Feu does not only mean fire. It also means blaze, light, and combat. You can find the word in various expressions.

Are you already familiar with these expressions using the word feu? Discover their meanings and expand your French vocabulary.

If something is short-lived, you say: être feu de paille.
>> Literally: to be a fire in a straw
The meaning in French: Avoir une existence éphémère, ne pas durer longtemps.

If you use all available means, you say: faire feu de tout bois.
>> Literally: to burn all the wood.
The meaning in French: Utiliser tous les moyens disponibles pour atteindre un objectif.

If you want to say that someone is a lively person or if someone is fickle, you say c‘est un feu follet.
>> Literally: it is a will-o’-the-wisp.
The meaning in French: Une personne vive, toujours en mouvement ou, qui ne fixe ni ses actions ni son esprit.

If the full focus is on someone, you say: pleins feux sur quelqu’un.
>> Literally: full lights on someone.
The meaning in French: Diriger l’attention ou la lumière vers quelque chose ou quelqu’un.

If you are under pressure to do something quickly, you say in French: avoir le feu au derrière.
>> Literally: to have a fire at one’s rear.
The meaning in French: Être sous pression, être poussé à agir rapidement.

Does someone have a tough exterior but a soft interior, and are you looking for that soft side? In French, you say: chercher le feu sous la glace.
>> Literally: To look for the fire under the ice.
The meaning in French: Chercher à découvrir les sentiments ou les émotions cachés.