Each French idiom below comes with what its words literally say, what it means and how other languages put the same idea. To see every language at once, open the side-by-side page for moods and feelings.
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lit. ‘be with the angels’
To be extremely happy and delighted.
Elsewhere
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Avoir des papillons dans le ventre
lit. ‘have butterflies in your belly’
To feel a nervous, fluttering excitement, before something important or around someone you're attracted to.
-
lit. ‘have the cockroach’
To feel low, gloomy or a bit depressed.
Elsewhere
- EN Down in the dumps
- DE Trübsal blasen
- ES Estar por los suelos
- IT Essere giù di corda
- JA 肩を落とす
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lit. ‘have a bowl full to the brim’
To have completely run out of patience with something.
Elsewhere
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lit. ‘the mustard is rising up my nose’
To suddenly lose your temper.
Elsewhere
- EN Blow a fuse
- DE Mir platzt der Kragen
- ES Perder los estribos
- IT Saltare la mosca al naso
- JA 堪忍袋の緒が切れる
-
lit. ‘hen flesh’
Small bumps on the skin caused by cold, fear or a strong emotion.
Elsewhere
- EN Goosebumps
- DE Gänsehaut
- ES Piel de gallina
- IT Pelle d’oca
- JA 鳥肌
-
lit. ‘fall from the clouds’
To be so astonished you can hardly believe what you're seeing or hearing.
-
lit. ‘split your pear’
To laugh very hard.
Elsewhere
-
lit. ‘be as bored as a dead rat’
Something is so boring it wears you out.
Elsewhere
Phrases in bold with a red marker are written up. The rest are waiting for their own page and a check by a native speaker.