The French idiom "Je suis fleur bleue" explained

Get ready to discover everything you have to know about the basic French expression “Je suis fleur bleue”.

To be more specific, this includes a complete guide of what it is and how you can use it in a dialogue with an audio example. And because learning a new language is a big deal, we also added some useful stuff like dialogue example, slow pronunciation audio, literal meaning and more!

Oh and before I forget, you will also find more of these expressions explained on this page and the list of all our French words pages on this page. Enjoy!

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English translation

How to pronounce

Slow pronunciation

Normal pronunciation

What does it mean?

Definition

  • Être → To be
  • Fleur bleue → Blue flower

This idiom takes its source from a 1811 novel where Novalis used “cultiver la petite fleur bleue” (to cultivate the tiny blue flower). The color blue for a flower being a sign of an ideal and secret tenderness, with time, it became an expression by itself.

It represents someone extremely romantic, sensitive and even naive. Also, you should know it’s generally a derogatory expression.

How to use

Let’s say a hopeless romantic friend of yours is in love with someone, you can say: “Tu es vraiment fleur bleue” (You really are a blue flower).

In case you are the blue flower of this story, you can say instead: “Oui je sais, je suis un peu fleur bleue” (Yes I know, I’m a bit of a blue flower).

Synonyms and similarities

  • Tu es fleur bleue. (“You are a blue flower“)
  • Vous êtes fleur bleue. (“You are a blue flower“)
  • Il est fleur bleue. (“He is a blue flower“)
  • Elle est fleur bleue. (“She is a blue flower“)

Example in a story with translation

Now, let’s see a complete example of this idiom in a story with slow French audio and the English translation below.
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Doux souvenirs
Sweet memories
___
Olivia entre dans la chambre et voit Théo…
Olivia comes into the room and sees Théo…
Il essuie ses larmes…
He’s wiping his tears…
Olivia:   Théo, tu vas bien ?
Théo, are you okay?
Théo:   Oh, Olivia ? Oui, je vais bien.
Oh, Olivia? Yes I’m okay.
Olivia:   Alors pourquoi tu pleures ?
So why are you crying?
Théo:   Non, je ne pleure pas. Tu te trompes.
No, I’m not crying. You’re wrong.
Olivia:   Bien sûr… Je vois encore des larmes sur tes joues.
Of course… I can still see tears on your cheeks.
Théo:   Oh putain…
Oh fuck…
Olivia:   Pourquoi tu pleurais ? Je ne jugerai pas.
Why were you crying? I won’t judge.
Théo:   D’accord. Je vais te le dire. J’ai vu qu’un chien est mort dans un accident de voiture.
All right. I will tell you. I saw that a dog died in a car accident.
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