English

Spanish

French

Swahili

Amharic

Arabic

German

Georgian

Albanian

Igbo

Yoruba

Russian

Wolof

Chinese

Turkish

Bengali

Malayalam

Persian

Greek

Portuguese

Somali

Italian

Serbian

Twi

Macedonian

Zulu

Lithuanian

Lao

Romanian

Kannada

Egyptian Arabic

Croatian

Hindi

Sanskrit

Nepali

Danish

Filipino

Tamil

Kurdish

Japanese

Burmese

Vietnamese

Kikuyu

Bulgarian

Maltese

Tagalog

Malay

Indonesian

Luo

Telugu

Sinhala

Thai

Polish

Urdu

Cebuano

Jamaican Creole English

Moroccan Arabic

Shona

Dutch

Slovak

Afrikaans

Nyanja

Mongolian

Translator

Research Assistant

Food

Translation

Facebook

Instagram

Yoga Tutors

Speech-Language Pathologist

Skype

Pinterest

Google Docs

Google Slides

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Word

Canva

Google Forms

Aliexpress

Godaddy

Coach

Google Search

Accounting

Algorithms

Animation

Arts

Author

Business analytics

Comedy

Computer Science

Counter Strike

Creative writing

Drawing

Economics

Entrepreneurship

Film and video

Gaming

Graphic design

Html

Literatur

Mediation

Photography

Programming

Swimming

Therapist

Video editing

Web Analytics

Web Development

Linkedin

Minecraft

Movies

Music

Sudoku

Finance

Lego

Java

Basketball

Chicago

History

Piano

Soccer

Tetris

Wordpress

Baseball

Resume

Budget

Fifa

Sports

Analytics

Astrology

Math

Yoga

Psychology

Guitar

Javascript

Kombucha

Philosophy

Python

Trello

Exercise

English Tutoring

Physics

Chemistry

Dentist

Russian Language

English Grammar

English Punctuation

English Spelling

English Pleasure

Google Sheets

Windows

Games

Cricket

Real Estate

Community

Tumblr

Google Analytics

Football

Tutoring Children

Reading

Mathematics

Writing

Organizer

Time Management

Grammar

Korean

Blackboard

Jokes

Vacation

English Proofreading

Medical

Transcription

Translation English German

Bodybuilding

Chess

Debate

Sleep Coach

Rubik'S Cube

Hootsuite

Cosmetics

Tv Watching

Business Management

Marketing Communications

Traveling

Environment

Volunteer

Mailchimp

Zoom Video Conferencing

C++

Science Communication

Chemical Engineering

Biology

Organic Chemistry

League Of Legends

Wine Making

Creative Writing

Literature

Digital Marketing

Health Adviser

Business Development

Meditation

Internet Marketing

Research

Travel Writing

Video Production

Film Production

Travel Planning

Food Preparation Worker

Child Care Worker

Models

Statistics

Statistical Analyst

Statistical Assistant

Statistician

Mathematica

Español

Geography

Law

Русский язык

Facebook Marketing

Photo Editing

Photographer

Fotografia

italiano

cucinando

Slovakian

Czech

Kickboxing

Ice Hockey

Formula Racing

Android

Dominoes

Square

Bloodborne

Constant Contact

Slack

Google Adwords

Locksmith

Amazon Seller Central

Crossword Puzzles

Jigsaw Puzzles

Overwatch

Usher

Veterinarian

Aquarium

Asana

Golf

Nursing Supervisor

Gymnastics

Poker

Dance

Communication Skills

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Wordpress Plugin

Woocommerce

Latex

Atmospheric Scientist

Psychologist

Microsoft Excel

Speech

Business Law

Lawn Darts

Real Estate Law

Corporate Law

Freshdesk

Film And Video

Manga

College Aide

Cooking

Arabic Tutors

Sprint

  • Apply to Teach
  • Watch
  • Free Lesson
Get Started
  • Find Tutors
  • Apply to Teach
  • Watch
  • Sign up
  • English
  • Danish
  • Spanish
  • German
  • Japanese
  • Portuguese
  • Arabic
  • Italian
  • Russian
  • Polish
  • About
  • Press
  • Contact us
25 French Slang Words to Sound Like a True French

25 French Slang Words to Sound Like a True French

justlearnj
Justlearn
10/13/2020
10 minute read

So, you decided to learn French slang and sound like a true native speaker?

 

It’s an excellent decision.

Slang words and phrases are an important part of every language.

learn french slang

Well, you don’t have to waste your time, not even a minute.

 

Thanks to the following examples of French slang words and phrases that we gathered for you, you can ‘sound like the locals in France or another French-speaking country. 

 

After this article, everyone will be quite impressed with your knowledge of French slang phrases, so stay with us.

To impress native speakers even more. book a lesson with French tutors on Justlearn.

 

Benefits of learning French slang

Like we mentioned, slang words and expressions are a natural part of every language and can also help you to understand French culture.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, slang is informal language, rather spoken than written, used by particular groups of people.

Unfortunately, slang words can’t be learned in schools because the education we get there is more formal.

Another reason for this is that slang expressions are dynamic. They are changing all the time, so by the time you learn some phrases in school, they can become outdated.

It’s also pretty sensitive since some of the expressions are no longer used, while others are used only by teens. 

 

However, the benefits of learning French slang are numerous.

We are going to mention some of them:

  • Learning slang is often fun.

  • Slang words and phrases teach you to see the language from a different perspective and a more creative approach.

  • You can always be up to date when talking about the culture, differences between regions and generations.

  • Learning slang phrases helps you understand the language better as well as people.

  • Your conversations with native speakers will be better, and you will understand what they are saying in every part of the conversation since locals always use slang.

 

How to learn French slang effectively

Even though learning French slang can be defined as one of the most interesting parts of the language to learn, it isn’t so easy.

However, in the following several lines, we will try to go give you some tips on how you can learn French slang effectively.

 

  • Forget about textbooks. You won’t find any of the slang phrases in there. Instead, watch movies, TV shows, news, etc.

  • Write down or, even better, record words from the expressions you don’t understand. Then find meaning within the context.

  • Practice as often as possible. Use them in different contexts. Ask natives for help.

 

Related article: How Long Does It Take to Learn French?

The Most Common French Slang Words

Before you start memorizing new phrases, it’s good to repeat some common French phrases and expressions for every situation.

After you’re done, then go ahead and dive into the world of Argot (slang in French).

 

  • Balle

It literally means ‘bullet.’ After 2002, when France changed its currency to euro, then the word ‘balle’ started to refer to money.

 

  • Baraque

In English, this word is literally translated as ‘a small house made of planks.’ Today, this word is used as an adjective to describe someone really muscular. As a noun, it refers to a house like in the following example: ‘Nous emménageons dans notre nouvelle baraque,’  which means ‘We are moving into our new house.’

 

  • BG

This one is an acronym for the ‘beau gosse,’ or, in English, ‘hot guy.’

However, the word ‘gosse’ refers to a child if used alone, and in Canada, Quebec, it is feminine and has a different connotation from the one in France. It refers to men parts of the body that is used in the plural.

So, be careful about how you are going to use this word.

 

  • BCBG

It is one more acronym that stands for ‘bien chic bon genre’ in the meaning of preppy in English.

 

  • Bobo

The word is used as baby talk if someone has injuries. However, teens use it often, even for small injuries like cuts and bruises.



  • Bouffer

It literally means ‘to puff up.’ In slang, it is often used instead of the verb ‘manger,’ in English, ‘to eat.’ Therefore, the noun ‘la bouffe’ is also used as one more word for food.

 

  • Chouette

Like in English, the word ‘cool’ can be used in French, too. However, an ideal equivalent in French is ‘chouette.’ You can say, for example, ‘Ta copine est chouette,’ which means ‘Your girlfriend is cool.’

 

  • être vénère

This slang is used to express when you are angry or annoyed. Take a look at the example: ‘Jacque est vénère,’ which means ‘Jacque is annoyed.’ 

 

English Tutors
English Tutors
Spanish Tutors
Spanish Tutors
German Tutors
German Tutors
See More Tutors

  • File

In the meaning ‘get out!’ this slang word ‘file’ is excellent when you don’t have enough energy to waste on multiple words. A less strong equivalent can be ‘to va t’en.’

 

  • Impeccable

This word teenagers mainly use when they want to say something is perfect.

 

  • Kiffer

It means ‘to like something.’ It is used to work best as a hobby. However, if you use it in the sentence for a person, like, for example, ‘kiffe quelqu’un,’ then it means that you desire that person.

 

  • Le Poulets

Another word ‘Flic’ is the term for cops. However, the word ‘poulets’ is more abusive than ‘flic.’

 

  • Mec

This word refers to boyfriends and guys in general.

 

  • Meuf

At first, this word originally meant ‘femme.’  And since it referred to everything feminine, over time, it started to describe a girl, girlfriend. However, pay attention when you use it because it also has pejorative connotations.

 

  • Piger

This word has two different meanings, depending on the context. On one hand, it means ‘haters,’  and on the other, it’s a substitute for the verb ‘comprendre,’ that is, ‘to understand.’

 

The Most Common French Slang Phrases

 

  • Arrête de te la péter.

You can use this slang phrase in cases when you want to tell someone to stop being a show-off or stop bragging.

 

  • Ça baigne? Ça baigne!

This phrase is a replacement for a well-known Ça va? -Ça va!

The English translation would be ‘How are you? Good.’

 

  • C’est n’importe quoi 

If we say that, literally, this phrase can be translated as ‘It’s anything,’ then you would be confused. When to use, why to use, what’s the point of using it, right? This slang phrase, however, is used to say ‘It’s nonsense.’

 

  • Il capte rien

This one can be translated as ‘He doesn’t understand anything.’

If you want to put more emphasis on this phrase, then you can say ‘Il capte trois fois rien.’ The ‘trois fois’ means ‘three times,’ so when someone doesn’t understand a single word, then in French slang, this extended-phrase can be used. 

 

  • Je me casse

This one is pretty familiar, and more generations tend to use it. It means like ‘I’m outta here!’

It can be used as a suggestion like ‘On se casse’ in the meaning ‘Should we get out of there?’

 

  • J’ai un petit creux

The word ‘creux’ means ‘hollow.’ This one can be translated into the meaning that you have a hollow, a place in your stomach. Precisely, it means that you are very hungry.

 

  • J’ai la flemme

The word ‘flemme’ comes from the ‘flegmatique’ but as a part of the slang phrase, the word ‘flamme’ has a bit negative connotation, such as laziness.

When someone says it, it means that they are a lazy person.

 

  • Laisse tomber

Literally translated, it means ‘Let it fail,’ but it is used as ‘Let it go.’

It is similar to English ‘Drop it,’ but the French version is a little less aggressive than this one.

 

  • Parler comme une vache espagnole

‘Une vache espagnole’ means ‘Spanish cow.’ You probably foresee that this phrase is not used in a positive meaning. It is mainly used to express someone’s language skills, but not in a good way. When you use it, it means that someone is not speaking the language very well.

 

  • Perdre la tête

There it is. A slang phrase where French words are used in English..or another way round. Anyway, this slang phrase can be translated literally and not to sound weird, but to explain the meaning and context where it can be used. It means ‘to lose one’s head.’

 

  • Sans déc

This phrase is an abbreviation for the ‘Sans déconner.’ It can be explained as ‘You’re not kidding.’ However, this is a bit more vulgar expression than in English. If you want to use this phrase, but not to be so vulgar, you should say ‘Sans blague’.

 

  • T’en fais pas/ Ne t’en fais pas 

If we translate literally to English, it doesn’t make any sense since it means ‘Don’t make any.’ This phrase actually means ‘Don’t worry.’

 

  • T’inquiète

This one is a short version of Ne t’inquiète pas,’ or ‘Don’t worry.’

So, you can choose which one you want to use..

 

  • Un coup de téléphone 

When you say ‘un coup de téléphone’ even though it literally means ‘a hit of telephone,’ it surely doesn’t refer to a hit. It is used for a phone call.

 

Conclusion

Keep in mind that slang is changing very fast. 

It also differs from region to region inside one country. And from country to country.

 

Don’t forget to pick up slang from movies, TV shows, or podcasts. They are a great source of vocabulary.

Our advice is simple: learn slang so that you can understand it. And use it only when the timing is appropriate. Locals will be quite impressed. 

 

What is French slang called?

Argot

What does Binks mean in French?

Housing estate

What does Chouette mean slang?

Great, cool, nice

Learn Any Language Faster with your Personal Tutor

Get Started

Thinking in a Foreign Language: 7 Methods to Help You Train Your Brain

In learning a foreign language, there are four basic language skills- reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

justlearnj
Justlearn
4/20/2021
6 minute read

What's the Best Way to Learn Greek?

The Greek language is one of the oldest languages, even many experts still use it and apply it, unlike other languages such as Latin, it is that this

justlearnj
Justlearn
4/20/2021
3 minute read

7 Fantastic Foreign Language Jobs (in 2021)

Speaking foreign languages has many benefits.

justlearnj
Justlearn
4/20/2021
7 minute read

Language Immersion At Home: 6 Fun Ways To Gain Fluency

One of the best (and most fun) ways to learn a language quickly is to travel to a place where people speak it daily.

justlearnj
Justlearn
4/16/2021
8 minute read

7 Valuable Tips to Stay Motivated in Learning a Language

Learning a foreign language is a process, sometimes very long and also quite challenging.

justlearnj
Justlearn
4/16/2021
5 minute read

7 Language Learning Magazines to Use as a Language Learning Tool

In good old times, when people didnt know a thing about the internet, let alone, about using it for language learning, magazines were one of the quite

justlearnj
Justlearn
4/16/2021
6 minute read
Get Free Lesson

Just Share Justlearn with Friends ♥

English Tutors
English Tutors
Spanish Tutors
Spanish Tutors
German Tutors
German Tutors
  1. You are here:
  2. Home
  3. Blog
  4. 25 French Slang Words to Sound Like a True French
  • Justlearn

  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Teach
  • Languages

  • English tutors
  • Spanish Tutors
  • French Tutors
  • German Tutors
  • All tutors
  • Learn

  • Learn English
  • Learn Spanish
  • Learn French
  • Learn German
  • Learn Italian
  • Resources

  • Watch Video
  • Courses
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

"Learn exciting languages. All tutors are qualified to teach."

Philip Rossen, CEO & Founder

© 2021 JustlearnSupportPrivacyTermsSitemaps

Cross
justlearn
Notification
Message:
message