Are there any advanced French idioms that are useful for C1 level speakers
There are many advanced French idioms that are very useful for C1 level speakers to enhance fluency and expressiveness. Some notable examples include idioms with the word “tête” (head), such as:
- “Se creuser la tête” meaning to think hard,
- “Faire la tête” meaning to sulk,
- “Perdre la tête” meaning to lose one’s mind,
- “Ni queue ni tête” meaning something makes no sense,
- “Garder la tête froide” meaning to keep calm,
- “En avoir par-dessus la tête” meaning to be fed up,
- “Une tête brûlée” meaning a hothead,
- “Avoir une tête à claques” meaning to be annoying,
- “Avoir la grosse tête” meaning to be arrogant.
Other advanced idioms include:
- “S’attirer les foudres de quelqu’un” (to attract someone’s wrath),
- “Avoir un polichinelle dans le tiroir” (to be pregnant),
- “Bien mener sa barque” (to manage well),
- “Tirer des plans sur la comète” (to make unrealistic plans),
- “Promettre monts et merveilles” (to promise the moon).
These idioms help C1 speakers to sound more natural and idiomatic when speaking French and to better understand cultural nuances. 1
There are also specialized idioms and phrases used at C1 level that involve advanced grammar structures and conjunctions, such as “Au cas où + conditional,” “Jusqu’à ce que + subjunctive,” “Sans que + subjunctive,” and others, which add depth to expression. 4
Here is a brief selection of some of the listed idioms useful at the C1 level:
| French Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Se creuser la tête | To think hard |
| Faire la tête | To sulk |
| Perdre la tête | To lose one’s mind |
| Ni queue ni tête | Makes no sense |
| Garder la tête froide | To stay calm |
| En avoir par-dessus la tête | To be fed up |
| Une tête brûlée | A hothead |
| Avoir une tête à claques | To be annoying |
| Avoir la grosse tête | To be arrogant |
| S’attirer les foudres de quelqu’un | To attract wrath |
| Avoir un polichinelle dans le tiroir | To be pregnant |
These idioms are sprinkled in everyday French and mastering them is key for advanced learners aiming for fluency.