Want to know what's the difference between someone who knows how to speak French, and someone who actually sounds French?

That's right. French expressions.

‍When you speak French to locals without incorporating some informal phrases and expressions in French, you run the risk of sounding like a robot. Or just a beginner.

To help you avoid this mistake, we've collected some of the most useful French expressions and phrases. You can use these in your daily conversations, at work, or while you're out with friends.If you want to become an expert at using these phrases faster, work with a French tutor on Rype who can give you personalized feedback, and help you practice in a live immersive setting. We're offering a 7-day free trial for you here.
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22 French Expressions to Sound Like a True Fluent Speaker

Before we reveal these expressions, think carefully about which ones you would actually use in real life. By narrowing down the phrases that will be most useful, you can avoid the headache of trying to memorize everything. Start with the most common expressions and revisit this article to learn the rest. Shall we start?
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1. N’importe quoi

Meaning: Baloney or a whole bit of nothing!

This is one of the most common expressions you'll hear from French speakers. It's similar to the way we use 'whatever' in English. It's quite versatile in that you can use it to indicate that what someone is saying is completely made up or a bunch of baloney.

Let's say someone is trying to convince you that they have a billion dollar business idea. But when they explain it to you, it makes zero sense or just plain ridiculous. You can say 'n'importe quoi!'.
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2. Bref

Meaning: Short or to the point

Bref is easy to remember for most English speakers because it's the same meaning as 'brief'. One of my favorite words to use is 'in short' (or acronym TLDR;) because it forces you to get straight to the point. People will also enjoy having conversations with you because they know you're not going to be babbling on and on about something they don't care about.

We all have that friend or family member who spends an hour talking about a story that could've been told in 30 seconds!

3. Passer une nuit blanche

Meaning: To stay up all night

The literal meaning for this is: 'to have a white night'. Assuming this means to stay awake until the night turns into morning, when the sun rises. In English, you can compare this to 'burning the midnight oil'.

Keep in mind that when someone says 'passer une nuit blanche', they stayed up on purpose, whether it was to finish a project, or another reason. It's not due to insomnia or inability to fall asleep despite trying.
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4. Allez!

Meaning: Let's go! or C'mon!If you've stood next to a crowd of French speakers during the World Cup (or any football game), you've probably heard this a million times. Allez is a form of verb conjugation of 'aller', and it's meant to be direct towards someone else (or at the television).

Beyond a sports viewing setting, you can use 'allez' when a friend is taking too long to get ready or when you're trying to motivate them to stop being a wuss ;) Feel free to get creative here!
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5. Ça marche!

Meaning: Works for me!

An analogy for 'Ça marche' is 'Sounds good!' in English. If you've already grasped the basics of French vocabulary, you'll know that 'marche' can mean 'to walk' and 'to work' in French. This is why it can be confusing to new beginners when they hear this phrase, especially if Uber is available in your city!The next time you make a plan with a friend, where they suggest a time and place to meet, you can say 'Ça marche!'
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6. Tu fais quoi ?

Meaning: What'cha up to?Alright that's not the direct translation but it is a very informal way to ask what someone is doing. The proper way to say this is: “Qu’est-ce que tu fais?.However, just like you wouldn't say 'what'cha up to' to your boss or to someone you don't know, we recommend using this with friends or close family members. The next time you're texting a friend on a Friday night, try using this word and see what's going on!

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7. Ça va?

Meaning: How's it going?

No we didn't mispell Cava, the Spanish alocohol brand. Ça va literally means 'is it going?' but in an informal setting, it's a way to check up on how someone's doing. Some may also say 'Ça roule?' which means 'life is good?' You'll hear this quite often when friends greet each other or when someone is in a tough situation.
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8. Comme d’hab!

Meaning: As usual! or It's going!As a natural transition, 'Comme d’hab!' is a fairly common response to 'Ça va?'. It's a casual way to say 'the usual' or 'good' and most French speakers use it without much thought. You can use this phrase in nearly any setting when someone asks you how you're doing.
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9. Comme ci comme ça

Meaning: "so so"

If you're not feeling the best but you don't want to be a whiner, you can use this French expression. The literal translation for this is 'like this, like that' which has no real meaning, but French speakers understand it as 'so so' or 'I'm doing alright'.
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10. C’est dommage

Meaning: That's too bad

As a response to someone telling you they're not doing so great (also known as: 'so so') you can say c'est dommage. It means 'that's a shame' to show sympathy for someone's situation or as a whole. Say you're watching a horrific video of an accident or hear bad news of an earthquake in a city, this is how you can express your empathy.
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11. Non, mais allô quoi?

Meaning: Are you serious?

To take a completely 180 degree, if you want to show the opposite of empathy, you can use this. The actual translation is: 'No, but hello you know?' which sounds like a phrase taken straight from the Kardashians.

You won't be surprised to know that this phrase has spread throughout the youth culture in France, with the rising of reality television shows. It's a sassy way to express that something is so obvious or to act surprised when something doesn't go your way.Get your sass on!
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12. Coûter les yeux de la tête

Meaning: That's insanely expensive!

The English version of this expression is: 'it's going to cost an arm and a leg' to buy this, etc. The French translation of this is 'its going to cost the eyes on your head'. I guess English speakers value their arms and legs to be more valuable than the French. Or the English are savvy because we're only giving up one leg and an arm ;)

Anyways, the next time you're out shopping and someone quotes you a ridiculous price, let 'em know how you really feel! And if you end up getting a major discount from this, you're welcome.
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13. Bof

Meaning: Whatevs (or visually: the shoulder shrug)

This is essentially one of those French expressions to say you don't really care about something. It's equivalent to a shoulder shrug to show that whichever works for you.Say you're at a restaurant and your friend asks whether you want red wine or beer. If you can go either way, you can say 'bof'.
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14. Faire la grasse matinée

Meaning: To sleep in!

The actual translation for this means: 'to have a fat morning!' This may offend some people who are overweight, but given the relatively thin culture of France, the mockery seems to make sense.
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15. Être sur son 31

Meaning: To look fabulous or spectacular

We're not sure why 31 is the age, but this means 'to be on your 31'. When French people use this phrase, it means to dress up your best, say for a gala event or charity fundraiser. If you love to dress up to look your best, get ready to use this phrase often!
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16. Avoir un chat dans la gorge

Meaning: To have trouble speaking

English speakers use frog instead of cat to share that you have trouble saying something. There is indeed a history of the French being resembled as a cat with their French beret hats.
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17. à bon chat, bon rat

Meaning: If you're good to me, I'll be good to you

Yeah we know. Weird idiom to use, where as we use 'tit-for-tat', the French use rat. Another way to express this in English is 'if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours'

18. Coup de foudre

Meaning: Struck by lightning

You know when you see that person across the room and your knees feel weak? Well the French like to use 'coup de foudre' which directly means struck by lightning but is talking more about falling head over heels.The next time you're looking to seduce that girl or boy, let them know how you feel.
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19. Se prendre/prendre un râteau

Meaning: To reject you

If the 'head over heels' line didn't work, then your friends may tell you this. The literal definition means: 'to give you the rake', and given how picky French people can be, you may get this a lot especially if you don't speak French!
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20. Ah, la vache!

Meaning: Oh my god

Yes, instead of god, the French uses 'cow' to describe their surprise. Don't ask. We don't have answers for this.

21. Ne rien savoir faire de ses dix doigts

Meaning: This person is useless

Literal definition? This person does not know how to do anything with their 10 fingers.A bit rude yes, but you'll thank us the next time you're frustrated by someone's incompentency.
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22. T’sais?

Meaning: Ya know?

We all know someone that loves to use the word 'you know?' or 'you know what I mean?' after each sentence. It drives us off the walls 't'sais?'. See what we did there?This is a very casual and informal saying as well, so best to use it with friends when you're having an easy going conversation