French slang words

DESPITE French academics fighting to preserve the value of the language it is impossible to halt changing fashions and the use of words.

There are many French phrases and words that have become popular as ‘slang words’ with their meaning often quite different from the actual meaning.

Below is a list of the most common, and safer, words in use:

Apero - Short for apéritif.

Aprèm - Short for après-midi.

Gueule - Slang for 'mouth' or 'face'. It can be used in "Ta gueule!" which can be translated into 'Shut up!'.

Macdo - Short for MacDonald's.

Tronche - Colloquial word meaning 'face'.

Vachement - France, slang. Literally "cowly", vachement is a synonym for "very", and can be translated in some cases for the English adjective 'quite'. For instance - 'Il est vachement idiot' could be translated as 'He is quite stupid'.

Whilst on the subject of 'vache', a popular French phrase is 'la vache!' which, as an exclamation, means 'damn!' or 'darn!'. For example - 'tu as perdu!' could be greeted with 'la vache!' or 'mince!' or other such expressions of discontent.

Zinzin - Colloquial word meaning 'crazy'.

Comments

[Samir Powell]

does anyone know how to say cribs, as in MTV cribs, in french

[Ian Thompson]

Does anyone know what the phrase 'sou sou disant' means please? I may have not quite spelt the phrase exactly correct but I would be so pleased to know the answer.
Thank you.

[lisa]

i'm not good at spelling french but this is a slang french word my parents used to call little babies or kids...

petou or pitoute
something along those lines....
any clues???

[Craig]

Hi Lisa, I wonder if it could have been "petiot(e)" which is little boy/girl, or as my dictionary says lad/lass.
It's a lovely little word, Craig

[John]

Lisa, the French for little is petit or petite if it is feminine. It can mean little boy or girl. It sounds like your petou/petoute. John

[Steve]

Does anyone know the French (slang?)phrase for the chest area above a women's breasts, sounds like 'un peu pomme'?

[Craig McGinty]

Hi Steve, not a question I often see asked ;-) But this alternative French dictionary may offer a start:
http://www.alternative-dictionaries.net/dictionary/French/
All the best, Craig

[Nick]

re sou sou disant, might this be soi-disant, which is 'self-styled' or where someone 'calls himself' something.
Re the ladies chest, the expression _might_ be 'embonpoint', a word that has been adopted by the English to mean buxom, where instead of saying buxom, which might be construed as rude, you would say that a lady has a 'fine embonpoint'. Hope that's helpful!

[Craig McGinty]

Hi Nick, many thanks for that and I hope it helps answer the question.
All the best, Craig

[Krista]

Can anyone help with a phrase my grandmother used to use--I am probably way off with the spelling, but phonetically, it's something like "agie-saab" and she used to say it to mean, "you little stinker!" Merci!

[Craig McGinty]

Hi Krista, bit of a tough one that. I've looked over my dictionary without any luck :-(
All the best, Craig

[John,]

Is it appropriate when I write to the wife of a married couple who I know well, to address the wife as "mon cher, or mon cheri? If not then how should I address her?

[Craig McGinty]

Hi John,
Might not be wise to use such phrases, they are usually kept for loved ones.

These two articles I've written in the past might help with writing a letter in French:

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2007/06/guide_to_writin.html

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2007/03/letter_template.html

All the best, Craig

[Steve]

hi, does anyone know the word Kikoute? i cannot find it anywhere, but it has been used in am email to me on numerous ocassions, i have searched almost all slang sites available.
once again the word is 'Kikoute', oh and 'Bisoute' as well please and thankyou

[Craig McGinty]

Hi Steve,
I've had a look around and struggled with Kikoute, possibly it's something along the lines of 'coucou'???
Bisoute I am pretty sure is a spin-off of 'bisou' and is an informal 'kisses' way to sign off a note or short message.
All the best, Craig

[Steve]

thanks for the info craig, v helpful

[james]

anybody know if french adults refer to children as onions or radishes or something like that?

[Craig McGinty]

Hi James, haven't personally heard of such phrases being used for children, sounds as though they are being used in a fun, colloquial way.
All the best, Craig

[Garth Cowpe]

Adults call children petit chou. Little cabbage.

[emilt]

I was wondering what the meaning behind "Vif" was. I work for a french designer and he often says this when he think's something is cool or hip.

[weemuck]

Mignon sounds a bit like onion!

[cymrox]

Anyone help me with 'annif'? I suspect it's short for anniversaire

[nick]

"la vache" actually is more commonly used in surprise. we even say it. "holy cow!!".

[Sylvia]

I am trying to find the spelling for the familial term memere or mamere, meaning grandmother. Would appreciate some help with this.

[jenny]

Hi Sylvia, is the word you're looking for "mamie"? It's used in French a lot for "granny".

Hope that helps.

[jenny]

Also, it could be "mémé"! :)

[Craig McGinty]

Hi Jenny, many thanks for taking the time to help.
All the best, Craig

[Karthik Gurumurthy]

Hi,
i wanted to know if calling someone a pie dog (possibly in french) is loving or derogatory? pie dog according to the dictionary does not have a meaning that i would call "loving". But not sure of french customs so just wanted to know.
Thank you.