Qui n’avance pas, recule: a French phrase that says it all
There’s a French expression I’ve been thinking about a lot this week:
Qui n’avance pas, recule.
It literally means:
“If you don’t move forwards, you move backwards.”
A little dramatic perhaps… but also surprisingly true!
Sometimes progress in life, fitness, or even French can feel like that. When we stop practising, it can feel as though we’re slipping backwards instead of simply staying still.
And that brings me to a little story from my own week.
My new fitness adventure
This week I signed up to a brand new fitness programme with an online trainer.
Instead of heading to the gym, I’ll be doing home workouts with structured sessions and plenty of motivation.
I’ve always loved exercising when I’m in the habit of it. But like many people, I’ve had periods where life gets busy and suddenly the routine disappears.
Walking the dog is lovely… but it doesn’t quite give the same feeling as a proper workout!
So when I saw this programme, I thought:
Allez, on y va.
Time to get moving again.
J’avais besoin d’un coup de fouet
In French, we have a wonderful expression:
J’avais besoin d’un coup de fouet.
Literally:
“I needed a whip crack.”
In reality, it means:
“I needed a kick up the backside to get started again.”
And that’s exactly how I felt when I signed up.
The trainer I’ve chosen has une énergie à revendre.
That means she has:
Energy to spare. Energy galore.
Exactly what I need!
“I’ve got your back”
One thing great trainers do is push you just enough.
They encourage you to try things you might not attempt on your own.
And when you start to doubt yourself, they say something that makes all the difference.
Something like:
“You’ve got this.”
Or
“I’ve got your back.”
That feeling of support is powerful.
It gives you the confidence to go a little further than you thought you could.
The same is true when learning French
When you’re learning a language, there are moments when you feel confident.
But there are also moments when you hesitate.
You worry about making mistakes.
You wonder if you should speak at all.
That’s why having a supportive environment matters so much.
As a teacher, I want my students to know that:
-
it’s safe to try
-
it’s safe to make mistakes
-
and sometimes I might gently push them beyond their comfort zone
Because progress happens just outside that comfort zone.
Sometimes I might even need to shout:
“Oui, tu peux !”
Yes, you can!
The most important rule: never give up
There is another French expression I absolutely love:
Il ne faut pas jeter l’éponge.
Literally:
“Don’t throw the sponge.”
Which in English we would say as:
“Don’t throw in the towel.”
Learning French is not a straight line.
Some weeks you move forward quickly.
Other weeks you feel stuck.
And sometimes it even feels as if you’ve forgotten everything!
But that’s completely normal.
The important thing is simply to keep going.
A little practice every day makes a big difference.
Together, we move forward
If your French has slowed down a little recently, don’t worry.
You can always begin again.
One word.
One sentence.
One conversation.
And before you know it, you’ll be moving forward again.
After all:
Qui n’avance pas, recule…
But the good news is that every small step counts.
Useful French expressions from today’s post
Qui n’avance pas, recule
He or she who doesn’t move forwards, moves backwards.
J’avais besoin d’un coup de fouet
I needed a kick up the backside to get started.
Elle a de l’énergie à revendre
She has energy to spare.
Oui, tu peux !
Yes, you can!
Il ne faut pas jeter l’éponge
Don’t give up.
If you enjoy learning little French expressions like these, you might also enjoy exploring more on the Sound More French blog, where I share tips, pronunciation help, and everyday French you can actually use:
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