What exactlly I idiomatic French?

Patriciamc93

Hey just wondering what exactlly it is ...... I am kind of confused! They say it's what gets you marks and all that but I don't know what it is!

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

red_red_wine

Idiomatic French is just using French idioms in your speaking/writing. A French idiom is exactly the same thing as an English (or Irish idiom) - an expression that doesn't make much sense translated literally, but is understood easily by native speakers.

E.g., we might say that two people are as 'thick as thieves' or that it's 'raining cats and dogs.' The literal meaning of these is fairly nonsenical, but they are easily recognisable by us.

The same applies in French, for example, you might say 'J'ai un peu le cafard.' Literally, this means that 'I have a little bit of the cockroach' but figuratively, it means that you're really sad, down in the dumps etc.

Collins have an excellent book of French idioms: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collins-Learning-French-Idioms-Reference/dp/0007337353

Beware of using them excessively though, just as it would be strange for us, as English speakers, to read a paragraph in which every sentence is idiomatic, the same applies for a French speaker/ French examiner!

Patriciamc93

Thank you that kinda cleans it up

Much appreciated!

Framble

Hey does anyone have a link to a list of idioms that would be useful for the leaving cert? Most websites have loads and loads and I don't want to use really obscure ones that the examiner wouldn't know...

danslevent

Je vois la vie en rose - Which is like saying I'm optimistic
J'en ai marre- I'm fed up
J'ai passé une nuit blanche- I was awake all night


Ehhh, that's all I can remember at the moment!