AQA GCSE French · 8652
GCSE French idioms and grade 9 phrases
28 French idioms, opinion phrases and high-mark structures for GCSE speaking and writing, each with what it means word for word, what it actually means and an example on a GCSE theme. Practise them at the bottom of the page.
Idioms
One well-placed idiom shows range. Two in one answer is plenty; more reads as a list.
| French | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| avoir le cafard literally "to have the cockroach" | to feel down, to have the blues | Le dimanche soir, j'ai souvent le cafard à l'idée de retourner au collège.On Sunday evenings I often feel down at the thought of going back to school. |
| coûter les yeux de la tête literally "to cost the eyes of the head" | to cost an arm and a leg | Les billets pour le concert coûtent les yeux de la tête.The concert tickets cost an arm and a leg. |
| poser un lapin à quelqu'un literally "to put a rabbit to someone" | to stand someone up | Mon copain devait venir au cinéma, mais il m'a posé un lapin.My friend was supposed to come to the cinema, but he stood me up. |
| ĂŞtre dans la lune literally "to be in the moon" | to be daydreaming, miles away | En cours d'histoire, je suis souvent dans la lune.In history lessons I'm often miles away. |
| c'est du gâteau literally "it's (some) cake" | it's a piece of cake, really easy | Le contrôle de maths ? C'était du gâteau.The maths test? It was a piece of cake. |
| avoir la flemme literally "to have the laziness" | to not be able to be bothered (informal) | Ce soir, j'ai la flemme de faire mes devoirs.Tonight I can't be bothered to do my homework. |
| avoir un poil dans la main literally "to have a hair in the hand" | to be bone idle | Mon frère a un poil dans la main : il ne range jamais sa chambre.My brother is bone idle: he never tidies his room. |
| il pleut des cordes literally "it's raining ropes" | it's pouring down, it's raining cats and dogs | Il pleut des cordes, alors on reste Ă la maison pour regarder un film.It's pouring down, so we're staying in to watch a film. |
| avoir un trou de mémoire literally "to have a hole of memory" | to have a mental blank, for your mind to go blank | Pendant l'examen oral, j'ai eu un trou de mémoire.During the speaking exam, my mind went blank. |
| mettre les pieds dans le plat literally "to put your feet in the dish" | to put your foot in it, to blurt out something awkward | J'ai parlé de la fête surprise devant ma sœur. J'ai mis les pieds dans le plat !I mentioned the surprise party in front of my sister. I put my foot in it! |
| être crevé literally "to be burst (like a tyre)" | to be shattered, worn out (informal) | Après la randonnée, toute la classe était crevée.After the hike, the whole class was shattered. |
| donner un coup de main literally "to give a blow of the hand" | to lend a hand, to help | Le samedi, je donne un coup de main Ă mes parents au jardin.On Saturdays I lend my parents a hand in the garden. |
| casser les pieds à quelqu'un literally "to break someone's feet" | to get on someone's nerves (informal) | Mon petit frère me casse les pieds quand je joue aux jeux vidéo.My little brother gets on my nerves when I'm playing video games. |
| avoir le coup de foudre literally "to have the lightning strike" | to fall in love at first sight (with a person or a place) | J'ai eu le coup de foudre pour Barcelone dès le premier jour.I fell in love with Barcelona from the very first day. |
Opinion phrases
Every answer needs an opinion and a reason. These say it better than a bare 'I like'.
| French | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| à mon avis literally "at my opinion" | in my opinion | À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont dangereux pour les jeunes.In my opinion, social media is dangerous for young people. |
| ce qui me plaît le plus, c'est... literally "what pleases me the most, it's..." | what I like most is... | Ce qui me plaît le plus dans mon collège, c'est l'ambiance.What I like most about my school is the atmosphere. |
| il me semble que... literally "it seems to me that..." | it seems to me that..., I get the impression that... | Il me semble que les jeunes passent trop de temps sur leur portable.It seems to me that young people spend too much time on their phones. |
| je ne supporte pas... literally "I don't bear..." | I can't stand... | Je ne supporte pas la malbouffe parce que c'est trop gras.I can't stand junk food because it's too greasy. |
| ça m'est égal literally "that is equal to me" | I don't mind, it's all the same to me | Pizza ou pâtes ? Ça m'est égal, j'adore les deux.Pizza or pasta? I don't mind, I love them both. |
| d'un côté..., de l'autre... literally "from one side..., from the other..." | on the one hand..., on the other... | D'un côté, le portable est pratique ; de l'autre, il nous empêche de nous concentrer.On the one hand, mobile phones are handy; on the other, they stop us concentrating. |
| le pire, c'est que... literally "the worst, it's that..." | the worst thing is that... | J'aime ma ville, mais le pire, c'est qu'il n'y a rien Ă faire pour les jeunes.I like my town, but the worst thing is that there's nothing for young people to do. |
Grade 9 structures
The complex structures that lift an answer at Higher: conditions, contrasts, purpose and more than one tense in a sentence.
| French | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| si + imparfait, + conditionnel | if I had/did..., I would... (imperfect + conditional) | Je viendrais Ă ta fĂŞte si j'avais le temps, mais j'ai des examens.I would come to your party if I had the time, but I've got exams. |
| après avoir / après être + past participle | after having done something | Après avoir fini mes devoirs, j'ai regardé un film avec ma sœur.After finishing my homework, I watched a film with my sister. |
| bien que + subjunctive | although (the verb after it is always in the subjunctive) | Bien que mon collège soit strict, j'aime bien y aller.Although my school is strict, I quite like going. |
| il faut que + subjunctive | it is necessary that..., (someone) must / has to | Il faut qu'on fasse plus pour protéger l'environnement.We must do more to protect the environment. |
| venir de + infinitive | to have just done something | Je viens de rentrer d'un Ă©change en Espagne.I've just got back from an exchange in Spain. |
| en + present participle | by doing / while doing something | En faisant du sport tous les jours, on reste en forme.By doing sport every day, you stay fit. |
| depuis + present tense | have been doing something for/since (French uses the present) | J'apprends le français depuis cinq ans.I've been learning French for five years. |
Practise them
Matching
0/8Match each idiom to its meaning.
Fill in the blank
0/8Complete each idiom with the missing word. The English meaning is given as a hint.
Le dimanche soir, j'ai souvent le . (I feel down)
Ces baskets coûtent les yeux de la . (cost an arm and a leg)
Mon copain n'est jamais venu au rendez-vous : il m'a posé un . (he stood me up)
En cours d'histoire, je suis souvent dans la . (miles away)
Il pleut des , alors on reste Ă la maison. (it's pouring down)
Mon petit frère me casse les . (gets on my nerves)
Ce soir, j'ai la de ranger ma chambre. (I can't be bothered)
Pendant l'oral, j'ai eu un de mémoire. (my mind went blank)
Pick the right one
0/6Read the situation and pick the idiom that fits.
The maths test was dead easy. Le contrĂ´le, c'Ă©tait .
Your friend never turned up at the cinema. Il m'a .
You helped your mum with the shopping. J'ai à ma mère.
Your brother never lifts a finger at home. Mon frère .
You loved Paris the moment you arrived. J'ai eu pour Paris.
After the school trip your brother was worn out. Après la sortie scolaire, mon frère était .
Learn it in the order the specification sets it
The GCSE French course teaches the specification's words and grammar, Foundation before Higher, with drills that remember what you already know.
Questions
Do idioms get you marks in GCSE French?
They can, when they fit. Examiners credit a range of language, and a natural idiom is one sign of it. A forced one is not: use an idiom only where you would use its English equivalent, and never at the cost of getting the basic message across.
Are idioms on the vocabulary list?
Mostly not. The AQA vocabulary list limits the words the exam papers themselves may use without a gloss. It does not limit what you write or say, so an idiom you use correctly is yours to use.
What are grade 9 phrases?
Not an official term: teachers use it for the structures that show control of the language at Higher, such as conditional sentences, the subjunctive after certain phrases, and linking two tenses in one sentence. The structures section above lists the ones worth learning.
Themes and tiers from the AQA GCSE French (8652) specification. Kilo Lingo is not affiliated with or endorsed by AQA.