As an avid reader, I love authors who aren't afraid to use elegant phraseology. I'm equally enamoured of those who pepper their texts with quirky turns of phrase. As long as their linguistic styles don't take away from their stories, I put my e-reader's highlighting function to good use.
The language of Molière takes the 'elegant but quirky' cake. This tongue gifts us with phrases like "L'esprit de l'escalier", summarising a sentiment that has no English equivalent. Its literal translation is 'the spirit of the staircase'.
Have you ever walked away from the losing end of an argument? Seething, you replay the scene in your mind when, suddenly, you hit on the comeback that would have made you the victor. The regret and annoyance you feel at having missed that opportunity is "L'esprit de l'escalier".
Still, a turn of phrase is not a proverb and those are the ones we examine today. These short, traditional sayings reflect generations of wisdom from a cultural perspective. Thus, we need to understand French proverbs' cultural significance before we:
- explore proverbs and their meanings
- get an idea of French life through its proverbs
- learn how to pepper our own French conversations with well-timed proverbs
As you've likely been learning French for a while, you've no doubt found ways to immerse yourself in the French language and culture. Now it's time to delve deeper into the history of the French tongue. We're set to discover where some of this culture's most iconic phrases originated and how to use them.
Understanding the Cultural Significance of French Proverbs
The French consider phrases like "L'esprit de l'escalier" everyday language. In this culture, proverbs are reserved for teaching moments.
For instance, a wayward child might nick a sweet from the corner shop. Upon discovery of that deceit, their caregiver would likely admonish "Bien mal acquis ne profite jamais". (Photo by Xia Yang on Unsplash)
That means 'goods badly acquired never benefit'. Being wanton, that child might reason that they would have benefited from eating the ill-gotten treat. Their youth and sullenness would have kept them from seeing the wider implications of that phrase. Those words would likely stay with them for life, though.
Growing up in France, the proverb "Qui vole un oeuf vole un boeuf" scared me out of ever nicking anything. This bit of wisdom translates to 'who steals an egg steals a cow'. My vivid imagination conjured up a tiny ovoid suddenly growing into a full-sized Hereford, proclaiming my guilt as it stampeded out of my pocket.
This 19th Century proverb communicates two ideas. First, that theft is theft regardless of whether it's an egg or a cow. It also suggests that stealing small things leads to stealing big things. Considering the era that proverb originated in, we might believe that the punishment will be equally harsh for egg theft as for cow pilfery.
French proverbs typically trace a direct line to their origins. They're also clear on their purpose. To illustrate that point, contrast our stolen egg-cow reasoning with 'A stitch in time saves nine'.
Linguists believe it originally spoke against laziness and procrastination. English historian Thomas Fuller compiled a book of English sayings and proverbs in the 17th Century which included that gem. He didn't make its meaning, intent or origin clear but insisted that such phrases must be memorable. Hence, the sing-song quality of many English proverbs.
By contrast, French proverbs are evocative. Perhaps my childhood imagination was too fertile but thanks to their visual nature, you'll have no remembering proverbs in French culture. But first, you have to know a few of them.
Common French Proverbs and Their Meanings
L'Académie française is the country's authority on the grammar, vocabulary and usage of the French language. It has fulfilled this function since 1635, albeit with a few pauses along the way. Over the centuries, this office has published eight editions of Le Dictionnaire de l'Académie. It is the French language's official dictionary.
The proverb "Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid." first appeared in Le Dictionnaire in 1835. It translates to 'little by little, the bird builds its nest'.
This proverb demonstrates the visual nature of French expressions. Picture a small bird, painstakingly retrieving twigs to weave meticulously into its home. It speaks of patience and perseverance; of working steadily to achieve a goal.
Many proverbs in French culture invoke nature because they originated in pre-industrial times. The egg-cow proverb and the nest-building bird are two examples of such. "Après la pluie, le beau temps" follows that pattern. It means 'after the rain, good weather'.
It's a bit like our 'this too shall pass' in meaning but we could use it in a different sense. Something along the lines of 'one day follows the next but they look nothing alike'. That too is a common French saying: "Les jours se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas". However, the French are quick to point out that this saying originated in a different language; its origins are unknown.
"Chacun voit midi à sa porte" means each person sees things in their own way. Its literal translation is 'each sees noon at their door', a clever play on physics as well as psychology. Imagine yourself standing at your door, receiving a full blast of sunshine. Your neighbour a few houses down must wait until the sun travels far enough to hit them square on.
"Il faut casser le noyau pour avoir l'amande" has many comparable sayings in English. 'You have to break a few eggs to have an omelette' is particularly apt for our purposes as both involve breaking into something. The French proverb's literal translation is 'you must break the kernel to have the almond'.
It's a bit of a mystery why this proverb uses 'noyau' rather than 'coque' or 'coquille', which are correct words for nut shells. Le Dictionnaire states that 'coque' has been around since the 13th Century; it should have suited the purpose. But this proverb isn't talking about almonds in their shells.
In those days, it was common to crack open cherry and apricot stones (noyaux) to make liqueurs and pastes from the pulp inside them. It still is, though the process is now industrialised. It was hard work doing it by hand and the profits from liqueur sales were great.
Thus, the proverb's use of 'noyau'. Its true meaning is 'you must invest the effort to reap any profits'.
Reflections on Life Through French Proverbs
As the above proverbs prove, French wisdom is rooted in nature and hard work. Even sayings similar to the ones we learn as children take a humble cast.
For instance, we learn that 'the clothes do not make the man'. In French, to express the same idea, you would say "L'habit ne fait pas le moine" - the robe (habit) doesn't make the monk. You'll hardly find anything more humble than one who's renounced the secular life.
Likewise "Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir" (better to prevent than to cure) favours personal responsibility over commercial value. When you think about it, that's what 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' suggests.
While we might say 'cut off one's nose to spite their face' and 'never say never', the French put an absurd twist to those ideas. "Il ne faut jamais dire 'Fontaine, je ne boirai pas ton eau!'". Indeed, we should never say 'Fountain, I will not drink your water!'. We would spite ourselves by refusing necessary hydration.
You might have noticed that none of these French proverbs are speaker-oriented. They typically take the passive voice, highlighting the deed rather than its conclusion. Even farewells in French proverbs take the focus off the self. One farewell-oriented proverb, "Le retour fait aimer l'adieu" (the return makes us love the farewell) is a fine example of such.
Integrating Proverbs into Everyday Conversations
This French proverb selection offers you a good starting point to weave these truisms into your chats. For instance, after running into a shop during a sudden downpour, you might have occasion to say "Après la pluie, le beau temps". After you say 'bonjour!', of course.
Knowing when and how to inject a proverb into an ordinary conversation takes skill. Don't be like my English-speaking friend who prefaces each truism with "Well, like I always say...". The French would likely find that crude; more of a brag than a display of cultural competence.
Learning about French proverbs and how to use them are great ways to advance your French skills. When you learn a new proverb in French, first look it up in Le Dictionnaire. There, you'll learn about its origins and meaning. You'll also find sample sentences and instances where that saying might apply.
With that knowledge, you can test your French cultural competence. You may choose to wait for an opportune moment to drop such a truism or contrive a situation where using one would be apt.
The ABCs of the French language and culture come together in this tongue's words of wisdom. Whether you have a vivid imagination or not, French truisms promise an adventure in learning.
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