The French expression l’habit ne fait pas le moine translates literally to “the clothes don’t make the monk” and means “don’t judge a book by its cover” or “appearances can be deceiving”.
l’habit ne fait pas le moine
don’t judge a book by its cover
Expression origin
This expression dates back to the 13th century and is related to the Latin expression barba non facit philosophum or “la barbe ne fait pas le philosophe” (the beard does not make the philosopher).
Example sentence
Cet homme parraît très sympathique et généreux mais en réalité il est égoïste et malheureux. N’oublie pas: l’habit ne fait pas le moine.
This man appears to be very nice and generous but in reality he’s selfish and unhappy. Don’t forget: don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
There are two related adages:
- Il ne faut pas se fier aux apparences. One must not trust appearances.
- Les apparences sont souvent trompeuses. Appearances can be deceiving.
Reference
French expressions | Lessons by David Issokson
