30 Famous Bilingual French Quotes

30 Famous Bilingual French Quotes French quotes are a fun and interesting way to learn some French vocabulary. The quotes below are short, famous, and easy to memorize. The quotations are grouped in sections according to their content so that you can find just the right saying to impress your family, friends, and colleagues- French or American- with your command of this Romance language. Each Fench quote is followed by its English translation as well as the person who made the statement. Right and Wrong Truth, like beauty, may be in the eye of the beholder, but in French, there are many ways to say that you think- actually know- that you are right and others are wrong. Prouver que jai raison serait accorder que je puis avoir tort.Proving that I am right would be admitting that I could be wrong.- Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais Il ny a pas de verità ©s moyennes.​There are no half-truths.- Georges Bernanos On nest point toujours une bà ªte pour lavoir à ©tà © quelquefois.Being a fool sometimes does not make one a fool all the time.- Denis Diderot Thought and Existence Widely regarded as the father of modern philosophy, Renà © Descartes uttered four famous words- I think, therefore I am.- which are even briefer in Latin, the language he used to create the dictum: Cogito, ergo sum. Descartes motivated humans to begin thinking about the meaning of thought and existence, but other French notables also had interesting things to say on the subject. Je pense, donc, je suis.I think, therefore, I am.-  Renà © Descartes Imaginer cest choisir.To imagine is to choose.- Jean Giono Le monde a commencà © sans lhomme et il sachà ¨vera sans lui.The world began without man and it will end without him.- Claude Là ©vi-Strauss La Raison cest la folie du plus fort. La raison du moins fort cest de la folie.​Reason is the madness of the strongest. The reason of those less strong is madness.- Eugà ¨ne Ionesco Dans une grande à ¢me tout est grand.In a great mind everything is great.- Blaise Pascal Books and Art As one of the countries that helped usher in the  Renaissance  centuries ago, France has also produced many thinkers who have commented on great books and great art. Le livre est lopium de lOccident.Books are the opium of the West.- Anatole France LÅ“uvre dart, cest une idà ©e quon exagà ¨re.A work of art is an idea that someone exaggerates.- Andrà © Gide Les livres sont des amis froids et sà »rs.Books are cold and certain friends.-​  Victor Hugo Le monde est un livre dont chaque pas nous ouvre une page.The world is a book- with each step we open a page.  - Alphonse de Lamartine Un peuple malheureux fait les grands artistes.An unhappy nation makes great artists.- Alfred de Musset Les chefs-dÅ“uvre ne sont jamais que des tentatives heureuses.Masterpieces are never anything else but happy attempts.- George Sand Écrire, cest une faà §on de parler sans à ªtre interrompu.​Writing is a way to talk without being interrupted.- Jules Renard Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Liberty, equality, fraternity is the national French motto. The words marked the  end of absolute monarchy  and  the birth of the sovereign nation  in 1792, after the French Revolution. Not surprisingly, many French thinkers have had plenty to say on the subject. Les Franà §ais sont des veaux.French people are calves.- Charles de Gaulle On nous apprend vivre quand la vie est passà ©e.They teach us to live when life is past.- Michel de Montaigne La libertà © est pour la Science ce que lair est pour lanimal.Liberty is to science what air is to animals.- Henri Poincarà © Tous pour un, un pour tous.All for one, one for all.  -  Alexandre Dumas Un homme seul est toujours en mauvaise compagnie.A lone man is always in poor company.- Paul Valà ©ry Miscellaneous Thoughts Many French sayings dont fit neatly into any single category, but they are thought-provoking, nevertheless. Je me sers danimaux pour instruire les hommes.I use animals to teach men.-  Jean de La Fontaine La science na pas de patrie.Science has no homeland.- Louis Pasteur Tout commence en mystique et finit en politique.Everything begins mystically and ends politically.- Charles Pà ©guy Plus loffenseur mest cher, plus je ressens linjure.The more dearly I hold the offender, the more strongly I feel the insult.- Jean Racine Être adulte, cest à ªtre seul.To be an adult is to be alone.- Jean Rostand On ne voit bien quavec le coeur.We see well only with the heart.- Antoine de Saint-Exupà ©ry Lenfer, cest les autres.Hell is other people.- Jean-Paul Sartre vaillant coeur rien dimpossible.For a valiant heart nothing is impossible.- Jacques Coeur Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que  tu es.Tell me what you eat and Ill tell you what you are.- Anthelme Brillat-Savarin Va, je ne te hais point.Go, I dont hate you.- Pierre Corneille​