Language/French/Vocabulary/Bird
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The birds: les oiseaux
- blackbird: merle
- crane: grue
- dove: colombe
- eagle: aigle
- falcon: faucon
- nightingale: rossignol
- ostrich: autruche
- owl: hibou
- partridge: perdrix
- peacock: paon
- penguin: pingouin
- pigeon: pigeon
- raven: corbeau
- robin: rouge-gorge
- sparrow: moineau
- stork: cigogne
- swallow: hirondelle
- swan: cygne
- turkey: dindon
- vulture: vautour
- canard: duck
- poule: chicken
Expressions
Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps
- Literally: One swallow doesn't make spring
- Meaning: One swallow doesn't make a summer
The proverb has two possible meanings:
- Do not draw conclusions from a single fact or a single element.
- And, more generally: one must not rely too quickly on appearances; One person is not enough to achieve a major goal.
Politique de l'autruche
- Litterally: the ostrich policy
- Meaning: Refusal to accept danger.
Un froid de canard
- Litterally: cold of a duck
- Meaning: A big cold
Origin: This expression recalls the legend that ostriches burrow their heads in the sand when they are afraid, which prevents them from seeing what threatens them.
"Appliquer la politique de l'autriche" means that one refuses to see the danger where it is.
être un vautour
- Litterally: "be a vulture"
- Meaning: "be ruthless"
- Synonymous: être un requin (be a shark)