomatic translation: No man is a prophet in his own country.

O

* Oignez vilain, il vous poindra.
o Idiomatic translation: Claw a churl by the breech, and he will shite in your fist.

* On n'apprend pas à un vieux singe à faire des grimaces.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
o Literal meaning: You can't teach an old monkey how to make faces.

* On ne change pas une équipe qui gagne.
o Literal meaning: One doesn't change a team that wins.
o Idiomatic translation: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

* On ne fait pas boire un âne qui n'a pas soif.
o Idiomatic translation: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

* On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des œufs.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.

* On ne marie pas les poules avec les renards.
o Idiomatic translation: Different strokes for different folks.
o Literal meaning: You can't marry a hen and a fox.

* On ne peut avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't have your cake and eat it.
o Literal meaning: You can't have both the butter and the butter money.

* On ne peut avoir le lard et le cochon.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't have your cake and eat it.
o Literal meaning: You can't have the bacon and the pig.

* On ne peut être à la ville et aux champs.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't be in two places at once.
o Literal meaning: You can't be in town and in the fields.

* On ne peut être au four et au moulin.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't be in two places at once.
o Literal meaning: You can't be at the oven and in the mill.

* On ne peut faire d'une buse un épervier.
o Idiomatic translation: You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
o Literal meaning: You can't turn a buzzard / a dolt into a sparrowhawk.

* On ne prend pas les mouches avec du vinaigre.
o Idiomatic translation: Honey catches more flies than vinegar.
o Literal meaning: You don't catch flies with vinegar.

* On ne prête qu'aux riches.
o Translation 1: Reputations shape reactions.
o Translation 2: Only the rich get richer.
o Literal meaning: One lends only to the rich.

* On n'est jamais si bien servi que par soi-même.
o Idiomatic translation: If you want something done right, do it yourself.

* On revient toujours à ses premiers amours.
o Literal meaning: One always returns to his first loves.

* Où la vache / la chèvre est attachée, il faut qu'elle broute.
o Idiomatic translation: The cow / goat must browse where she is tethered.

P

* Paris / Rome ne s'est pas fait / faite en un jour.
o Idiomatic translation: Rome wasn't built in a day.

* Pas de nouvelle, bonne nouvelle.
o Idiomatic translation: No news is good news.

* Peu importe le flacon, tant qu'il y à l'ivresse.

* Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid.
o Translation 1: Many a mickle makes a muckle.
o Translation 2: Little strokes fell great oaks.
o Literal meaning: Little by little the bird builds its nest.

* Petite pluie abat grand vent.
o Idiomatic translation: Little rain lays great dust.
o Literal meaning: Little rain overcomes great wind.

* Petit poisson deviendra grand.
o Translation 1: Tall oaks from little acorns grow.
o Translation 2: Boys will be men one day.
o Literal meaning: The little fish will grow.

* Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse.
o Idiomatic translation: A rollling stone gathers no moss.

* Plaie d'argent n'est pas mortelle.
o Idiomatic translation: Money isn't everything.
o Literal meaning: A money worry isn't a mortal wound.

* Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. or
* Plus ça change, plus c'est pareil.
o Idiomatic translation: The more things change, the more they're the same.

* Plus fait douceur que violence.
o Idiomatic translation: Kindness succeeds where force will fail.
o Literal meaning: Gentleness accomplishes more than violence.

* Plus on est de fous, plus on rit.
o Idiomatic translation: The more the merrier.

* Promettre et tenir sont deux.
o Idiomatic translation: It's one thing to promise and another to perform.

* Proverbe ne peut mentir.
o Literal translation: Proverbs cannot lie.

* Prudence est mère de sûreté.
o Idiomatic translation: Discretion is the better part of valour.
o Literal meaning: Caution is the mother of safety.

Q

* Quand le chat n'est pas là les souris dansent.
o Idiomatic translation: While the cat's away the mice will play.
o Literal meaning: While the cat's away the mice will dance.

* Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire.
o Idiomatic translation: In for a penny, in for a pound.
o Literal meaning: Once the wine is drawn, it must be drunk.

* Quand on parle du loup on en voit la queue.
o Idiomatic translation: Talk of the Devil and he will appear.
o Literal meaning: Talk of the wolf and you'll see his tail.

* Quand on veut, on peut.
o Literal translation: When we want, we can.
o Idiomatic meaning: Where there's a will, there's a way.

* Qu'est-ce que l'ennemi du bien ? Le mieux.
o Literal meaning: What's the enemy of good? Better.

* Qui a bon voisin a bon matin.
o Idiomatic translation: Good neighbours give good days.

* Qui a bu boira.
o Idiomatic translation: Once a drunkard, always a drunkard.
o Literal meaning: Who has drunk, will drink.

* Qui aime bien châtie bien.
o Idiomatic translation: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
o Literal meaning: Who loves well, chastises well.
o Latin: Qui bene amat, bene castigat

* Qui casse les verres les paie.
o Idiomatic translation: Who breaks pays.
o Literal meaning: Who breaks the glasses, pays for them.

* Qui cherche trouve.
o Idiomatic translation: Seek and ye shall find.
o Literal meaning: Who seeks, finds.

* Qui donne aux pauvres prête à Dieu.
o Idiomatic translation: Charity will be rewarded in heaven.
o Literal meaning: Who gives to the poor, lends to God.

* Qui dort dîne.
o Idiomatic translation: He who sleeps forgets his hunger.
o Literal meaning: Who sleeps, dines.

* Qui m'aime aime mon chien.
o Idiomatic translation: Love me, love my dog.
o Compare in Latin,
+ Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.
# Who loves me, also loves my dog.
# Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), French abbot (and who is not the St Bernard for whom that breed of dog is named, that's Bernard of Menthon). Quoted by Nigel Rees in Why Do We Say?, 1987.

* Qui ne dit mot consent.
o Idiomatic translation: Silence gives consent.
o Literal meaning: Who says no word, consents.

* Qui n'entend qu'une cloche n'entend qu'un son.
o Idiomatic translation: Hear the other side and believe little.
o Literal meaning: Who hears only one bell, hears only one sound.

* Qui ne risque rien n'a rien.
o Idiomatic translation: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
o Literal meaning: Who risks nothing, gets nothing.

* Qui ne veut rien n'a rien.
o Idiomatic translation: Where there's a will there's a way.
o Literal meaning: Who wants nothing, gets nothing.

* Qui paye ses dettes s'enrichit.
o Idiomatic translation: The rich man is the one who pays his debts.
o Literal meaning: Who pays his debts, gets rich.

* Qui peut le plus peut le moins.
o Idiomatic translation: He who can do more can do less.

* Qui plus sait, plus se tait.
o Idiomatic translation: He who knows most, says least.

* Qui se couche avec les chiens se lève avec des puces.
o Idiomatic translation: Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas.

* Qui se fait brebis le loup le mange.
o Idiomatic translation: Who will needs be sheep, the wolf devours.

* Qui sème le vent récolte la tempête.
o Translation 1: As you sow, so you shall reap.
o Translation 2: He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind.

* Qui se ressemble s'assemble.
o Translation 1: Birds of a feather flock together.
o Translation 2: Like attracts like.

* Qui se sent morveux, qu'il se mouche.
o Idiomatic translation: Who feels snotty, let him blow his nose.

* Qui s'y frotte s'y pique.
o Idiomatic translation: Gather thistles, expect prickles.

* Qui trop embrasse mal étreint.
o Idiomatic translation: Grasp all, lose all.

* Qui va à la chasse perd sa place.
o Idiomatic translation: He who leaves his place, loses it.
o Literal meaning: Who goes hunting, loses his place.

* Qui veut la fin veut les moyens.
o Idiomatic translation: He who wills the end wills the means.

* Qui veut noyer son chien l'accuse de rage.
o Idiomatic translation: Give a dog a bad name and hang him.
o Literal meaning: He who wants to drown his dog says it has rabies.

* Qui veut voyager loin, ménage sa monture.
o Idiomatic translation: He who wishes to ride far spares his horse.

* Qui vivra verra.
o Idiomatic translation: Time will tell.
o Literal meaning: Who shall live, shall see.

* Qui vole un œuf vole un bœuf.
o Idiomatic translation: He that will steal an egg will steal an ox.

R

* Remuer le couteau dans la plaie.
o Idiomatic translation: To rub it in.
o Literal meaning: To twist the knife in the wound.

* Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point.
o Idiomatic translation: Slow and steady wins the race.

* Rira bien qui rira le dernier.
o Idiomatic translation: He who laughs last laughs best.

* Rouge soir et blanc matin, c'est la journée du pèlerin.
o Idiomatic translation: Evening red and morning grey will set the traveller on his way.
o Literal Meaning: Red evening and white morning, such is the pilgrim's day.

S

* Secret de deux, secret de Dieu; secret de trois, secret de tous.
o Idiomatic translation: When three people know, the whole world knows.
o Literal meaning: A secret shared by two is shared with God; a secret shared by three is shared with everybody.

* Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait.
o Idiomatic translation: Youth is wasted on the young.
o Literal meaning: If youth but knew, if old age but could.

* Si tu veux la paix, prépare la guerre.
o Literal meaning: "If you want peace prepare for war."
o (Original in Latin by Scipio Africanus: "Si vis pacem para bellum.")

* Souris qui n'a qu'un trou est bientôt prise.
o Idiomatic translation: Better safe than sorry.
o Literal meaning: A mouse that has only one hole is soon caught.

* Souvent femme varie, bien fol qui s'y fie.
o Idiomatic translation: Woman is fickle, man beware!

* Suffisance vaut abondance.
o Idiomatic translation: Enough is as good as a feast.
o Literal meaning: Enough is worth plenty.

T

* Tant crie-t-on Noël qu'il vient.
o Idiomatic translation: A constant importunity at length prevails.
o Literal meaning: So long is Christmas cried that it comes.

* Tant dort le chat qu'il se réveille.
o Idiomatic translation: The sleeping cat at length awakes.

* Tant va la cruche à l'eau qu'à la fin elle se brise.
o Literal meaning: The jug goes to water so often that at the end it breaks.
o Idiomatic translation: Things break with repeated use.

* Tel est petit qui boit bien
o Idiomatic translation: Though he is little, he can tipple.

* Tel est pris qui croyait prendre.
o Idiomatic translation: It's the biter bit.
o Literal meaning: He is caught who thought to catch.

* Tel maître, tel valet.
o Idiomatic translation: Like master, like man.

* Tel père, tel fils.
o Idiomatic translation: Like father, like son.

* Tel qui rit vendredi, dimanche pleurera.
o Idiomatic translation: Sing before breakfast, cry before night.
o Literal meaning: Laugh on Friday, cry on Sunday.

* Tous les chemins mènent à Rome.
o Idiomatic translation: All roads lead to Rome.

* Tous les goûts sont dans la nature.
o Idiomatic translation: It takes all sorts to make a world.

* Toute médaille a son revers.
o Translation 1: Every rose has its thorn.
o Translation 2: Every path has its puddle.
o Literal meaning: Every medal has its back.

* Toute peine mérite salaire.
o Idiomatic translation: The labourer is worthy of his hire.
o Literal meaning: Every job deserves a wage.

* Toute vérité n'est pas bonne à dire.
o Idiomatic translation: The truth is sometimes best left unsaid.

* Tout est poison. Rien n'est poison. La poison c'est la dose.
o Literal meaning: Everything is poison. Nothing is not poison. The poison is the dose.
o Attributed to Paracelsus.

* Tout nouveau, tout beau.
o Translation 1: Anything for a change.
o Translation 2: New brooms sweep clean.

* Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre.
o Translation 1: All things come to those who wait.
o Translation 2: Every dog has his day.

* Trop de hâte nuit.
o Idiomatic translation: Haste makes waste.

* Trop gratter cuit, trop parler nuit.
o Idiomatic translation: Too much scratching pains, too much talking plagues.

* Un bienfait n'est jamais perdu.
o Idiomatic translation: A favour is never lost.

* Un chien regarde bien un évêque.
o Idiomatic translation: A cat may look at a king.
o Literal meaning: A dog may look at a bishop.

* Un clou chasse l'autre.
o Idiomatic translation: One man goes and another steps in.
o Literal meaning: One nail drives out the other.

* Un(e) de perdu(e), dix de trouvé(e)s.
o Idiomatic translation: There are plenty more fish in the sea.
o Literal meaning: One lost, ten found.

* Une fois n'est pas coutume.
o Translation 1: Just this once will not hurt.
o Translation 2: Once in a while does no harm.
o Literal meaning: Once does not a habit make.

* Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps.
o Literal meaning: A mere swallow doesn't announce Spring.

* Un petit dessin vaut mieux qu'un long discours.
o Idiomatic translation: A picture is worth a thousand words.
o Literal meaning: A small drawing is worth more than a long speech.

* Une place pour chaque chose et chaque chose a sa place.
o Idiomatic translation: A place for everything and everything in its place.

* Un homme averti en vaut deux.
o Translation 1: Forewarned is forearmed.
o Translation 2: Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
o Literal meaning: A forewarned man is worth two.

* Un sou est un sou.
o Idiomatic translation: Every penny counts.
o Literal meaning: A penny is a penny.

* Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras.
o Idiomatic translation: A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
o Literal meaning: One held is worth more than two: You'll have it.

V

* Vache de loin a lait assez.
o Idiomatic translation: Blue are the hills that are far away.
o Literal meaning: From afar, the cow has milk aplenty.

* Ventre affamé n'a pas d'oreilles.
o Idiomatic translation: Words are wasted on a starving man.
o Literal meaning: The hungry belly has no ears.

* Vive la différence.
o Idiomatic translation: Long live the difference.

* Vouloir, c'est pouvoir.
o Idiomatic translation: Where there's a will there's a way.
o Literal meaning: To want is to be able.

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