Matching game
French proverbs and their English equivalents: match them up
Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid; qui vivra verra; mieux vaut tard que jamais: match ten French proverbs to the English sayings that mean the same.
- B1
- 10 pairs
- Tap to match
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
Many French proverbs have English twins with different images: Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid (Rome wasn't built in a day), L'habit ne fait pas le moine (don't judge a book by its cover), Qui vivra verra (time will tell).
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
Go further
| Proverb | Literally |
|---|---|
| L'habit ne fait pas le moine. | The habit doesn't make the monk. |
| Les chiens ne font pas des chats. | Dogs don't make cats. |
| Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours… | Don't sell the bear's skin before killing it. |
Proverbs often appear half-quoted: a French speaker may just say Petit à petit… or Quand le chat n'est pas là… and let you finish the thought. Recognising the first half is the useful skill.
- Collègue
Le projet avance lentement…
The project is moving slowly…
- Toi
Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid !
Rome wasn't built in a day!
- Collègue
C'est vrai. Et le chef est en vacances : quand le chat n'est pas là…
True. And the boss is on holiday: when the cat's away…
- Le habit ne fait pas le moine.L'habit ne fait pas le moine.
Habit has a silent h: l'habit.
- Mieux tard que jamais.Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
Keep vaut.