French Expressions with 'Comme'

The French word comme means "like," "as" or "since" and is used in a large number of idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say soaking wet, knee-high to a grasshopper, so-so and more with this list of French expressions that use comme. Other cultures have found French expressions useful and have assimilated them into their languages. Comme ci, comme ça, for instance, is used in English and several other languages to mean so-so, fair, or just okay.

The word comme, one of the most common and versatile in French, can be a conjunction, adverb, or part of an adverbial phrase. Like the French conjunctions parce que, car and puisque, comme is commonly used to draw conclusions or otherwise relate a cause or explanation with a result or conclusion. For example, Comme je lis le plus vite, j'ai déjà fini means "Since I read the fastest, I've already finished."

Common French Expressions Using 'Comme'

arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe
to be completely irrelevant

chanter comme une casserole
to be a lousy singer

comme cela/ça
(just) like that; that way; (informal) great, terrific

comme ci, comme ça
so-so; fair

comme d'habitude
as usual

comme il faut
properly; respectably

comme il vous plaira
as you wish

comme les autres
ordinary; everyday

comme on dit
as they say; how it's said

comme par hasard
coincidentally; as if by chance

comme qui dirait
(informal) as you might say; what you might think is/was

comme quoi
to the effect that; which goes to show that

comme si
as if; as though

(adjectif) comme tout
so (adjective); as (adjective) as can be

comme tout le monde
normally; like everyone else

haut comme trois pommes
knee-high to a grasshopper

juste comme
just / right as

parler le français comme une vache espagnole
to speak French very badly

trempé comme une soupe
to be soaking wet