English French Literal translation
Adapt and survive. Mieux vaut plier que rompre. Better to bend than to break.
All's well that ends well. Tout est bien qui finit bien. 　
All things come to those who wait. Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre. All comes on time to the one who knows how to wait.
As you make your bed, so you must lie on it. Qui casse les verres les paie.
Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire.
He who breaks the glasses has to pay for them.
When the wine is drawn, one must drink it.

As you sow, so shall you reap. Qui sème le vent récolte la tempête. He who sows the wind reaps the storm.
Beginner's luck. Aux innocents les mains pleines. Full hands for the innocents.
Better late than never Mieux vaut tard que jamais Late is worth more than never
Can't see the forest for the trees. L'arbre cache souvent la forêt. The tree often hides the forest.
Caught between a rock and a hard place. Entre l'arbre et l'écorce il ne faut pas mettre le doigt. Between the tree and the bark one shouldn't put a finger.
Charity will be rewarded in heaven. Qui donne aux pauvres prête à Dieu. He who gives to the poor loans to God.
Come all ye faithful. Qui m'aime me suive. He who loves me, follow me.
Desperate times, desperate measures. Aux grands maux les grands remèdes. To the great evils great remedies.
Empty vessels make the most noise. Ce sont les tonneaux vides qui font le plus de bruit. It's the empty barrels that make the most noise.
The end justifies the means. Qui veut la fin veut les moyens. He who wants the end wants the means.
Enough is enough. Tant va la cruche à l'eau qu'à la fin elle se casse. So often the pitcher goes to the water that in the end it breaks.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Après la pluie le beau temps.
À quelque chose malheur est bon. After the rain, the nice weather.
Unhappiness is good for something.
Every penny counts Un sou est un sou. A cent is a cent
A good name is better than riches. Bonne renommée vaut mieux que ceinture dorée. Well namd is more is worth more than golden belt.
Hear the other side and believe little. Qui n'entend qu'une cloche n'entend qu'un son. He who hears only one bell hears only one sound.
He who can do more can do less. Qui peut le plus peut le moins. 　
He who grasps at too much loses everything. Qui trop embrasse mal étreint. He who hugs too much holds badly.
He who has land has quarrels. Qui terre a, guerre a. Who land has, war has.
He who leaves his place loses it. Qui va à la chasse perd sa place. He who goes hunting loses his place.
He who sleeps forgets his hunger. Qui dort dîne. He who sleeps eats.
If ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers' hands. Avec des si et des mais, on mettrait Paris dans une bouteille. With ifs and buts, one would put Paris in a bottle.
If the shoe fits, wear it. Qui se sent morveux, qu'il se mouche. He who feels stuffy should blow his nose.
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Qui craint le danger ne doit pas aller en mer. He who fears dangers shouldn't go to sea.
Ill gotten ill spent. Bien mal acquis ne profite jamais. Goods poorly gotten never profit.
It never rains but it pours. Un malheur ne vient jamais seul. Misfortune never comes alone.
It's better to be a hammer than a nail. Il vaut mieux être marteau qu'enclume. It's better to be hammer than anvil.
It's better to let well enough alone. Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. Better is the enemy of good.
It's the biter bit. Tel est pris qui croyait prendre. He is taken who thought he could take.
It takes all kinds (to make a world) Tous les goûts sont dans la nature. All tastes are in nature.
The laborer is worthy of his hire. Toute peine mérite salaire. All trouble taken deserves pay.
Laugh on Friday, cry on Sunday. Tel qui rit vendredi dimanche pleurera. He who laughs on Friday will cry on Sunday.
Leave nothing to chance. Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard. Nothing should be left to chance.
Let well enough alone. Le mieux est l'ennemi de bien. The best is good's enemy.
Life goes on. Un clou chasse l'autre. One nail chases the other.
Look before you leap. Il faut réfléchir avant d'agir. You have to think before acting.
Love me love my dog. Qui m'aime aime mon chien. He who loves me loves my dog.
Lucky at cards, unlucky in love. Heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour. Happy in the game, unhappy in love.
Manners change with the times. Autres temps, autres moeurs. Other times, other morals.
Marry in haste, repent later. Qui se marie à la hâte se repent à loisir. He who marries in haste repents in leisure.
Might makes right. La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure. The strongest reason is always the best.
More haste less speed. Qui va lentement va sûrement. He who goes slowly goes surely.
Never say die. Il ne faut jamais jeter le manche après la cognée. One should never throw the handle after the felling axe.
Never say never. Il ne faut jamais dire " Fontaine, je ne boirai pas de ton eau ! " You should never say, "Fountain, I will never drink your water!"
No one is bound to do the impossible. À l'impossible nul n'est tenu. 　
No pain no gain. Il faut casser le noyau pour avoir l'amande. You need to break the shell to have the almond.
No sooner said than done Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait Immediately said, immediately done
Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. À coeur vaillant rien d'impossible. To a valient heart nothing impossible.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Qui ne risque rien n'a rien. He who risks nothing has nothing.
Only the rich get richer. On ne prête qu'aux riches. One only lends to the rich.
Practice makes perfect. C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron. It's by forging that one becomes a blacksmith.
Prevention is better than cure. Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir. Better to prevent than to cure.
Punctuality is the politness of kings. L'exactitude est la politesse des rois. 　
Rome wasn't built in a day. Paris ne s'est pas fait en un jour. Paris wasn't made in a day.
Silence gives consent. Qui ne dit mot consent. He who says nothing consents.
Slow and steady wins the race. Qui veut voyager loin ménage sa monture.
Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point.
He who wants to travel far spares his mount.
Running is worthless, you have to leave on time.

Spare the rod and spoil the child. Qui aime bien châtie bien. He who loves well punishes well.
Step out of line and you'll lose your place. Qui va à la chasse perd sa place. He who goes hunting loses his place.
Tall oaks from little acorns grow. Les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières. The little streams make the big rivers.
There are none so distant that fate cannot bring together. Il n'y a que les montagnes qui ne se rencontrent jamais. There are only mountains that never meet.
There can be no middle course. Il faut qu'une porte soit ouverte ou fermée. A door must be open or closed.
There is no such word as "can't." Impossible n'est pas français. Impossible isn't French.
There's no telling what tomorrow will bring. Les jours se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas. The days follow each other and don't look alike.
There will be bumps in the smoothest roads. En tout pays, il y a une lieue de mauvais chemin. In every country there is a league of bad road.
Time is money Le temps, c'est de l'argent Time, that's money
Times change. Autres temps, autres moeurs. Other times, other customs.
Time will tell. Qui vivra verra. He who lives will see.
To each his own. Chacun voit midi à sa porte. Everyone sees noon at his door.
To strike while the iron is hot. Battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud. To hit the iron while it's hot.
A warm Christmas means a cold Easter. Noël au balcon, Pâques aux tisons. Christmas on the balcony, Easter at the embers.
Walls have ears. Les murs ont des oreilles. 　
Watch out - you might get burned. Qui s'y frotte s'y pique. He who rubs against it gets stung.
What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh. Bon sang ne saurait mentir. Good blood doesn't know how to lie.
What will be will be. Qui vivra verra. He who lives will see.
Where there's a will, there's a way. Quand on veut, on peut
Vouloir, c'est pouvoir. When one wants, one can