Text messaging and online chats are part of our daily lives and have introduced so many terms into the mainstream. You probably know about LOL, ROFL, IDK and their equivalent in your language.
But what about if you would like to send a message in French? What text slang terms, abbreviations, acronyms, and shortcuts do French people use in instant messages and SMS?
Here in this article, we'll take a look at common French text slang and their equivalent in English.
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French Text Slang
| MDR = Mort de rire. | It means “dying of laughter.” Just like “LOL” in English. |
| EXPDR = Explosé de rire or ‘exploding with laughter’. | Sort of similar to “ROFL” (rolling on the floor laughing) in English. |
| C = C’est. | It means: “it’s.” |
| C Ca = C’est ça. | Means: “that’s it.” |
| CT= C’était. | This means “it was.” |
| G = J’ai. | Means “I have.” |
| GT= J’étais | “I was.” |
| QQ1 = quelqu’un | Meaning: “someone.” |
| QQC = quelque chose | It means: “something.” |
| tt = tout. | Means: “All/everyone.” |
| A+= à plus tard. | Means “see you” or its English abbreviation “cu.” |
| ++ = à plus tard. | “See you later.” Like the English abbreviation: “C U L8R.” |
| A12C4 = à un de ces quatre. | “See you one of these days.” |
| 12C4 = un de ces quatre. | “One of these days.” |
| A TT = à tout à l'heure. | “Talk to you later.” Similar to “TTYL.” |
| Je re = je reviens tout de suite. | Same as “BRB” or “Be right back” in English. |
| a2m1 = À demain. | “See you tomorrow” (c u tmrw). |
| Auj = Aujourd’hui. | It means “today.” |
| ALP = À la prochaine. | “See you.” |
| BIZ =bisous, bises. Kisses. | Similar to “X,” “XX,” or “XO” in English. |
| Cki ? = on se connaît ? | “Do I know you?” |
| J'y go= je dois partir. | Same as “GTG” or “got to go.” |
| AMA = à mon avis. | “In my opinion.” Similar to “IMO” in English. |
| AMHA= à mon humble avis. | “In my humble opinion.” Similar to “IMHO” in English. |
| AMS = à mon sens. | “As I understand it.” |
| C1Blag = c'est une blague. | “Just kidding.” Same as “J/K” in English. |
| RSTP = réponds, s'il te plaît. | Used to ask someone to text/reply back. |
| PEH = pour être honnête. | Just like “TBH” (to be honest). Use this when stating your opinion or thoughts on a matter. |
| Cc = Coucou. | “Hey/hi!” |
| slt= Salut. | “Hi!” |
| Bjr = Bonjour. | “Hello.” |
| Bsr = Bonsoir. | “Good evening.” |
| MDA = Merci d'avance. | “Thanks in advance.” |
| Mci = Merci. | “Thanks.” Similar to “thx.” |
| Pk = Pourquoi. | “Why?” |
| STP = S'il te plaît. | “Please.” Similar to the shortened “pls.” |
| Dsl = Desolé. | “Sorry.” |
| DAC = d’accord. | “Alright.” Similar to “OK.” |
| b1sur = bien sûr. | “Of course.” |
| ENTK = en tout cas. | “Anyway.” |
| Pr toi =pour toi. | “For you.” Same as “4u.” |
| DDD = demande de discussion | which means a request for discussion or “We need to talk.” |
| ASV = âge, sexe, ville. Similar to ASL | in English which is used in instant messaging to ask the age, sex, and location. |
| Bcp = beaucoup. | “A lot.” |
| bi1to = Bientôt. | “Soon.” |
| CB1 = c’est bien.. | “That’s good.” |
| CAD = c’est-à-dire. | “That is.” Same as “i.e.,” which is used to list or enumerate some points. |
| CPG = c’est pas grave. | “It’s no big deal / not a problem.” |
| DQP = dès que possible. | “As soon as possible” (ASAP). |
| FDS = fin de semaine. | “Weekend.” |
| JTM or Je t’M = je t’aime. | “I love you.” |
| JMS = jamais. | “Never” |
| TJS = toujours. | “Always.” |
| JSG = je suis génial. | “I’m doing good.” |
| KDO = cadeau. | “Gift.” |
| QDN = Quoi de neuf? | “What’s new?” |
| TLM = Tout le monde. | “Everyone.” |
| RDV = Rendez-vous. | “Catch up.” |
| RAF = Rien à faire, | “Nothing to do.” |
| V1 = Viens. | “Come.” |
| OKLM Au calme = (Not the airline company KLM). Au calme here means no pressure / “chill”. | Used by youngsters mostly. |
Why should you learn French text lingo?
While many would think that these French slang words are some sort of bastardization of a beautiful language, those who use these argue that modern online conversations require fast, hurried typing and text lingo serves that purpose.
Language evolves to keep up with the times. In order to fully understand a language such as French, you need to understand every aspect including text-speak.
Hopefully this will help you converse and understand chat in French!
Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with a Talk in French Membership
Want more?
Looking for more resources about French slang? You may also want to check out these other related articles:
French Teen Slang: Speak French Like a Cool Kid
48 Handy Slang Terms for A Night Out in France
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Here are some FAQs about French Text Slang
How do you say “bye” in French slang?
You can say salut or a plus for the French slang of “bye.”
How do you say “good luck” in French slang?
In French, the slang for good luck is merde. The word merde means “shit” in French, and they use it to wish people luck. In the 19th century, when people still used horse-drawn carriages, theatre performers found having a lot of horse merde a sign of success because it meant there were a lot of guests arriving in horse-drawn carriages.
What does “MDR” mean in French slang?
“MDR” is the French version of “LOL” (laugh out loud). It stands for mort de rire which means “dying of laughter.”
How do you say “hello” in French slang?
The French slang for “hello” is salut.
How do you say “How are you” in French slang?
Ça va? is the French slang for “How are you?”
Now I know what the A+ means. My French friends use it on Skype and I thought it just meant something else.
Haha great, now you know 🙂
I don’t see the yellow button to share as a pdf?
It is above the table. You cannot see it???
It shows up for a second and then disappears – in chrome and IE
Can you try again? I think it should work now. THx
Oui merci
So I tried to download it and it wanted me to subscribe so I did that and received nothing by email. I waited for a few days in case it went to my spam – but I still have not received an email asking me to sign up.
Any ideas?
Camilla
Hello did you try to signup before? If you can share via email your email address I can look in the system. For privacy reason I recommend to share in the comment section. Thx
Camilla@erikco.com
Happy Connecting. Sent from my Sprint Samsung Galaxy S® 5
——– Original message ——–
Hello you already signed-up to the newsletter in August. So you should see the document inside the first welcome email. There is a link to access the document.Thx
Really fun and useful post! Also speaks to popular language, so useful outside of texting. The formatting is a bit unclear — maybe add a colon or paragraph to distinguish the shortcut from the explanation…?
Thanks for your fun and varied posts!
Actually on a desktop version it is better. But I improved it based on your feedback. Thx
Merci beaucoup pour la slangs
Je vous en prie 🙂
What about STV (si tu veux, if you want)? I did not see it on the list so maybe it is not as popular as the other ones. I am sorry if it was and I missed it!
I am not sure if it is so popular but perhaps I can add it later. THx
But thank you very much for the list!
what about pcctt?
I never heard of it. Thx
I think ‘jsp’ is also a slang , I heard it from my friend,I don’t know if it is commonly used or not but still I want to know what it is
JSP probably means “je sais pas” = I don’t know.
what about “pff”
Also possible. But it is not limited to text messages.
I’ve always thought of cki as “c’est qui”… as quoi and qui internety equivalents are koi and ki, at least in my experience. Anyway. Just my 2 cents
Hello the implied meaning is “do I know you/ on se connait”. Merci