146 Useful (and Sometimes Clever) French Words for Social Media Users

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Last Updated: June 5, 2023

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The French language seems to be having a hard time keeping up with all the new English technology-related terms.  Thankfully we have the "office québécois de la langue française"(OQFL).

Its core objective: to "Frenchify" English jargon and terminology.

Sometimes their translation actually comes across as more accurate than the original English term and conveys the real meaning behind a word. 

social media words french

Here in this article, we'll take a look at French social media terms. You can also download the list if you're pressed for time now. When you subscribe to the weekly newsletter, this vocabulary list is just one of the many freebies you'll get.

Time to go through the list of useful words for social media in French!

The good

mona lisa selfies

Selfies = Ego-portrait

Ego-portrait---can it be even better? Epic win for Quebeckers!

 

unfriend amiradier

to unfriend = amiradier

The verb "radier" in French means to ‘strike off / cross-off’. It sounds like "get-off of my list" in French. Very funny, no ? (yeah, I don't have a life).

The bad

But sometimes the translation of English terms misses the mark (in my opinion).

OQFL is not the only one trying to come up with a French alternative for English terms, L'académie française is involved too. Unfortunately, the institutes cannot come up with creative ideas every time and often just translate the word directly without undue consideration, often resulting in words that sound a bit weird.

I’m referring to words like gazouillis = tweet or mot-dièse = hash-tag, which do not sound right in French. Indeed, I am not sure if these two words would be considered acceptable by a French native speaker.

The ugly

However, sometimes we have no choice other than to translate some English words. If we do not do it, it can be very awkward. "Pinner", such as (to pin) would be a big no-no. « Pinner » has a sexual meaning in French (pinner = to fxxx).  So we have to use the French alternative "épingler".

But enough of this short introduction to the complexities of translating today’s fashionable jargon, let's learn some new French words related to social media.

Note: (CA)= Words used in Canada not in France.

AbonnéeSubscriptions
abonnement (n.m.)subscription
Actualisation de statutStatus Update
AjouterAdd
ajouter à sa liste d’ami(e)s un(e) ami(e) to “friend”
ajouter ami ( e ) (fb terms)Add Friend
amiradier; désamicaliser; décopiner (CA)unfriend
amis en communMutual Friends
annuaire (n.m.); répertoire (n.m.)directory
application mobile (n.f.); appli mobile (n.f.)mobile application; mobile app
bloquerBlock
clavardage (n.m.) (CA) / chatterchatting
commentaireComment
compte FacebookFacebook account
confidentialitéPrivacy
connectéConnected
connexionLog in
contenu (n.m.)content (n.)
contributeur (n.m.), contributrice (n.f.)contributor
copier collerto copy and past
créerCreate
de pointestate of the art
DéconnectéDisconnected
DéconnexionLog out
Demandes d’ajout à la liste d’amisFriend Requests
démodéoutdated
devenir viralgo viral
disponibleavailable, free, flexible
égo-portraits (CA)selfies
en temps réelreal time (adj.)
envoyer un message to send a message
Envoyer un Poke à…To Poke
épingler ("pinner" has a different meaning in French)pin 
être connectéto be online
être en évolution constante/ permanenteto be changing all the time
Exprimez-vous (“Express yourself”) (FB)What’s in your mind?
faire face àto confront, face up to
faire gagner du tempsto save time
faire parler de soito get onesself talked about
FAQ (n.f.); foire aux questions (n.f.)frequently asked questions; FAQ
fermer (une) session to logout 

fil (n.m.); fil de discussion (n.m.)discussion thread; thread (n)
flux d’activités (n.m.)activity stream
foodographiefood porn
fouinercreep 
gazouillage (n.m.) (CA); tweetage (n.m.)tweeting
gazouiller (CA); tweetertweet 2  
gazouillis (CA.); tweet (n.m.) tweet 1
Groupes Groups
historique personnel (n.m.)activity log
IdentificationTag
Identifier une photo To tag a picture
J'aimeLike
Je n’aime plusUnlike
la chanceoppurtunity
la compétence en informatiquecomputer literacy
la couverture médiatiquemedia coverage
la disponibilitéflexibility, availability
la messageriecomputerised mail
la page d'accueilhomepage
la toile / le webthe Web
la vie privée des personalitésprivate lives of celebrities
l'achat en ligneonline shopping
l'appartenancebelonging, being a member of
le bloggeurblogger
le fichierfile
le fournisseur d'accèsservice provider
le mel, le mélemail
le mot de passepassword
le moteur de recherchesearch engine
le piratageillegal downloading
le pirate informatiquehacker
le réseaunetwork
le vecteur d'informationvehicle for information
l'ère informatique (f)information age
les amateurs de bonne cuisine/ foodiesfoodies
les données (f)data
les ragots, les potinsgossip
l'essorgrowth
l'internaute (m)web user, surfer
médias sociaux (n.m.)social media
MembresMembers
Mot de passePassword
Mot-dièseHash-tag
MurWall
navigeur, surferto browse, surf
ne plus suivreunfollow
Nom d’utilisateurUsername
Nom du groupeGroup Name
nouveau (nouvelle)new
partager to share 

Photos de profilProfile Pictures
poster quelquechose sur le mur de quelqu’un to post something on somebody’s wall
PublierPublish
Rechercher des amisFind Friends
rechercher la gloireto seek fame
rédiger to compose (post) 

Rédiger un commentaireAdd a description
réépinglerrepin
répondre au courrierto reply to emails
réseau social social network 

réseautage social (barely use)social networking 

Retirer de la liste d’amisUnfriend
retweet (n.m.); gazouillis partagé (CA)retweet; RT
retweeterto retweet
revinérevined
s’abonnersubscribe
s'abonner to subscribe
Sans filtre (instagram)NoFilter
sauvegarderto save
se connecter to login 

s'identifier to login 

Signaler/bloquerReport/Block
simplifier la vieto make life easier
s'inscrire to sign up, to register 

Suggérer des amisSuggest friends
suivre le mouvementto jump on the bandwagon
suivre to follow
SupprimerRemove
taguer quelqu’un sur une photo to tag somebody in a photo
tenir au courantto keep informed
un abonné, une abonnée (for twitter/instagram...)a follower
un blog a blog
un commentaire a comment

un compte account, username 

un contact a contact 

un fil d’alimentation en nouvelles RSS an RSS feed 
un fil de discussion a discussion thread
un forum a forum
un hashtag a hashtag (keyword for searching, following a conversation or marking a topic)
un lecteur a reader 

un lien permanent a permalink 

un mot de passe password 

un news feed, une alimentation en nouvelles (quebec), un fluxa news feed
un profil profile 

un réseau socialsocial network
un suiveur, une suiveuse (CA)a follower
un sujet tendance a trending topic
un tableau de bord a dashboard
un utilisateur user 

un(e) abonné(e) a subscriber
une communauté community 

une mise à jour du statut a status update
une photo du profil a profile photo
utiliser à des fins mercantilesto make use of for a profit
Voir les liens d’amitiéSee Friendship

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Hopefully, after reading this you'll master social media in French!

Was it useful? If it is the case, do not hesitate to share with your friends on the different social media sites.

Gazouille (tweet), Aime (like), Epingle (pin).... Merci!

Here are some FAQs about French Social Media Terms

How do you say “social media” in French?

Les médias sociaux !

Do people in France use social media?

But of course! While certain francophone institutions are working to create French vocabulary for social media, millions of people in France use social media!

How do you say “like” in French on social media?

J’aime !

How do you say “account” in French?

Un compte !

About the author 

Frederic Bibard is the founder of Talk in French, a company that helps french learners to practice and improve their french. Macaron addict. Jacques Audiard fan. You can contact him on Instagram

  • À titre de curiosité, au Québec on utilise plutôt courriel (courrier électronique, e-mail), pourriel (poubelle électronique, spam) et cellulaire (téléphone portable).

  • Dans l’expression “Je t’aime plus qu’hier mais moins que demain” – Est-que le “s” de “plus” est prononcé ou non?

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