146 Useful (and Sometimes Clever) French Words for Social Media Users
Discover all the clever (sometimes not so) French terms related to social media.
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” (OQLF).
One of its roles: 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.
Here in this article, we’ll take a look at French social media terms.
Time to go through the list of useful words for social media in French!
The good
Selfie = Égoportrait
Égoportrait: can it get any better? Epic win for Quebecers!
to unfriend = amiradier
The verb “radier” in French means to ‘strike off / cross off’. It sounds like “get off 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).
The OQLF is not the only one trying to come up with French alternatives for English terms; the Académie française is involved too. Unfortunately, these institutions cannot come up with creative ideas every time and often just translate the word directly without much consideration, often resulting in words that sound a bit weird.
I’m referring to words like gazouillis = tweet or mot-dièse = hashtag, 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 need French alternatives to English words. For Pinterest, I recommend épingler. The OQLF also recommends it and discourages the English-based verb pinner; do not confuse that borrowing with the vulgar verb piner. Épingler avoids the ambiguity.
But enough of this short introduction to the complexities of translating today’s fashionable jargon, let’s learn some French social media words. Some entries refer to older platform features, such as Facebook Pokes, walls and Vine reposts; they remain useful for understanding older posts.
Note: (CA)= Canadian usages; some may also be understood or used elsewhere.
- AbonnésFollowers
- 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) (Facebook)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) / chatter (v.)chatting / to chat
- commentaireComment
- compte FacebookFacebook account
- confidentialitéPrivacy
- connectéConnected
- connexionLog in
- contenu (n.m.)content (n.)
- contributeur (n.m.), contributrice (n.f.)contributor
- copier-collerto copy and paste
- 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
- égoportrait (CA)selfie
- en temps réelreal time (adj.)
- envoyer un messageto send a message
- Envoyer un Poke à…To Poke
- épinglerto pin
- être connectéto be online
- être en évolution constante/ permanenteto be changing all the time
- Exprimez-vous (“Express yourself”) (FB)What’s on your mind?
- faire face àto confront, face up to
- faire gagner du tempsto save time
- faire parler de soito get oneself talked about
- FAQ (n.f.); foire aux questions (n.f.)frequently asked questions; FAQ
- fermer (une) sessionto log out
- fil (n.m.); fil de discussion (n.m.)discussion thread; thread (n)
- flux d’activités (n.m.)activity stream
- foodographiefood photography (sometimes called “food porn” online)
- fouinerto snoop through someone’s online activity (to creep)
- gazouillage (n.m.) (CA); tweetage (n.m.)tweeting
- gazouiller (CA); tweeterto tweet (v.)
- gazouillis (CA); tweet (n.m.)tweet (n.)
- GroupesGroups
- historique personnel (n.m.)activity log
- IdentificationTag
- Identifier une photoTo tag a picture
- J’aimeLike
- Je n’aime plusUnlike
- la chancechance, luck; opportunity
- la compétence en informatiquecomputer literacy
- la couverture médiatiquemedia coverage
- la disponibilitéflexibility, availability
- la messageriemessaging; email
- la page d’accueilhomepage
- la toile / le webthe Web
- la vie privée des personnalitésprivate lives of celebrities
- l’achat en ligneonline shopping
- l’appartenancebelonging, being a member of
- le blogueurblogger
- le fichierfile
- le fournisseur d’accèsinternet service provider
- le courriel / le courrier électroniqueemail
- le mot de passepassword
- le moteur de recherchesearch engine
- le piratagepiracy, hacking
- 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
- naviguer, surferto browse, surf
- ne plus suivreunfollow
- Nom d’utilisateurUsername
- Nom du groupeGroup Name
- nouveau (nouvelle)new
- partagerto share
- Photos de profilProfile Pictures
- poster quelque chose sur le mur de quelqu’unto post something on somebody’s wall
- PublierPublish
- Rechercher des amisFind Friends
- rechercher la gloireto seek fame
- rédigerto compose (post)
- Rédiger un commentaireWrite a comment
- réépinglerrepin
- répondre au courrierto reply to emails
- réseau socialsocial network
- réseautage social (barely used)social networking
- Retirer de la liste d’amisUnfriend
- retweet (n.m.); gazouillis partagé (CA)retweet; RT
- retweeterto retweet
- revinérevined
- s’abonnersubscribe
- s’abonnerto subscribe
- Sans filtre (Instagram)#nofilter
- sauvegarderto save
- se connecterto log in
- s’identifierto log in
- Signaler/bloquerReport/Block
- simplifier la vieto make life easier
- s’inscrireto sign up, to register
- Suggérer des amisSuggest friends
- suivre le mouvementto jump on the bandwagon
- suivreto follow
- SupprimerRemove
- taguer quelqu’un sur une phototo tag somebody in a photo
- tenir au courantto keep informed
- un abonné, une abonnée (for twitter/instagram…)a follower
- un bloga blog
- un commentairea comment
- un comptean account
- un contacta contact
- un fil d’alimentation en nouvelles RSSan RSS feed
- un fil de discussiona discussion thread
- un foruma forum
- un hashtaga hashtag (keyword for searching, following a conversation or marking a topic)
- un lecteura reader
- un lien permanenta permalink
- un mot de passepassword
- un news feed, une alimentation en nouvelles (Québec), un fluxa news feed
- un profilprofile
- un réseau socialsocial network
- un suiveur, une suiveuse (CA)a follower
- un sujet tendancea trending topic
- un tableau de borda dashboard
- un utilisateuruser
- un(e) abonné(e)a subscriber
- une communautécommunity
- une mise à jour du statuta status update
- une photo du profila profile photo
- utiliser à des fins mercantilesto make use of for a profit
- Voir les liens d’amitiéSee Friendship
Hopefully, after reading this you’ll master social media in French!
Was it useful? If so, feel free to share with your friends on the different social media sites.
Gazouille (tweet), Aime (like), Épingle (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 !
