The French expression “montrer patte blanch” translates literally to “to show a white paw”. The expression has the following meanings in English:
- to prove your credentials
- to identify yourself
Apparently the expression originates from a fable where a goat kid was told to only let in other animals with white paws. When a grey-pawed wolf knocks at the door, the wolf is not allowed to enter.
Expressio.fr offers the following definition in French: To offer a sign of recognition, an authorization to enter a place or to participate in a gathering.
Speed up your learning with an app
Many of our students have greatly enhanced their learning by using an app. On these pages we've examined the top-30 apps for learning French. On this pages we've written comprehensive reviews for Pimsleur (great for people struggling with pronunciation), Rosetta Stone and FrenchPod101 (both great for visual learners).
Here’s an example sentence:
- Pour monter dans un avion il faut absoluement montrer sa patte blanche: Il ne faut jamais oublier la carte d’identie ou le passeport. To get on a plane you absolutely must show your identity. You mustn’t ever forget your ID card or your passport.
If you've found this post useful you might want to considering looking at our post covering the best apps for learning French. We've looked a total 33 apps and have written comprehensive reviews of Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur and FrenchPod101.
- Vouloir Conjugation: Complete Charts To Conjugate “To Want” - May 27, 2022
- 10 Most Famous French Actors Of All Time - May 25, 2022
- 7 Ways To Say What In French + Example Sentences - May 24, 2022
Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
