Here is a very nice French expression, something that we look forward to, according to the year calendar, is it a lucky year this year in terms of ‘faire le pont’ ? 🌉
Faire le pont meaning
This is one French expression that we are lucky to have in French and which reflect the French lifestyle 🤞
This is one French expression which is very easy to use in everyday conversation. Now what do you think is the signification of this popular French expression in English: let’s have a look at the picture :
Some bridge 🥺
The first of May !
Three French words :
“faire” = to do
“the bridge” = le pont
It literally means “to do the bridge” ?!?
To understand this popular French idiom, let’s have a look at its origin
Faire le pont Origin
This popular French expression came about under the Second Empire, this expression already had its current meaning. When one holiday is separated from another by a working day, businesses can close and employees may not work for days at a time. The picture is very simple: it is about going from one day to the next like going from one shore to another over a bridge. 🤔
This means in practical terms that if a French bank holiday is on a Tuesday or on a Thursday, we ‘do the bridge’ so we fill the gap and we have a 4 day long weekend ! 🤩
Faire le pont Translation in English
I think that a suitable translation for this quite extraordinary French expression would be :
To have an extra-long weekend
faire le pont
Faire le pont French examples
Here you can find a few examples of how to use ‘faire le pont’ in every day conversation :
Le 1er mai tombe un mardi, génial, on peut faire le pont !
Bank holiday 1st of May is a Tuesday. Fantastic we can have an extra-long weekend !
This is only possible thanks to the number of French bank holidays greater in France compared to the UK ! ⛱️
The UK has eight bank holidays : New Year Holiday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Late May Bank Holiday, August Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing
Whereas in France, here are the bank holidays this year. Which bank holidays do you think we will ‘faire le pont’ this year ?
Faire le pont Illustration in music
Here is the song of the late Dick Rivers, a French rocker, which sang here the French version of ‘Take me home’ by Country Road, Jon Denver. This is a love song nothing to do with bank holidays but here you are !
Faire un pont by Dick Rivers Lyrics in French and translated in English
De ton visage à mon village
Y a cette rivière qui coule toute l’année
Entre tes yeux et les miens qui pleurent
Y a ce fleuve qui s’amuse à nous séparer
Faire un pont
Pour de bon
Lui donner
Ton prénom
Le traverser
Pour t’embrasser
Faire un pont
Pour de bon
J’ai essayé de naviguer
Vers d’autres cœur mais le tien chante si fort
Entre nous deux et le monde entier
Il n’y a qu’une rivière pour nous séparer
Faire un pont
Pour de bon
Lui donner
Ton prénom
Le traverser
Pour t’embrasser
Faire un pont
Pour de bon
Faire un pont
Pour de bon
Lui donner
Ton prénom
Le traverser
Pour t’embrasser
Faire un…
Source: LyricFind
From your face to my village
There’s this river that flows all year round
Between your eyes and mine that cry
There is this river which has fun separating us
Make a bridge
For real
Give him
Your first name
Cross it
To kiss you
Make a bridge
For real
I tried to navigate
To other hearts but yours sings so loud
Between the two of us and the whole world
There is only one river to separate us
Make a bridge
For real
Give him
Your first name
Cross it
To kiss you
Make a bridge
For real
Make a bridge
For real
Give him
Your first name
Cross it
To kiss you
Make a …
Voilà, this was today’s French idiom in English, I hope you liked it. Click here to find out about the challenge of 50 French idioms in English.
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The English English translation doesn’t fully imply there is a bank holiday in the middle. This shows a lot about both cultures 😉 This is so true that the UK is about 3 bank holidays short compared to France but they have a rule I loved when I was living there.
If the bank holiday falls on a weekend, the bank holiday is moved to the Monday whereas in France it is simply lost…
So if the 25th December or the 1st of May fall on a weekend, 2 days are lost because the 1st Jan and 8th May will also be on the weekend…
We can’t have everything in life, can’t we? 😉