Video:Common French Phrases to Express Doubt
with Milo De PrietoUnderstanding cultural sayings is in integral part to learning French. Learn some colorful and interesting idioms and expressions for expressing doubt in French in this how-to video from About.com.See Transcript
Transcript:Common French Phrases to Express Doubt
Bonjour I'm Milo for About.com and today we are talking about some common phrases to express doubt in French. These tips and more can be found on our French site.
Common French Sayings to Express Doubt
Perhaps you already know of the gesture of pointing to the eye. Tu n'as pas attendu trente minutes! You were not waiting thirty minutes!
If you really doubt something is going to happen or you are having doubts about a certain situation, you can use the expression “Tu parles!”, literally, “you talk” to mean you don't believe it: Paul viendra ce soir? Tu parles! Paul will come tonight? Whatever!
Or you can talk about the French eel under a rock, which can mean either there is a “snake in the grass,” or “ something seems fishy.” Je ne comprends pas sa réaction, il y a anguille sous roche! I don't understand his reaction, there is something fishy about it!
If you are having doubts about the reality of a certain situation or about unexpected upcoming events, you can say that you “found a rabbit,”: Il y a quelque chose de bizarre dans ce dossier, je crois que j'ai soulevé un lièvre. There is something strange in this file, I think I found something I shouldn't have.
More Common French Sayings to Express Doubt
Or, you can say how someone is rather secretive: David n'est pas aussi ouvert que tu ne le penses, il cache bien son jeu. David is not as open as you think, he is very secretive.
To say that you were not born yesterday, or in French, “during the last rain,” you can say: Tu peux me raconter ce que tu veux, je ne suis pas né de la dernière pluie! You can tell me anything you want, I wasn't born yesterday!
When you want to confront someone about possibly exaggerating or lying you can say the equivalent of pulling your leg, which in French is about taking someone for a walk: Tu as vraiment fait tout ça tout seul? Arrête de me faire marcher!You really did that all yourself? Stop pulling my leg!
To say something like, “when pigs fly,” you can say in French, “when chicken have teeth.” Il nettoiera après son passage quand les poules auront des dents!He'll clean up after himself when pigs fly!
For more helpful and excellent information on speaking and learning French, check us out at About dot com.