Three Places You Can Stick Your Fingers in French (and What They Mean!)

1️⃣ Les doigts dans le nez ✌️👃

Literally “fingers in the nose,” this expression means doing something with zero difficulty, like saying, “Je peux apprendre le français les doigts dans le nez.” (I can learn French, easy peasy, like sticking my fingers in my nose.)

👉🌕 Alternative:Les doigts dans le cul (fingers in the arse). Same meaning, but definitely not one to use in front of your mother-in-law, unless you want to make Christmas Eve dinner very awkward.

2️⃣ Se mettre un doigt dans l’œil ☝️ 👀“To stick a finger in your eye” doesn’t sound pleasant, and neither is its meaning. It translates as “to be wrong” or “to fool yourself.”

Example: “Si tu crois que le père noël va venir, tu te mets le doigt dans l’œil.” (If you think Santa’s coming, you’re kidding yourself.)

3️⃣ S’en mordre les doigts 🖐️👄“To bite your fingers over it” means regretting something deeply. Imagine sticking your fingers in your mouth to bite them in frustration after a mistake. 

Example: “Il a invité son oncle complotiste au repas de noël, il s’en mord les doigts.” (He invited his conspiracy-theorist uncle to Christmas dinner, and he's regretting it.)

Which of these “finger” expressions do you think you’ll use first? Or have you heard others? Let me know! 👇