Many of the expressions that English speakers use are actually French phrases. We will look at some of these phrases and compare the English definition with the actual, literal meaning. A better command of these phrases will strengthen your vocabulary for business and social purposes.



Coup. This is an English-shortened version of the French phrase “coup d’etat." However, the meaning is the same, in that it refers to a well executed stratagem or a takeover of a government or other entity.

Concierge. This word has not strayed far from its French origin in its meaning of a hotel desk manager, although in French it can also refer to a building caretaker who lives near the front door.

Au contraire. In both English and French, this common expression means “to the contrary."

Au naturel. In both French and English, this means nude, in a natural state, or cooked simply. Use this one the next time you go skinny dipping.

Fiance. The literal meaning is “engaged." However, there are two versons of the word in French, one version which refers to a man and a version with two “e"s refers to a woman.

Menage a trios. In French, this means “household of three." The English use of the word refers to a different kind of threesome.

In lieu of. This phrase has basically the same meaning in both languages, which is “instead of" or “in place of."

Je ne sais quoi. The words in this phrase literally mean “I don’t know what." This definition has been extended in English to refer to something of a desirable, mysterious nature; something that is hard to describe.

Déjà vu. In English, this expression means the feeling of having already experienced a place or event that you are experiencing for the first time. The literal French meaning is “already seen."

Rouge. This French word, which literally means “red," is generally used to describe reddish cosmetics.

As you can see from this small sampling, many of the phrases that English speakers incorporate into their speech all the time are actually French phrases which sometimes have similar meanings, but often mean something completely differently. It is not as important to understand the literal definition of these expressions as it is to simply know how to properly use them in the English language. Learning and using expressions such as these will make you sound like an intellectual.