Bonjour,

Want to get a piece of French wisdom? You are the most welcome here. I have recorded some of the most popular proverbs in French. I will add to it as I remember or discover new ones. Do not forget to check out French proverbs starting with the letter B.


French
English		 Literal

Translation

 
À bon mentir qui vient de loin.

Long ways, long lies. He who comes from afar can lie well.  
À bon chat, bon rat.

Meet one’s match

 A good rat for a good cat.  
Abondance de biens ne nuit pas.

An abundance of goods does no harm. Said when receiving something that one already has in sufficient quantity.  
À bon vin, point d’enseigne.

The reputation of a good thing precedes it. Not need to explain a good wine.  
À chaque jour suffit sa peine.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof For each day there suffices suffering.  
À cheval donné, on ne regarde pas les dents.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. One doesn’t look at the reins of a horse given as a gift.  
À cœur vaillant rien d’impossible.

Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. For a brave heart, nothing is impossible.  
Aide-toi, le ciel t’aidera.

God helps those who help themselves. Help yourself, and the heavens will help you.  
À l’impossible, nul n’est tenu.

No one can be expected to do the impossible. For what is impossible, nothing is expected.  
À l’œuvre on reconnaît l’artisan.

You can tell an artist by his work. By his work one recognizes the artisan.  
À mauvais ouvrier point de bons outils.

A bad workman blames his tools. For a bad workman, no good tools.  
À père avare, fils prodigue.

The miser’s son is a spendthrift. For a miserly father a prodigal son.  
Après la pluie le beau temps.

Every cloud has a silver lining. After the rain, the nice weather.  
À quelque chose malheur est bon.

Every cloud has a silver lining. For something bad there is good.  
À tout seigneur, tout honneur.

Honor to whom honor is due. To all nobles, all honor.  
Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait.  

No sooner said than done. Immediately said, immediately done.  
Autant de têtes, autant d’avis.

Too many cooks spoil the broth. So many heads, so much advice.  
Autres temps, autres moeurs.

Times change.  Other times, other customs.  
Aux grands maux les grands remèdes.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. To the great evils great remedies.  
Aux innocents les mains pleines.

   

Beginner’s luck. Full hands for the innocents.  
Avec des si et des mais, on mettrait Paris dans une bouteille.

If ifs and ands were pots and pans there’d be no work for tinkers’ hands. With ifs and buts, one would put Paris in a bottle.  
À vieille mule, frein doré.

A golden brake for an old mule. Sometimes used to refer to older women who apply makeup excessively.  
Avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre.

Have one’s cake and eat it too. To have one’s butter and the money for it.  

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