French for Intermediate Learners: Expressing Superstitions and Beliefs
Learn to talk about superstitious beliefs in French, using expressions like 'ça porte bonheur' and 'ça porte malheur', with cultural context and practice.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to discuss superstitious beliefs in French, such as 'Eating noodles on New Year brings luck.' Unlike customs, which are habitual practices, superstitions involve a belief that certain actions or events bring good or bad luck. You will learn key phrases to express these beliefs, understand the difference between 'croyance' and 'coutume', and practice using the conditional and present tenses to talk about what brings luck or misfortune.
By the end, you can…
- express superstitious beliefs in French using 'ça porte bonheur' and 'ça porte malheur'.
- distinguish between 'une croyance' and 'une coutume' in conversation.
- ask and answer questions about superstitions using appropriate vocabulary and tenses.
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Manger des nouilles le jour de l'An porte bonheur.
Eating noodles on New Year's Day brings luck.
mahn-zhay day noo-yuh luh zhoor duh lahn port buhn-uhr
Use 'porter bonheur' to say something brings good luck. Note that 'le jour de l'An' refers specifically to New Year's Day.
Ça porte malheur de passer sous une échelle.
It's bad luck to walk under a ladder.
sah port mal-uhr duh pah-say soo zewn ay-shel
Use 'porter malheur' for bad luck. The structure 'Ça porte malheur de + infinitive' is common.
Je touche du bois pour que ça arrive.
I'm touching wood so that it happens.
zhuh toosh dew bwah poor kuh sah ah-reev
Equivalent to 'knock on wood' in English. Used to avoid jinxing a positive outcome.
On dit que le vendredi 13 porte malheur.
They say Friday the 13th is bad luck.
ohn dee kuh luh vahn-druh-dee trahz port mal-uhr
Use 'On dit que...' to introduce a common belief. 'Vendredi 13' is a well-known superstition in France.
Est-ce que tu es superstitieux ?
Are you superstitious?
ess-kuh tew ay sew-per-stee-syuh
Ask about someone's beliefs. The feminine form is 'superstitieuse'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To express that something brings good or bad luck, use the verb 'porter' with 'bonheur' or 'malheur'. For example: 'Ça porte bonheur de trouver un trèfle à quatre feuilles.' (Finding a four-leaf clover brings luck.) 'Ça porte malheur de casser un miroir.' (Breaking a mirror brings bad luck.) You can also use 'Ça porte chance' for good luck, though 'bonheur' is more common in this context. Note that 'porter' literally means 'to carry', but in this expression it means 'to bring'.
When to use it
Use these expressions when discussing superstitions, not customs. For example, a custom might be 'On mange des crêpes à la Chandeleur' (We eat crêpes on Candlemas), which is a tradition. A superstition is 'Ça porte malheur de passer sous une échelle' (It's bad luck to walk under a ladder). In conversation, you can ask 'Tu crois aux superstitions ?' (Do you believe in superstitions?) or 'Tu es superstitieux ?' (Are you superstitious?). Respond with 'Oui, je touche du bois' (Yes, I knock on wood) or 'Non, je ne crois pas à ça' (No, I don't believe in that).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Tu sais, au Nouvel An, en Italie, on mange des lentilles pour porter bonheur.
You know, on New Year's, in Italy, people eat lentils to bring luck.tew say, oh noo-vell ahn, ahn ee-tah-lee, ohn mahnzh day lahn-tee-yuh poor por-tay buhn-uhrAh bon ? En France, on dit que ça porte bonheur de manger des nouilles le jour de l'An.
Really? In France, they say it brings luck to eat noodles on New Year's Day.ah bohn? ahn frahns, ohn dee kuh sah port buhn-uhr duh mahn-zhay day noo-yuh luh zhoor duh lahnIntéressant ! Et est-ce que tu es superstitieux ?
Interesting! And are you superstitious?an-tay-ray-sahn! ay ess-kuh tew ay sew-per-stee-syuhUn peu. Je touche du bois quand je dis quelque chose de positif.
A little. I knock on wood when I say something positive.uhn puh. zhuh toosh dew bwah kahn zhuh dee kel-kuh shoz duh po-zee-teefA little context goes a long way
In France, superstitions vary by region and generation. While 'toucher du bois' is widely known, other beliefs like 'ça porte malheur de passer sous une échelle' are common but not universally held. Discussing superstitions is a light-hearted topic, but be respectful if someone expresses a strong belief. Note that in some French-speaking regions, like Quebec, expressions may differ slightly, such as 'porter chance' being more common than 'porter bonheur'.
One thing to watch for
Using 'coutume' to describe a superstition, as in 'C'est une coutume de manger des nouilles pour la chance.'
Try this instead: 'Coutume' refers to a custom or tradition, not a superstition. For superstitions, use 'croyance' or 'superstition'. For example: 'C'est une croyance que de manger des nouilles porte bonheur.' or 'C'est une superstition de croire que ça porte bonheur.'
Your turn
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1How would you say 'It's bad luck to open an umbrella indoors' in French?
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Ça porte malheur d'ouvrir un parapluie à l'intérieur.
This uses 'porter malheur' with the infinitive 'ouvrir'. 'À l'intérieur' means indoors. Alternatively, you could say 'Ouvrir un parapluie à l'intérieur porte malheur.'
2What is the difference between 'une coutume' and 'une croyance'?
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Une coutume is a custom or tradition, like eating crêpes on Chandeleur. Une croyance is a belief, often superstitious, like believing that breaking a mirror brings bad luck.
Coutume refers to habitual practices, while croyance refers to beliefs, including superstitions. Both are valid, but they are used in different contexts.
3Translate: 'I knock on wood because I don't want to jinx it.'
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Je touche du bois parce que je ne veux pas porter malheur.
This uses 'toucher du bois' and 'porter malheur'. Another way: 'Je touche du bois pour ne pas jinxer.' but 'jinxer' is informal and not standard French.
Use 'ça porte bonheur' and 'ça porte malheur' to express superstitious beliefs in French. Remember that 'coutume' is for customs, while 'croyance' or 'superstition' is for beliefs. Practice with common examples like 'toucher du bois' and 'vendredi 13'.
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