J'ai faim.
English: I am hungry.
- Language
- French
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Expressions complexes et idiomatiques
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Grammatical idiomatic expressions in French are fixed groups of words or phrases whose meaning cannot be understood from the individual words. They often follow specific grammar patterns and are used frequently in everyday language.
When to use it
Use these expressions in everyday conversations to sound more natural and fluent. They are common when talking about feelings, actions, time, and daily routines.
Key forms
- avoir + nom (ex: avoir faim, avoir besoin de)
- faire + nom (ex: faire attention, faire la queue)
- être en train de + infinitif
- il y a + durée
- prendre + nom (ex: prendre soin de, prendre part à)
Examples
Il faut faire attention en traversant la rue.
English: You have to pay attention when crossing the street.
Elle est en train de lire un livre.
English: She is (in the process of) reading a book.
Il y a deux ans que j'habite ici.
English: I have been living here for two years.
Nous avons besoin de parler.
English: We need to talk.
Tips
- Learn idiomatic expressions as whole phrases, not word by word.
- Be careful: literal translations often do not work.
- Some expressions require a specific preposition or verb form.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some expressions change form depending on the subject or tense.
- A few expressions have irregular forms or use unexpected articles or prepositions.