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French grammar lessons › Level C1 › Idioms, Idiomatic Usage & Structures

Advanced idioms – avoir beau, faillir, s'en aller

J'ai beau essayer…

These structures are typical of natural, advanced French. Mastering them makes you sound much more fluent.

Avoir beau + infinitive: however much…

Expresses an effort that doesn't work:

  • J'ai beau essayer, je n'y arrive pas.However hard I try, I can't do it.
  • Il a beau manger, il a toujours faim.No matter how much he eats, he's always hungry.

Faillir + infinitive: to almost do

Used in the passé composé for something (usually bad) that nearly happened:

  • J'ai failli tomber.I almost fell.
  • Il a failli rater son train.He nearly missed his train.

S'en aller: to leave

  • Je m'en vais.I'm off.
  • Va-t'en !Go away!
  • Ils s'en sont allés.They left.

En vouloir à quelqu'un: to be angry with someone

  • Tu m'en veux ?Are you angry with me?
  • Je ne t'en veux pas.I don't hold it against you.

S'en sortir: to cope, to manage

  • Tu t'en sors ?Are you managing?
  • Je m'en suis bien sorti.I did well / I got through it.

Se rendre compte (de / que): to realize

  • Je me suis rendu compte de mon erreur.I realized my mistake.

Rendu doesn't agree here, because compte is the direct object.

More pronominal idioms with en

  • s'en ficher / s'en moquernot to care: Je m'en fiche.
  • s'en remettreto get over it
  • en avoir marreto be fed up
  • s'en prendre à quelqu'unto take it out on someone

Practice

  1. I almost missed the train.
    Options: J'ai failli rater le train. · J'ai beau rater le train. · J'ai presque raté de train.
    Show the answer

    J'ai failli rater le train.

  2. No matter how much he eats, he's always hungry.
    Options: Il a beau manger, il a toujours faim. · Il a bien mangé, il a toujours faim. · Il est beau manger, il a toujours faim.
    Show the answer

    Il a beau manger, il a toujours faim.

  3. Are you angry with me?
    Options: Tu m'en veux ? · Tu me veux ? · Tu en veux moi ?
    Show the answer

    Tu m'en veux ?

  4. I'm leaving.
    Options: Je m'en vais. · Je me vais. · Je vais m'en.
    Show the answer

    Je m'en vais.

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.
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