Beating Stage Fright the French Way
The idioms French people use to calm nerves, give pep talks and celebrate a speech that went well.
French has a whole vocabulary for nerves before speaking: « le trac » is the classic stage fright of actors and students alike, and « le grand oral » of the bac means most young French people have had to present in front of a jury. At work, presentations are often expected to be structured and to the point, and colleagues use tu among themselves in most offices. These idioms are everyday spoken French, used between friends and colleagues.
- 1
J'ai le trac avant la présentation.
I've got stage fright before the presentation.
- 2
J'ai les jetons.
I'm scared stiff. (casual)
- 3
Va droit au but.
Get straight to the point.
- 4
Arrête de tourner autour du pot.
Stop beating about the bush.
- 5
Commence par une anecdote pour briser la glace.
Start with a story to break the ice.
- 6
Garde la tête haute.
Keep your head held high.
- 7
Prends ton courage à deux mains.
Pluck up your courage.
- 8
Jette-toi à l'eau !
Just take the plunge!
- 9
J'ai peur d'avoir un trou de mémoire.
I'm afraid my mind will go blank.
- 10
Perds pas tes moyens.
Don't fall apart.
- 11
Te laisse pas démonter.
Don't let anything throw you.
- 12
Respire un bon coup.
Take a deep breath.
- 13
Ton argument tient la route.
Your argument holds up.
- 14
Mets les points sur les i.
Spell it out clearly.
- 15
Elle a la langue bien pendue.
She has the gift of the gab.
- 16
Il a pas froid aux yeux.
He's got nerve, nothing scares him.
- 17
Tu vas assurer !
You're going to nail it!
- 18
T'as fait un tabac !
You were a huge hit!
- 19
C'était dans la poche.
It was in the bag.
- 20
Faut y croire.
You have to believe in it.