How do you say “Have ants in your pants” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is avoir des fourmis dans les jambes, which literally means “to have ants in your legs”. English speakers use have ants in your pants to mean to be too restless or excited to sit still. French keeps the ants but moves them to the legs. It can mean wanting to move, or literally having pins and needles. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
avoir des fourmis dans les jambes
/avwaʁ de fuʁmi dɑ̃ le ʒɑ̃b/
- Literal meaning
- “to have ants in your legs”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
85 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
After a long wait, “j’ai des fourmis dans les jambes” can mean you need to get up and move. A restless child can have the same feeling.
If someone has been sitting awkwardly, they may mean tingling instead. The phrase alone does not tell you which of those two meanings they intend.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Leo had ants in his pants while we waited for the party to start.
French
Léo avait des fourmis dans les jambes pendant qu’on attendait le début de la fête.
English
Have you got ants in your pants? You’ve changed seats three times.
French
Tu as des fourmis dans les jambes ? Tu as changé de place trois fois.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13