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Faire la pluie et le beau temps (To call the shots)

The French expression “faire la pluie et le beau temps” translates literally to: “to make the rain and the nice weather”.

English meanings:

  • to call the shots
  • to run the show
  • to call the tune

French meanings:

  • décider les choses – Lit: to decide things
  • tout deciderto decide everything
  • voir tous les pouvoirsto have all the power

Example sentence:

  • Quand on loue une chambre dans une maison, c’est le propriétaire qui fait la pluie et le beau temps. When you rent a room in a house the landlord is the one who call the shots.

Synonyms:

  • mener le jeu, bal ou dance – Lit: to lead the game or dance
  • faire la loi – Lit: to make the law
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David Issokson Founder & French Teacher at FrenchLearner.com
David Issokson is the founder of FrenchLearner.com, where he’s been helping students master French through vocabulary, grammar, and cultural lessons since 2012.

    David Issokson

    About the Author โ€“ David Issokson David Issokson is an online French teacher and the founder of FrenchLearner.com (established 2012). He has been teaching French online since 2014 and brings over 30 years of experience as a passionate French learner and fluent speaker. Recognized for his native-like mastery of the language, David creates clear, structured lessons with native-speaker audio to help students learn French online confidently. He is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal and has taught hundreds of learners worldwide. ๐Ÿ“˜ About David ยป ๐ŸŒ Davidโ€™s personal site ยป ๐Ÿ‘ Follow on Facebook ยป

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