It was also around this time that she adopted the French spelling of her name – Marie. It was in Paris, in 1894, that she met Pierre Curie – a scientist working in the city – and who she married a year later. She immediately entered Sorbonne University in Paris where she read physics and mathematics – she had naturally discovered a love of the subjects through her insatiable appetite for learning. However, when her sister offered her lodgings in Paris with a view to going to university, she grasped the opportunity and moved to France in 1891. To become a teacher – the only alternative which would allow her to be independent – was never a possibility because a lack of money prevented her from a formal higher education. This sentence means something like “putting yourself in God’s hands,” except that this time, God has left you to chance.Born Maria Sk łodowska on 7 November 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, she was the youngest of five children of poor school teachers.Īfter her mother died and her father could no longer support her she became a governess, reading and studying in her own time to quench her thirst for knowledge. This expression just goes to show that we can all see what we want to, if we’re stubborn enough. There’s nothing more objective than time - unless you’re in Fort-de-France and it’s 5 a.m., I’m in Geneva and my watch says 10 a.m., and in Moscow… okay, maybe it’s more relative than I thought. Meaning: To judge a situation based on your own subjective criteria Literally: Everyone sees noon at his door. You might use this in the same way as you would say “It’s nothing to write home about,” which makes slightly more sense in our opinion. You didn’t know that ducks had three legs? Well, now you do. Literally: It doesn’t break three legs to a duck Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard. The closest analog in English might be “To piss into the wind,” which seems slightly less destructive. What could more frustrating than putting your heart and soul into winning the affections of the object of your desire, only to go completely unnoticed? After such a heartbreaking letdown, who can blame you for likening your romantic efforts to “pissing in a violin”? I’m not sure that violinists sanction this expression, though. It refers to the little details you add to make sure everything is clear and accurate. This phrase isn’t too different from its English counterpart: Dot your I’s and cross your T’s. This phrase means something somewhat like “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” 6. To do so, for any reason, is probably an overreaction. No matter how much you hate your grandma, don’t ever push her into the bushes. Literally: One shouldn’t push grandma in the nettles! Il (ne) faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties ! The expression was coined by Molière, the iconic 17th century playwright whose works elevated the French language. The meaning of this expression is close to the second one on this list one, but this time its origin is very clear. This pretty confusing sentence is the short form of this no less confusing sentence: Nous vous aimons à ce point de telle façon que celle qui de nous deux vous aime déjà mieux que l’autre vous aime encore mieux (“We love you that much that the one of us who loves you the best loves you even better than the other one who loves you even better”). This phrase is used when you’ve made some progress on a difficult situation, but haven’t quite solved it yet. On n’est pas sorti de l’auberge !Įquivalent expression: We’re not out of the woods yetĪuberge (hostel) used to be a euphemism for “jail,” which would explain why it’s so difficult to escape. Pretty paradoxical, when you consider that there’s nothing more complicated than saying hello - especially in France! Do you say Salut or Bonjour? Is it a handshake or a bise? And if it’s a bise, how many of them - one, two, three or four? Do you start with the right, or with the left side? You’re not out of the woods yet… This phrase is pretty similar to “It’s a piece of cake” or “It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.” 2. This expression is used for anything that is very easy and comes naturally. French Expressions To Keep In Your Back Pocket 1. Whether you’re trying to impress the locals or simply pepper your speech with some cute French sayings, here are a few phrases you’ll have plenty of chances to use in real life. There’s the French you learn in a textbook, and then there’s the French you learn from your new work friends after a couple drinks.
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