While you are in France you will probably make yourself understood
by speaking the “Text Book” French and make much use of
dictionary you armed yourself with before starting your holiday.
However if you really want to impress with your language skills
you could speak a little of the modern, progressive language in
every day use today. Just like any progressive language, French
is rich in colloquialisms and slang or ‘argot’. Here are
some examples of everyday French and simple colloquial terms to
get you started:
FRENCH
Romance Language of 128 Million
| An
invaluable resource for anyone planning to visit France with
over 100 sections taking you from basic French phrases, through
grammar and language structure to colloquial expressions and
abbreviations. |
Click
here to learn more
|
| English |
– |
French |
| A phone call |
– |
Un coup de fil, Un coup de fil |
| To ask |
– |
Demander, questionner |
| To burn |
– |
Brûler, Crâmer |
| To fart |
– |
Péter |
| To feel |
– |
Ressentir |
| To kiss |
– |
S'embrasser, un baiser, Baisouiller, se rouler des pelles |
| To laugh |
– |
Rigoler, Se marrer |
| To look |
– |
Regarder, Visionner, , Mater, reluquer |
| To pee |
– |
Faire pipi , Pisser |
| To put |
– |
Poser, , Mettre |
| To see |
– |
Voir |
| To sing |
– |
Chanter (sing well) , Brailler,
beugler (sing badly) |
| To tell |
– |
Dire |
| To touch |
– |
Toucher , Peloter (a girl for example) |
| To walk |
– |
Se promener, marcher , Se balader |
| Backside |
– |
Les fesses, Le cul (ass) |
| Beard |
– |
La barbouze , (can mean secret policeman)
|
| Belly |
– |
Le ventre , Le bide, Le bidon, la bedaine |
| Body |
– |
La carcasse |
| Breasts |
– |
Les nichons, les tétons |
| Ears |
– |
Les oreilles , Les esgourdes |
| Eyes |
– |
Les yeux , Les mirettes |
| Face |
– |
La tronche, la bouille |
| Foot |
– |
Le panard |
| Hair |
– |
Les tifs |
| Hands |
– |
Les mains , Les paluches |
| Head |
– |
Le caillou, la citrouille, le ciboulot |
| Headache |
– |
Un mal de tête |
| Heart |
– |
Le palpitant |
| Leg |
– |
La patte, la guibole |
| Legs |
– |
Les jambes , Les quilles , les guibolles |
| Lips |
– |
Les babines |
| Moustache |
– |
Les bacchants |
| Mouth |
– |
Le bec (beak), la gueule (animal’s mouth) |
| Nose |
– |
Le nez , Le tarin |
| Thighs (particularly female) |
– |
Les jambons (hams), Les gigots (legs of lamb) |
| The shoes |
– |
Les chaussures , Les pompes |
| The thongue |
– |
La langue |
| The underpants |
– |
Les caleçons , Les calebards |
| A pain in the ass |
– |
Mal au cul |
| Damn |
– |
Zut |
| Shut up |
– |
Tais-toi , Ta gueule, boucle la |
| Big |
– |
Gros (M) , Balaise (M) |
| Great |
– |
Formidable, génial , Super, sensas |
| Little |
– |
Petit (M) , Minus (M), nain (M) |
| Entrance |
– |
Entrée |
| Exit |
– |
Sortie |
| Forbidden |
– |
Defense d'entrée |
| One-way |
– |
Sens unique |
| A fish |
– |
Un poisson , La poascaille |
| A lemon |
– |
Un citron |
| Cherries |
– |
Les cerises (F) |
| Drink |
– |
Boire Picoler, se bourrer |
| Eat |
– |
Manger , Bouffer, se goinfrer, s'empiffrer |
| Food |
– |
La nourriture , La bouffe, la mangeaille, la graille |
| Fork |
– |
Une fourchette |
| Glass |
– |
Un verre |
| Meat |
– |
La viande (F) |
| Plate |
– |
Une assiette |
| Sausages |
– |
La charcuterie (F) , La charcutaille (F) |
| Water |
– |
L'eau , La flotte |
| A chair |
– |
Une chaise (F) |
| A cigarette |
– |
Une cigarette (F) , Une clope (F) |
| A paper |
– |
Un papier (M) , Un papelard (M) |
| A thing |
– |
Un machin, un truc |
| A Book |
– |
Un bouquin |
| A Cigarette |
– |
Une sèche |
| A Lighter |
– |
Un briquet , Un feu |
| The music |
– |
La musique (F) , La zique (F) |
| The television |
– |
La télé |
| The TV |
– |
La télévision , La lucarne |
| Hi |
– |
Bonjour , Salut |
| A best friend |
– |
Un meilleur ami (F) (M) |
| A fat guy |
– |
Un gros (M) , Un gros tas |
| A friend |
– |
Un ami (F) (M) , Un pote (M) |
A girl, A babe,
bird, chick, broad |
– |
Une fille, une femme,
Une nana, une minette, Une gonzesse,
une pétasse (a stupid girl) |
| A guy |
– |
Un mec (M) |
| A nice woman |
– |
Une bonne femme |
| Brother |
– |
Un frangin |
| Crazy about... |
– |
Fou de.. |
| Darling |
– |
Une chérie, ma chérie |
| Feelings |
– |
Sentiments, émotions (F) |
| Friend, pal |
– |
Un copain, une copaine |
| Heartache |
– |
Un arrêt cardiaque |
| Kid |
– |
Un/une gosse, un gamin,une gamine |
| Lover |
– |
Un amoureux, un amant |
| Mad keen of.. |
– |
Dingue de ... |
| Man |
– |
Un type, un mec |
| Man, guy |
– |
Un homme , Un mec, un type, un gars |
Menu
In modern French words are sometimes shortened,
the abridged words often end with ‘o’, for example:
| dictionary |
– |
dictionnaire becomes dico |
| slide, transparency |
– |
diapositive becomes diapo |
| fridge |
– |
réfrigerateur becomes frigo |
| weather forecast |
– |
les previsions météorologiques |
| becomes |
– |
la météo |
| ecologist |
– |
écologiste becomes écolo |
| intellectual |
– |
intellectuel becomes intello |
| megalomaniac |
– |
mégalomane becomes mégalo |
| fascist f |
– |
asciste becomes facho |
| director, boss |
– |
directeur becomes dirlo |
Other words are simply truncated, for example:
| Ok |
– |
D’ac (short for d’accord) |
| baccalauréat (exam) |
– |
baccalauréat becomes bac |
| faculty (university) |
– |
faculté becomes fac |
| profit |
– |
bénéfice becomes bénef |
| demonstration |
– |
manifestation becomes manif |
| capable |
– |
capable becomes cap |
| aluminium |
– |
aluminium becomes alu |
| transvestite |
– |
travelot becomes trav |
Menu
When talking to young children, many French
adults simply repeat one syllable from a word, twice. A number
of words have developed by this mechanism, for example: These
words often appear in adult jokes, so it is worth learning basic
kids’ vocabulary even if you don’t expect to spend much
time talking to children.
| grandmother |
– |
grand-mère becomes mémé |
| grandfather |
– |
grand-père becomes pépé (Do not confuse
with pipi) |
| uncle |
– |
oncle becomes tonton |
| aunt |
– |
tante becomes tata |
| milk |
– |
lait becomes lolo |
| teddy bear |
– |
ours becomes nounours. |
The French have several words for children (les enfants), not
all of them are complimentary. The most common ‘argot’
word for kids is ‘les gosses’. However, the word ‘gosse’
is often prefixed with the adjective ‘sale’, meaning
dirty. The phrase ‘un sale gosse’ translates better
as ‘a little brat’ rather than the literal ‘a dirty
kid’. Similarly, ‘un gosse de riches’ means ‘a
spoilt rich brat’. Other words for kids include ‘les
gamins’, ‘les lardons’, ‘les marmots’
and finally ’les morveux’ which means snotty nosed
Menu
|
