The French verb voir literally means to see. However, it is used in a number of idiomatic expressions which must be memorized.

voir		to see
		to imagine
		to understand (ah, je vois !)
voir à	(literary)	to see to it that, to make sure that
voir 36 chandelles		to see stars
voir la vie en rose		to see life through rose-colored glasses
voir venir		wait and see
avoir quelque chose à voir avec/dans		to have something to do with
en faire voir de dures à qqun		to give someone a hard time
en faire voir de toutes les couleurs		to give someone a hard time
faire voir 36 chandelles à qqun		to beat the living daylights out of someone
ne pas avoir grand-chose à voir avec/dans		to not have much to do with
ne rien avoir à voir avec/dans		to have nothing to do with
ne voir aucun mal à qqchose		to not see any harm in something
n'y voir goutte		to not see a thing
n'y voir que du feu		to be completely fooled
Cela n'a rien à voir avec...		That has nothing to do with...
C'est mal vu.		People don't like that.
C'est quelque chose qui ne se voit pas tous les jours.		There's something you don't see every day.
C'est tout vu.		It's a foregone conclusion.
Essaie un peu pour voir !		Just you try it!
Fais voir !		Show me!
histoire de voir		just to see
Il faut voir.		We'll (have to wait and) see.
Il en a vu des vertes et des pas mûres.		He has taken some hard knocks.
Il faut le voir pour le croire.		It has to be seen to be believed.
J'en ai vu d'autres !		I've see worse!
Je l'ai vu de mes propres yeux.		I saw it with my own eyes.
Je l'ai vu naître.		I've known him since he was born.
Je n'ai rien à voir dans cette affaire.		I have nothing to do with that.
Je ne peux pas les voir en peinture !		I can't stand them!
Je n'y vois pas d'inconvénient.		I have no objection, I see no problems.
Je te vois venir !		I know what you're up to!
Je voudrais t'y voir !		I'd like to see you try it!
On aura tout vu !		That would be too much!
On commence à y voir plus clair.		Things are beginning to come clear.
On n'en voit pas la fin.		The end is nowhere in sight.
On verra		We'll see
On verra bien !		We'll see about that!
Vous voyez d'ici le tableau !		Just picture it!
Voyons !		Come on! Let's see!
se voir	(pronominal)	to see oneself
		to find oneself
		to show
		to happen
Cela (Ça) se voit.		It / That happens; I can tell.
se voir - reciprocal		to see each other
se voir en cachette		to meet secretly
Ils ne peuvent pas se voir		They can't stand each other

The verb perdre literally means to lose, to forget, or to waste. It is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions which must be memorized.

perdre un ami de vue	to lose touch with a friend
perdre la boule (informal)	to go crazy
perdre confiance	to lose one's confidence
perdre connaissance	to pass out, lose consciousness
perdre courage	to lose heart, courage
perdre espoir / patience	to lose hope / patience
perdre l'équilibre	to lose one's balance
perdre l'esprit, la raison	to go out of one's mind
perdre le goût de (travailler, manger)	to lose interest in, to not feel like (working, eating)
perdre le fil (informal)	to lose the thread (of a conversation)
perdre le nord (informal)	to get confused
perdre l'occasion de	to miss the opportunity to
perdre la parole	to lose the power of speech
perdre patience	to lose patience
perdre les pédales (informal)	to get mixed up
perdre pied	to be out of one's depth (literally and figuratively)
perdre du poids	to lose weight
perdre qqun de vue	to lose sight of someone
perdre sa page (en lisant)	to lose one's place (in a book, etc.)
perdre ses moyens	to crack up, go insane
perdre son pantalon	to have one's pants/trousers falling down
perdre son / du temps	to waste time
perdre le souffle	to be out of breath
perdre du terrain	to lose ground
perdre la tête	to go crazy
perdre la vue / la vie	to lose one's vision / life
courir à perdre haleine	to run as fast as one can
n'avoir rien à perdre	to have nothing to lose
Elle a perdu les eaux (grossesse)	Her water broke (pregnancy)
J'y perds mon latin	It's all Greek to me; I can't make heads or tails of it
Tu n'y perds rien !	It's no great loss, You haven't missed anything.
se perdre	to get lost, lose one's way
se perdre dans les détails	to get bogged down in details
se perdre dans la foule	to get lost in the crowd
se perdre dans ses pensées	to be lost in thought
Je m'y perds	I'm lost, I'm all confused

Wrong: Je veux que j'aie assez de temps

Right: Je veux avoir assez de temps

Explanation: Many French expressions and verbs, such as vouloir (to want) and être content que (to be happy that), require the subjunctive. However, the subjunctive is only used when the two clauses have different subjects, as in je veux que tu aies assez de temps (I want you to have enough time) and je suis content qu'il soit là (I'm happy that he's here). When the two clauses have the same subject, you just use the second verb in the infinitive:

   "Je veux que j'aie assez de temps"
   > Je veux avoir assez de temps.
   I want to have enough time.

   "Je suis content que je sois là"
   > Je suis content d'être là.
   I'm happy to be here.

  

Although the French subjunctive is most often used in subordinate clauses (e.g., Je veux que tu fasses), it can also be used in main or independent clauses.*  In general, this usage tends to be formal.

Que + subjunctive This construction is used for third person commands, wishes, concessions, suppositions, and exclamations.
	Que Dieu bénisse l'Amérique.	(May) God bless America.
	Qu'ils mangent de la brioche !	Let them eat brioche!
	Qu'elle finisse avant midi !	Let her finish before noon! I hope she finishes before noon!
	Que le bonheur vous sourie.	May happiness smile upon you.
	Qu'il ait menti : il ne faut pas le punir.	He may have lied / It may be that he lied, but he shouldn't be punished.
The subjunctive is also used with certain verbs to indicate polite and/or literary commands, wishes, etc.
être	Soit un rectangle ABCD.	Let ABCD be a rectangle, Let's take the rectangle ABCD.	science, mathematics
pouvoir	Puissiez-vous ne jamais voir une telle chose !	May you never see such a thing!	literary
savoir	Je ne sache pas que cela existe.	I'm not aware that that exists, As far as I know, that doesn't exist.
	Pas que je sache.	Not that I know of.	literary
venir	Vienne l'aube, les oiseaux chantent.	Come dawn, the birds sing.	poetic, literary
vivre	Vive la France !	Long live France!	third person command
vouloir	Veuillez m'excuser de vous déranger.	Please excuse me for interrupting you.	very polite command
Finally, there are a few fixed expressions which take the subjunctive.
	Ainsi soit-il	So be it
	Advienne qui pourra	Come what may
	coûte que coûte	at all costs
	Dieu soit loué !	Thank goodness!
	Dieu vous protège.	May God protect you.
	Grand bien vous fasse !	You're welcome to it! May it serve you well! (sarcastic)
	n'en déplaise à...	with all due respect to...
	Qu'à cela ne tienne.	Never mind that; That doesn't matter.
	Sauve qui peut !	Save yourselves (if you can)!

 
*Note: For que + subjunctive and many of the fixed expressions, the subjunctive is needed because the original main clause has been dropped, leaving what used to be a subordinate clause to stand alone.

(Je veux) Que Dieu bénisse l'Amérique.

(Je souhaite que) Grand bien vous fasse !

Expression: Tu ne manques pas d'air

Meaning: You've got some nerve/cheek

Literal translation: You don't lack air

Notes: The French expression manquer d'air means "to lack air," as in On manque d'air - il faut ouvrir la fenêtre (It's stuffy / There's no air in here - we need to open a window).

Informally, ne pas manquer d'air is synonymous with avoir du culot and ne pas manquer du culot - to have nerve/cheek.

Example:
   Tu oses revenir après ce que tu as fait ? Tu ne manques pas d'air !
   You dare come back after what you did? You've got some nerve!

Wrong: Écouter à la radio

Right: Écouter la radio

Explanation: The French verb écouter means "to listen to" - the idea of the preposition "to" is included in the verb itself. But beginners often mistakenly add à to it, in effect saying "to listen to to something," which is obviously incorrect.

J'écoute la radio - I'm listening to the radio

Il aime écouter les discours - He likes listening to speeches

Écouter is one of several French verbs that are not followed by a preposition whereas their English equivalents are.

The French verb prendre normally means "to take," but has several additional meanings, and is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions which must be memorized.

prendre		to take
		to pick up/fetch
		to catch
		to dupe
		to get (gas/petrol, a train ticket, etc.)
		to set (cement, gelatin)
passer prendre qqun		to go pick someone up
prendre l'air		to get a breath of fresh air
prendre bien la chose		to take something well
prendre une décision		to make a decision
prendre feu		to catch fire
prendre fin		to come to an end
prendre le frais		to get a breath of fresh air
prendre froid		to catch a cold
prendre garde		to be careful, watch out
prendre à gauche/droit		to turn left/right
prendre goût à qqun		to take a liking to something
prendre mal la chose		to take something poorly
prendre au pied de la lettre		to take literally
prendre du poids		to gain weight
prendre un pot	(informal)	to have a drink
prendre qqch à qqun		to buy/get something for someone
prendre qqun en grippe		to take a disliking to someone
prendre qqun la main dans le sac		to catch someone red-handed
prendre qqun par son point faible		to take advantage of someone's weak spot
prendre rendez-vous avec		to make an appointment with
prendre des risques		to take chances
prendre un rhume		to catch a cold
prendre sa retraite		to retire (from work)
prendre au sérieux		to take seriously
prendre ses jambes à son cou		to run off
prendre son courage à deux mains		to get up one's courage
prendre un verre		to have a drink
être pris		to be tied up/busy
être pris de vertige/remords/panique		to get struck by vertigo/remorse/panic
un parti pris		prejudice, preconceived notion
Avec moi, ça ne prends pas.		That won't work/wash with me.
Ça me prend la tête !		That drives me crazy!
C'est à prendre ou à laisser.		Take it or leave it, That's my final offer.
Je t'y prends !		I've got you!
On m'a pris pour ...		They thought I was ... / I was taken for ...
On ne sait jamais par quel bout le prendre		You never know how to take him.
Prends-ça du bon côté.		Look on the bright side.
Qu'est-ce qui t'a pris ?		What's gotten into you?
Que je t'y prenne ! Si je t'y prends encore !		If I ever catch you doing that again...!
s'y prendre		to go about doing something
s'en prendre à qqun		to pick on someone
s'y prendre bien/mal		to do a good/bad job
Il se prennent pour des intellectuels.		They think they're intellectuals.
Pour qui te prends-tu ?		Who do you think you are?

Expression: Raconter des salades

Meaning: to tell stories/lies, spin yarns

Literal translation: to tell salads

Register: informal

Notes: In English, when a person makes up elaborate stories to avoid the truth, we can say that s/he is "spinning yarns," because there's more to it than just a simple lie. The equivalent French expression is raconter des salades, which offers a great image. Start with a bed of lettuce background, add some tomato and carrots for color, flesh it out with a bit of ham or chicken, and dress it up with vinaigrette for a delicious and believable story.

Example:
   Son histoire est incroyable - je suis sûr qu'il raconte des salades.
   His story is incredible - I'm sure he's spinning a yarn.

The French words tant and autant are both adverbs of quantity, but their meanings and uses are different. Autant means as much/many and is usually used in comparisons. Tant means so much/many and tends to be used to intensify. Take a look at the following summary table for more details.  

	TANT - So much, many		AUTANT - As much, many
Tant and autant (que) modify verbs.
	Il a déjà tant fait.		Faites autant que vous pouvez.
	- He has already done so much.		- Do as much as you can.
	Il travaille tant !		Je travaille toujours autant.
	- He works so much!		- I work as much as always.
Tant de and autant de modify nouns.
	Il a tant d'amis.		Il a autant d'amis que toi.
	- He has so many friends.		- He has as many friends as you.
	Ta maison a tant d'espace !		Ma maison a autant d'espace.
	- Your house has so much space!		- My house has as much space (as this one).
Tant (que) intensifies, while autant que equalizes.
	Il a tant mangé qu'il est malade.		Il a mangé autant que toi.
	- He ate so much that he's sick.		- He ate as much as you.
	J'ai tant lu que j'ai mal aux yeux.		C'est pour lui autant que pour toi.
	- I read so much that my eyes hurt.		- It's for him as much as for you.
	J'ai dû partir, tant j'étais fatigué.		Il est sympathique autant qu'intelligent.
	- I had to leave since I was so tired.		- He is as nice as he is intelligent.
Tant que can also mean while, as long as, or since.
	Tant que tu habiteras ici, tu m'obéiras.
	- As long as you live here, you will obey me.
	Tant que tu es là, cherche mes lunettes.
	- As long as / since you're here, look for my glasses.
Tant can replace autant in a negative or interrogative sentence.
	Je n'ai pas mangé tant que toi.		J'ai mangé autant que toi.
	- I didn't eat as much as you.		- I ate as much as you.
	A-t-il tant d'amis que toi ?		Il a autant d'amis que toi.
	- Does he have as many friends as you?		- He has as many friends as you.
Tant can express an indefinite quantity.
	Il fait tant par jour...
	- He does so much (x amount) per day...
	tant pour cent
	- such and such a percent
Expressions
	en tant que	as, like	autant... autant	as... as
	tant bien que mal	as best one can	autant que possible	as much as possible
	tant et plus	a lot	c'est autant de	that's ... at least
	tant et si bien que	so much so that	comme autant de	like so many
	tant il est vrai que	since, as	d'autant	accordingly, in proportion
	tant mieux	so much the better	d'autant mieux	even / all the better
	tant pis	never mind, too bad	d'autant moins	even less
	tant qu'à	may as well	D'autant plus !	All the more reason!
	tant s'en faut	far from it	d'autant plus... que	all the more so
	tant soit peu	remotely, at all	en... autant	the same
			pour autant	for all that
			pour autant que je sache	as far as I know

  

Expression: Figure-toi

Meaning: guess what, get this, can you imagine, if you can believe it, believe it or not

Literal translation: to imagine

Notes: Se figurer means "to imagine, picture." The meaning of the French expression figure-toi isn't all that different so it's technically not an idiomatic expression, but it is extremely common and useful.

Figure-toi or figurez-vous is used as a sort of filler to expression surprise or mild disbelief:

   Il l'a perdu, figure-toi.
   He lost it, imagine that/if you can believe that. / Get this, he lost it.

   Figurez-vous qu'on ne peut pas y aller ensemble.
   Believe it or not, we can't go together.