Planning to go out and paint a French town red? Don’t get left in the gutter. Get down and dirty the French way! Here are some French slang words to help you describe people (the lovely French ladies and the ooh-la-la Frenchmen) and places in French.
These colloquial expressions are guaranteed to make you sound like you are one of the locals already. Other equally important words like I’m drunk, let's go home are other phrases your brain needs to remember, too!
Remember two glasses of red wine a night will make you live longer so live it up while in France!
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French Slang to Describe People
*= offensive
aguichante | enticing, attractive |
bien foutue | with a lovely body |
les binocles | glasses, spectacles |
bourge(ois) | middle class |
bourré | drunk |
chiant* | boring |
chier* | to shit |
le coup de vache | dirty trick |
cradingue | filthy |
crado | filthy |
crasseux | filthy |
décontract(é) | relaxed, chilled-out, mellow |
foutiste: j'en-foutiste | doesn't give a damn about anything |
génial | terrific, great (brill) |
glauque | sad place |
la gueule | features, face |
guindé | stiff, starchy, uptight |
marrant | good fun, a bit of a laugh |
le mec | guy (bloke) |
mettre dans le coup | to convince, to win over |
le rigolard / rigolo / marrant | joker |
taper: Il me tape sur les nerfs. | He gets on my nerves. |
Te prends plus la tête. | Don't worry yourself (your head) anymore about it. |
Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with a Talk in French Membership
French Slang to Describe A Place
une ambiance | atmosphere |
un appart(ement) | apartment (flat) |
le boucan | racket, row |
la bouffe | meal, grub (nosh) |
la chierie* | something really tedious |
chier: On s'est fait chier.* | We were bored out of our minds. |
crade | filthy |
dégoter | to find |
dégueu(lasse)* | disgusting |
en chier* | to bust a gut |
fourré | hanging out (holed up) |
partante | ready and willing, up for it |
passer bien | to be well suited |
rapidos | quick |
se concocter | to concoct, to hatch (a plan) |
se payer un coup | to go for a drink |
se ramener | get together |
tape-à-l'oeil | tacky |
lourder | to kick out |
Cassos. | Let's go. |
s’empiffrer | to stuff your face |
tenter le coup | to try your luck |
hyper-bondé | packed full |
s’empiffrer | to stuff your face |
tenter le coup | to try your luck |
Conclusion
French slang terms are a fun way to bond with your French friends especially on a drunken (or not!) night out on town. But always remember, only use French slang if you're being cheeky and you know you can get away with it!
French slang terms are incredibly informal, so never attempt to whip out these words when you're in formal conversations or talking to strangers in a formal setting.
For more French slang, you can check out the following related articles:
French Teen Slang: Speak French like a Cool Kid
61 French Text Slang and Instant Messaging Shortcuts
35 French Gay Slang Words You Need to Know
Slang French Words and Phrases for Dining and Drinking
Do you want more? Check out our French Vocabulary Mastery Course and learn 20,000++ French words and colloquial expressions!
[…] Know how to describe person and place in French the right way aka the street way […]
Coucou,
As a French American, je me permets une une petite correction: “mettre quelqu’un dans le coup” ne veut pas dire ” to convince, to win over” comme tu as mis, mais plutot ” to let someone in on something”. 🙂 Cheers!,
Solenne
Actually it depends the context. “On va juste devoir le mettre dans le coup.”On peut traduire comme “le convaincre” ou bien “l’informer” tout dépend de l’intention du locuteur.
We rather say “un coup vache” than “un coup de vache”. The latter sounds like a cow just beat you up.
Not necessarily. Un coup vache sounds a bit old to me (personal opinion). Both are completely fine in my opinion. Exemple: “Un vrai coup de vache quoi”. There is also un coup en vache.
Well if “un coup vache” sounds old, “un coup en vache” sounds prehistoric.
Google indeed brings more occurrences to “un coup de vache”, but that might be related to the fact that a movie is named that. I personally never heard “un coup de vache” in France. “Un coup de pute,” oui… Mais cette expression n’est pas forcément très fine.
Also, “mettre quelqu’un dans le coup” does not mean “to convince” but as others already said, “to make someone part of something”, “to make someone aware of something.”
I think that’s the point of the discussion here. A language is constantly changing. I just give you a clarification based on your comment. A word or even an expression can have two meanings. I just added a clarification.
I know that “mettre dans le coup” = to inform but the given translation is ok too. Context is important as well. It is not because you never heard of an expression that means it does not exist. I should give an alternative probably but it is endless then. Online dictionary will do a better job.
Bonjour, expat francaise depuis 20 ans en Irlande du Nord, de surcroit prof de francais, je suis d’accord avec Solenne: “mettre qqn dans le coup” ne porte pas la notion de convaincre. Informer, oui, convaincre non. D’autre part, “se ramener” ne porte pas la notion de se rassembler mais de venir/arriver sans la necessite de se regrouper. On pourrait dire: “je me suis ramenee a la banque a dix heures mais tout etait ferme”.
From word reference: Get-together = get together vi phrasal informal (people: socialize) se retrouver⇒, se voir⇒ v pron. Example: Let’s get together sometime and catch up on each other’s news.
C’est le sens que je souhaitais partager. N’oubliez-pas que c’est de l’argot. On peut dire en français. “On s’ramène vers quelle heure?”. L’argot n’est pas forcément utilisé par toute la population.
“Mettre quelqu’un dans le coup” peut avoir les 2 (DEUX) sens. “Mais il faut aussi se donner le temps et les moyens de réformer et de “mettre dans le coup” l’ensemble de la société.” Ici on parle d’impliquer la population dans les réformes et non informer la population.
What do the asterisks signify?
Oh I completely forget to add an explanation for that. *= offensive . I will add it right away.
C’est “cassos” ou bien “cassons” pour “let’s go”?
Cassos! Mais on peut aussi dire “Cassons-nous” et pas seulement “cassons”.
Je ne connais pas “cassos” signifiant let’go. On dit “on se casse ” ou “cassons nous”. Le seul “cassos” que je connaisse est une abréviation de “cas sociaux”
Cassos veut aussi dire “cas sociaux” c’est vrai. Mais on peut l’utiliser aussi dans le sens de let’s go. “J’attends d’avoir un peu de fric et… cassos. As soon as I get a little cash… I’m outta here!”
la gueule – features, face … ce n’est pas pejoratif?
Tout dépend du contexte. “Il a une bonne gueule – a good mug ” . Tous les mots partagés sont de l’argot, il faut faire attention avec qui on les utilise.
J’ai entendu que “Ta gueule” (Shut up) soit grossier. C’est vrai?
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thank-you very much for the emails & word lists .sorry I can not commit myself any more at present .
even if I did order a book it would get stolen or lost in post to cape town .
[…] 48 Handy Slang Terms for A Night Out in France […]