50 Awesome French Proverbs for Language Learners

Want to impress native speakers with your French? Explore 50 impressive French Proverbs and quotes, which are essential in conversation all the time.

Thanks to a wide range of careers in languages, the benefits of learning French is full of possibilities.

There are many good reasons to learn French.

French is a widely spoken language.

With over 30 French-speaking countries, there is currently over 270 million French Speaking population in the world.

While there are many French varieties globally, the standard or Parisian French is most famous for those who want to start learning French.

There is currently over 270 million French Speaking population in the world.

While there are several French dialects, The standard or Parisian French is most widespread these days for those who want to start learning French.

The DELF and DALF, and TEF, and TCF Quebec are based on standard French.

Every language has its own idioms, slang, quotes, adage, riddles, epigrams, and sayings.

A proverb is a simple and popular wisdom, and it expresses a truth based on common sense or experience.

Since proverb translation is quite tricky, it is crucial to acquire some commonly used French proverbs. It plays a vital role in intermediate-level French.

Here are 50 great French Proverbs and Saying for Language Learners.

50 Beautiful French Proverbs That Will Inspire You

1. “Paris ne s’est pas fait en un jour!” ― (Paris was not made in a day!)
   
2. “Il vaut mieux prévenir que guérir.” ― (It is better to prevent than to heal.)
   
3. “Tout est bien qui finit bien.” ― (All’s well that ends well.)
   
4. “Qui vivra verra.” ― (The future will tell.)
   
5. “Qui veut voyager loin ménage sa monture.” ― (He who takes it slow and steady travels a long way.)
   
6. “Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre.” ― (All things come to those who wait.)
   
7. “Qui terre a, guerre a.” ― (He who has land has quarrels.)
   
8. “Ce n’est pas à un vieux singe qu’on apprend à faire la grimace.” ― (There’s no substitute for experience.)
   
9. “Tout ce qui brille n’est pas or.” ― (All that glitters isn’t gold.)
   
10. “À bon chat bon rat.” ― (Tit for tat.)
    
11. “Nécessité fait loi.” ― (Beggars can’t be choosers.)
    
12. “Un chien vivant vaut mieux qu’un lion mort.” ― (A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.)
    
13. “Battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud.” ― to strike while the iron is hot.)
    
14. “Chat échaudé craint l’eau froide.” ― (Once bitten, twice shy.)
    
15. “Donne au chien l’os pour qu’il ne convoite pas ta viande.” ― (Give some and keep the rest.)
    
16. “On ne change pas une équipe qui gagne.” ― (One does not change a winning team.” In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.)
    
17. “Qui n’avance pas, recule.” ― (Who does not move forward, recedes.)
    
18. “Quand on a pas ce que l’on aime, il faut aimer ce que l’on a.” ― (When one doesn’t have the things that one loves, one must love what one has.)
    
19. “Il n’y a pas plus sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre.” ― (Commonly applied french proverbs flair beauty impress.)
    
20. “Il n’y a pas plus sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre.” ― (No one is as deaf as the one who does not want to listen.)
    
21. “Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait.” ― (No sooner said than done.)
    
22. “Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid.” ― (Little by little, the bird makes its nest.)
    
23. “Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire.” ― (Once the first step is taken, there’s no going back.)
    
24. “Qui casse les verres les paie.” ― (You pay for your mistakes.)
    
25. “Tel père, tel fils.” ― (Like father like son.)
    
26. “Qui ne dit mot consent.” ― (Silence implies consent.)
    
27. “Rira bien qui rira le dernier.” ― (Whoever laughs last laughs best.)
    
28. “L’habit ne fait pas le moine.” ― (Don’t judge a book by its cover.)
    
29. “Autres temps, autres mœurs.” ― (Other times, other customs.)
    
30. “Le temps, c’est de l’argent.” ― (Time is money.)
    
31. “Chacun voit midi à sa porte.” ― (Everyone sees noon at his own door, or Everyone sees things their own way.)
    
32. “Après la pluie, le beau temps.” ― (Every cloud has a silver lining.)
    
33. “Les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières.” ― (Small streams form great rivers.)
    
34. “On ne fait pas d’omelette sans casser des œufs.” ― (You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.)
    
35. “Mieux vaut tard que jamais.” ― (Better late than never.)
    
36. “Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point.”― (Slow and steady wins the race.)
    
37. “Les murs ont des oreilles.” ― (Walls have ears.)
    
38. “Impossible n’est pas français.” ― (Impossible isn’t French.)
    
39. “Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard.” ― (Nothing should be left to chance.)
    
40. “Il n’y a pas de fumée sans feu.” ― (There’s no smoke without fire.)
    
41. “Souris qui n’a qu’un trou est bientôt prise.” ― (Better safe than sorry.)
    
42. “Qui vole un œuf vole un bœuf.” ― (He who steals an egg will steal an ox.)
    
43. “Qui se ressemble s’assemble.” ― (Birds of a feather flock together.)
    
44. “Ne réveillez pas le chat qui dort.” ― (Don’t wake the sleeping cat.)
    
45. “Le loup retourne toujours au bois.” ― (One always goes back to one’s roots.)
    
46. “Il y a plus d’un âne à la foire qui s’appelle Martin.” ― (Don’t jump to conclusions.)
    
47. “Il ne faut jamais courir deux lièvres à la fois.” ― (Don’t try to do two things at once.)
    
48. “Les gros poissons mangent les petits.” ― (Big fish eat little fish.)
    
49. “Faire d’une pierre deux coups.” ― (To kill two birds with one stone.)
    
50. “Les chiens aboient, la caravane passe.” ― (To each his own.)

French is one of the top Foreign languages in India.

There are plenty of Job opportunities in French. If you’re interested in pursuing a French course in Noida, Contact Us.

Do you know any famous French proverbs or sayings or quotes that you like? You can share them in the comments below!