IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchC'est de l'hébreu
Meaning: It is completely incomprehensible.
Literally: It's Hebrew
Example: “Ce contrat d'assurance, pour moi, c'est de l'hébreu.” — This insurance contract is all Greek to me.
English equivalent: It's all Greek to me
Equivalents in other languages
German: Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof Literally: I only understand train station
English: it's all Greek to me
Origin: Each language picks a script its speakers cannot read: French takes Hebrew, English takes Greek, Greek takes Chinese. French also offers du chinois and, older, de l'iroquois.
More French idioms
- Un violon d'Ingres A serious passion pursued outside one's actual profession.
- Un coup de Jarnac An unexpected decisive stroke, delivered within the rules but not quite sportingly.
- Jeux de mains, jeux de vilains Horseplay ends badly.
- On ne peut être juge et partie Nobody may rule on a matter in which they have an interest.
- Un jugement de Salomon A ruling of great wisdom that exposes the truth by testing it.
- C'est kif-kif It makes no difference at all.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend. A gentle 'ta / ten / tan / t'' warm-up that sounds faster than it reads.
- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.
- Un beau ver vert dans un verre vert verra un ver vert. Ver (worm), vert (green), and verre (glass) are near-homophones — distinguishing them at…
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