IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchÀ Dieu ne plaise
Meaning: God forbid.
Literally: May it not please God
Example: “Si, à Dieu ne plaise, il t'arrivait quelque chose, qui garderait les enfants ?” — If, God forbid, something happened to you, who would look after the kids?
English equivalent: God forbid
Equivalents in other languages
English: God forbid
Origin: An old optative construction that has almost vanished from modern French grammar, preserved here as a fossil. The word order is what makes it sound archaic rather than the sentiment.
More French idioms
- Péter une durite To lose one's temper completely.
- À l'eau de rose Insipidly sentimental, especially of fiction.
- L'échapper belle To have a narrow escape.
- Faire l'école buissonnière To play truant.
- Ne pas tarir d'éloges To praise someone endlessly.
- Une éminence grise The unofficial power behind a public figure.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
- Chance Actually means 'luck'. Bonne chance! = Good luck! For chance (probability), say une possi…
- Sympathique Actually means 'nice' or 'pleasant'. Il est très sympathique = He's very nice — not 'He's…
- Rester Actually means 'to stay' or 'to remain'. Je reste ici = I'm staying here — not taking a n…
Keep exploring