{"id":19000,"date":"2013-05-06T15:04:21","date_gmt":"2013-05-06T13:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=19000"},"modified":"2017-10-20T14:56:07","modified_gmt":"2017-10-20T12:56:07","slug":"top-10-french-expressions-using-the-verb-jouer-to-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/top-10-french-expressions-using-the-verb-jouer-to-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 French Expressions Using the Verb “JOUER” (To Play)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever noticed that if you just add the letter “u<\/em><\/span><\/strong>” to the French pronoun “je<\/strong><\/em><\/span>“, it becomes a noun: “jeu<\/strong><\/em><\/span>” (“game”)!<\/p>\n

If you enjoy this kind of little tricks, that means that you like the\u00a0corresponding verb of “<\/span>jeu<\/strong><\/em>“: “<\/span>jouer<\/em><\/strong><\/span>” (“<\/span>to play<\/strong>.”)<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, you can say: “Charlie Chaplin aimait bien jouer au chat et \u00e0 la souris avec la police<\/em><\/strong><\/span>” (“Chalie Chaplin liked to play cat and mouse with the police.”)<\/p>\n

Today, our “petit jeu<\/strong><\/em>“, so to speak,\u00a0consists into going through ten cases where the verb “jouer<\/strong><\/em>” occurs in a French idiomatic expression.<\/p>\n

Each time, we’ll give an example that shows how these expressions can be used.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* Top 10 French Expressions Using the Verb “JOUER” (To Play):<\/strong><\/span>
\nNum\u00e9ro\u00a010 – Jouer la com\u00e9die:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To put on a show, to put on an act.<\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example:\u00a0<\/strong>“Cessez de jouer la com\u00e9die, et dites-moi plut\u00f4t la v\u00e9rit\u00e9<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em>” (“Stop putting on a show, and tell me the truth instead.”)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 9 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer\u00a0<\/strong>au plus fin:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

To try to play tricks, to try to outsmart someone, to mess around with someone, etc.<\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example: “Un petit conseil amical, n’essayez pas de jouer au plus fin avec moi<\/em>” <\/strong>(“A little friendly advice, don’t try to play games with me. “)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 8 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer franc jeu:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

“To be honest, to play fair.” Can also be said as jouer cartes sur table<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Examples: “Ne jouez pas au plus fin avec moi. Jouez plut\u00f4t franc jeu<\/em>“, <\/strong>or “ne jouez pas au plus fin avec moi, jouez<\/strong>\u00a0plut\u00f4t cartes sur tables.<\/em><\/strong><\/em>” Both mean “Don’t play tricks with me. Play fair, instead.”<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 7 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer serr\u00e9:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“To play it close to the vest”, to do something with extreme care and precaution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example<\/strong>:\u00a0“Le FC Bayern va devoir jouer serr\u00e9\u00a0\u00e0 la finale de la Coupe de l’UEFA<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/em>” (“FC Bayern withh have to play it close to the vest on the UEFA Cup final.”)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 6 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer gros jeu:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Closely related to “jouer serr\u00e9<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>” is “jouer gros jeu<\/em><\/strong>“, or just “jouer gros<\/em><\/strong>“, meaning “to play for high stakes.”<\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example: “Faites attention, mon ami, vous jouez gros jeu cette fois-ci<\/em>”\u00a0<\/strong>(“Be careful, my friend, you’re playing for high stakes this time.”)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 5 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00c0… de jouer<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(or\u00a0c’est\u00a0<\/strong>\u00e0… de jouer<\/strong><\/em>):<\/span><\/p>\n

Literally, it means: “For… to play” (or “it’s up for… to play”), which means that it’s someone’s turn.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example<\/strong>: “Maintenant, c’est<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u00e0 toi de jouer<\/strong><\/em>” (“Now, it’s your move.”)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 4 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer un mauvais tour:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

To play a nasty trick to someone.<\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example<\/strong>: “Cette entreprise a jou\u00e9 un tr\u00e8s mauvais tour\u00a0\u00e0 ses actionnaires<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>” (“This company played a very nasty trick to its shareholders.”)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 3 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer avec le feu:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To play with fire.<\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example<\/strong>: “Attention, si vous jouez trop avec le feu, vous allez vous finir par vous br\u00fbler les doigts<\/em><\/strong>” (“Be careful, if you play too much with fire, you will end up burning your fingers.”)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 2 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer le tout pour le tout:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Close to the expression: “jouer quitte ou double<\/strong><\/em>“<\/strong>, “All or nothing.”<\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example<\/strong>: “Cette fois-ci, ils jouent quitte ou double<\/em><\/strong>” (“This time, they play all or nothing.”)<\/p>\n

Num\u00e9ro 1 –\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Jouer sur le velours:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

This is probably the most “original” expression using the verb “jouer<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

It means “to be onto a sure thing”, “to bet on a sure thing.”<\/p>\n

\u2192\u00a0Example<\/strong>:\u00a0“Ce politicien jouait sur le velours. Il<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0pr\u00eachait\u00a0<\/em>des convertis!<\/strong><\/em>” (“This politician was betting on a sure thing. He was preaching to the choir!”)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Ever noticed that if you just add the letter “u” to the French pronoun “je“, it becomes a noun: “jeu” (“game”)! If you enjoy this kind of little tricks, that means that you like the\u00a0corresponding verb of “jeu“: “jouer” (“to play.”) For example, you can say: “Charlie Chaplin aimait bien jouer au chat et \u00e0…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":23611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[275862,275863,275850,432,275849,275861,275867,275852,275856,275865,275858,275857,275860,275855,275866,275859,275864,275851,275853,275854,12514],"class_list":["post-19000","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vocabulary","tag-a-toi-de-jouer","tag-a-vous-de-jouer","tag-french-game","tag-french-vocabulary","tag-jeu","tag-joeur-gros-jeu","tag-joeur-sur-le-velours","tag-jouer","tag-jouer-au-plus-fin","tag-jouer-avec-le-feu","tag-jouer-cartes-sur-table","tag-jouer-franc-jeu","tag-jouer-gros","tag-jouer-la-comedie","tag-jouer-le-tout-pour-le-tout","tag-jouer-serre","tag-jouer-un-mauvais-tour","tag-petit-jeu","tag-to-play-in-french","tag-top-10-french-expressions-using-the-verb-jouer","tag-vocabulaire-francais"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t