There are countless inspirational quotes in the French language, including powerful sayings about life sayings, love, and beauty. The deep meaning of these quotes transcends the boundaries of language and nationality, making them valuable for anyone who is interested in life’s wonders.
Philosophers, linguists, and art lovers around the globe have long been fascinated by French thinkers. Those looking to study this beautiful language can find inspiration in these quotes, along with some serious wisdom.
If you’re looking for the best quotes in French, with their meaning in English, these 50+ famous French quotes are the perfect place to start.
What Are Popular French Quotes?
Here are some inspirational words in French to help inspire you. Whether you want to learn French for a trip abroad or just to improve your worldview, these famous short quotes in French should do the trick!
- À vaillant coeur rien d’impossible. -Jacques Cœur
- Dans une grande âme tout est grand. -Blaise Pascal
- Chacun voit midi à sa porte. -French proverb
- Je pense, donc je suis. -Rene Descartes
- On ne change pas une équipe qui gagne. -French proverb
Need even more inspiration? Here are some fun French motivation quotes about life:
Inspirational Quotes in the French Language About Life
The French have a unique perspective on life, with an appreciation for the beauty that seems to run into every aspect of their culture. It’s no secret that even hard life lessons sound better in French!
These are some of the greatest, most famous French life quotes with deep meaning, proverbs, and sayings about life, that can resonate with anyone around the world.
You’re sure to see some of the wisdom in these famous French sayings about life!
1. À vaillant coeur rien d’impossible. -Jacques Cœur
“For a valiant heart nothing is impossible.”
2. Dans une grande âme tout est grand. -Blaise Pascal
“In a great mind everything is great.”
3. Chacun voit midi à sa porte. -French proverb
“Everyone sees noon at his own door.”
4. Je pense, donc je suis. -Rene Descartes
“I think, therefore, I am.”
5. On ne change pas une équipe qui gagne. -Inspirational French proverb
“One does not change a winning team.” In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
6. Prouver que j’ai raison serait accorder que je puis avoir tort. -Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
“Proving that I am right would be admitting that I could be wrong.”
7. On n’est point toujours une bête pour l’avoir été quelquefois. -Denis Diderot
“Being a fool sometimes does not make one a fool all the time.”
8. Il n’y a pas de verités moyennes. -Georges Bernanos
“There are no half-truths.”
9. Chassez le naturel, il revient au galop. -French proverb
“Chase away the natural and it returns at a gallop,” is very similar to the English saying about leopard and their spots.
10. Il vaut mieux prévenir que guérir. -French proverb
“It is better to prevent than to heal.”
11. Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on. Le malheur est qui’il tue ses élèves. -Hector Berlioz
“We say that time is a great teacher. It’s too bad that it kills all its students.”
12. Être adulte, c’est être seul. -Jean Rostand
“To be an adult is to be alone.”
13. Un homme seul est toujours en mauvaise compagnie. -Paul Valéry
“A lone man is always in poor company.”
14. A vaincre sans peril, on triomphe sans gloire. -Pierre Corneille
“To win without risk is a triumph without glory.”
15. L’enfer, c’est les autres. -Jean-Paul Sartre
“Hell is other people.”
16. La raison c’est la folie du plus fort. La raison du moins fort c’est de la folie. -Eugène Ionesco
“Reason is the madness of the strongest. The reason of those less strong is madness.”
17. Autres temps, autres mœurs. -French proverb
“Other times, other customs.”
18. La vérité vaut bien qu’on passe quelques années sans la trouver. -Jules Renard
“Truth is more valuable if it takes you a few years to find it.”
19. Il faut bonne mémoire après au’on a menti. -Pierre Corneille
“A liar should have a good memory.”
20. Qui craint de souffrir, il souffre déjà de ce qu’il craint. -La Fontaine
“He who fears suffering is already suffering that which he fears.”
21. Il vaut mieux faire que dire. -Alfred de Musset
“Doing is better than saying.”
22. La parfaite valeur est de faire sans témoin ce qu’on serait capable de faire devant tout le monde. -La Rochefoucauld
“True valor is to do in secrecy what you could just have easily done before others.”
SEE ALSO: The 50 Most Beautiful French Words You’ll Ever Hear
Greatest Famous French Quotes About Happiness and Love
French is often known as the language of love, so it’s no wonder that French thinkers have produced so many touching and beautiful sayings that speak straight to the heart. In the era of French knights, being in love was idealized and considered a virtuous condition, which is one theory about why France has its romantic reputation.
These delightful French love quotes refer to romantic love as the essence of life, and anyone who is sentimental is sure to relate.
23. La vie est une fleur dont l’amour est le miel. -Victor Hugo
“Life is a flower of which love is the honey.”
24. Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé. -George Sand
“There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.”
25. Aimer, ce n’est pas se regarder l’un l’autre, c’est regarder ensemble dans la même direction. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“Love doesn’t mean gazing at each other, but looking, together, in the same direction.”
26. Choisissez votre femme par l’oreille bien plus que par les yeux. -French proverb
“Choose a wife rather by your ear than your eye.”
27. Plus l’offenseur m’est cher, plus je ressens l’injure. -Jean Racine
“The more dearly I hold the offender, the more strongly I feel the insult.”
28. Va, je ne te hais point. -Pierre Corneille
“Go, I don’t hate you.”
29. On n’aime que ce qu’on ne possède pas tout entier. -Marcel Proust
“We love only what we do not wholly possess.”
30. L’amour est comme le vent, nous ne savons pas d’où il vient. -Honoré de Balzac
“Love is like the wind, we never know where it will come from.”
31. La vie est un sommeil, l’amour en est le rêve. -Alfred de Musset
“Life is a long sleep and love is its dream.”
32. Le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas. -Blaise Pascal
“The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of.”
33. Le seul vrai langage au monde est un baiser. -Alfred de Musset
“The only true language in the world is a kiss.”
34. Entre deux cœurs qui s’aiment, nul besoin de paroles. -Marceline Desbordes-Valmore
“Two hearts in love need no words.”
35. Vivre sans aimer n’est pas proprement vivre. -Molière
“To live without loving is to not really live.”
36. Oh! Si tu pouvais lire dans mon coeur, tu verrais la place où je t’ai mise! -Gustave Flaubert
“If you could read my heart, you would see the place I have given you there.”
37. L’amour c’est être stupide ensemble. -Paul Valéry
“Love is being stupid together.”
38. Un seul être vous manque et tout est dépeuplé. -Alphonse de Lamartine
“Sometimes, only one person is missing, and the whole world seems depopulated.”
39. C’est cela l’amour, tout donner, tout sacrifier sans espoir de retour. -Albert Camus
“That is love, to give away everything, to sacrifice everything, without the slightest desire to get anything in return.”
40. L’amour est une passion qui ne se soumet à rien, et à qui au contraire, toutes choses se soumettent. -Madeleine de Scudéry
“Love is a passion which surrenders to nothing, but to the contrary, everything surrenders to love.”
41. Le prix d’Amour, c’est seulement Amour… Il faut aimer si l’on veut etre aimé… –Honoré d’Urfé
“The price of love is love itself. One must love if one wants to be loved…”
Best French Quotes and Sayings About the Arts
France is also known for its rich history of art and literature. French literature dates back to the year 842, when Louis the German and Charles the Bald signed an oath together in Old French. On top of that, some of the most influential painters of all time, such as Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne, hail from France. Get inspired by some of these fantastic short French quotes, with English translation, to make your own masterpiece!
42. On ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“We see well only with the heart.”
43. Un peuple malheureux fait les grands artistes. -Alfred de Musset
“An unhappy nation makes great artists.”
44. L’æuvre d’art, c’est une idée qu’on exagére. -André Gide
A work of art is an idea that someone exaggerates.”
45. Les livres sont des amis froids et sûrs. -Victor Hugo
“Books are cold and certain friends.”
46. Le monde est un livre dont chaque pas nous ouvre une page. -Alphonse de Lamartine
“The world is a book – with each step we open a page.”
47. Ècrire, c’est une façon de parler sans être interrompu. -Jules Renard
“Writing is a way to talk without being interrupted.”
48. Imaginer c’est choisir. -Jean Giono
“To imagine is to choose.”
49. Les chefs-d’oeuvre ne sont jamais que des tentatives heureuses. -George Sand
“Masterpieces are never anything else but happy attempts.”
50. La critique est aisée, mais l’art est difficile. -Philippe Destouches
French Revolution Quotes
No round-up of famous French quotes would be complete without calling to mind some famous quotes about the French Revolution. Here are some of our favorite famous French saying about the Revolution.
51. “Le silence des peuples est la leçon des rois.”
The people’s silence is the king’s lesson.
52. “Le sang qui vient de couler était-il donc si pur?”
Was the blood that has just been spilled so pure then?
53. “Périssent les colonies plutôt qu’un principe!”
Perish the colonies rather than a principle!
54. “Mort aux tyrans, paix aux chaumines.”
Death to the tyrants, peace to the cottages.
55. “Liberté, égalité, fraternité.”
Liberty, equality, fraternity.
56. “Les grands noms ne se font qu’en Orient.”
It is only in the East that great names are made.
Famous French Quotes Are Everywhere
There you have it: some of the greatest famous French quotes of all time!
Whether you use these beautiful deep short quotes to learn to speak French or not, you can return here to find inspiration anytime. Some of life’s best lessons have been explained in French, so why not learn to speak them yourself?
As a language lover or language learner, you owe it to yourself to give it a try!
Do you know any pretty French quotes that we missed? Share in the comments below!
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Jessica Dais