I’m sure you know this already, but French is a colourful language. You are about to discover that it can be as colourful as a wide range of fruit and veg!
Here are some useful phrases you might want to try in friendly company as they are quite familiar.
être bonne poire – to be a good pear, is to be gullible.
avoir la pêche, word for word to have the peach, means you are fit, both physically and mentally.
avoir la banane, to have the banana, is of course, to be smiling.
être bête comme chou, as silly as a cabbage, avoir un pois chiche dans la tête, to have a chickpea in your head, means not very bright.
If you get really embarrassed you might get as red as a tomato (rouge comme une tomate). If you laugh very hard, you are splitting your pear (se fendre la poire). But if someone doesn’t turn up at a rendez vous, you are being a leek (faire le poireau). If you are butting in a conversation you are bringing your strawberry back (ramener sa fraise). If you lie, you are telling salads (raconter des salades).
If you fall in love easily you might have an artichoke for a heart (avoir un cœur d’artichaut). But if someone is putting their nose in your business you might want to tell them to mind their own onions (occupe-toi de tes oignons)!
Did you know Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath also offers private tuition in French?