French love proverbs - Proverbes d'amour
Here are the most common French proverbs about love.
Enjoy!
| Proverbe / Proverb | Literal translation | Idiomatic translation / English equivalent | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment. Chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie. | The pleasure of love lasts only a moment. The pain of love lasts a lifetime. | The pleasure of love lasts only a moment. The pain of love lasts a lifetime. | There is no happy love. |
| Cœur qui soupire n’a pas ce qu’il désire. | The heart that sighs has not what it desires | The heart that sighs has not what it desires | When we sigh, it means we are not satisfied. |
| L'amour est aveugle. | Love is blind. | Love is blind. | Love does not obey to reason. |
| Heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour. | Happy at play, unhappy in love | Happy at play, unhappy in love | A reference to the fate of gamblers and other risk-takers, whose love lives often turn out poorly |
| Offrir l'amitié à qui veut l'amour, c'est donner du pain à qui meurt de soif. | To offer friendship to someone who wants love is like giving food to someone who’s dying of thirst | Nothing is crueler than unrequited love | Nothing is crueler than unrequited love |
| Coeur facile à donner, facile à ôter. | Heart easily given is easily taken away | Love that come easy, go easy | True love needs time to develop |
| Un(e) de perdu, dix de retrouvés. | One lost, ten found. | There are many fish in the sea. | Your lost love will soon be forgotten |
| Plus le coeur grandit, moins les paroles sont utiles. | The more the heart gets bigger, the less words are useful. | As love grows, words become useless. | Long-time lovers understand each other easily. |
| Il vaut mieux être seul que mal accompagné. | One better be alone than in bad company. | Loneliness is better than bad company. | Better be alone that with someone you do not love |
| Qui aime bien châtie bien | He / She who loves well punishes well | Spare the rod, spoil the child. | People who love you, may be hard on you but it is for your own good. |
| Ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut | what woman wants, God wants | What woman wants, God wants | Women always reach their goals |
| Loin des yeux, loin du Coeur | Far from the eyes, far from the heart | Out of sight, out of mind | Long-distance relationship are quickly forgotten |