The French do not speak of something “out of the blue”… they speak of something “that has nothing to do with sauerkraut” (Ca n’a rien à voir avec la choucroute). Maybe your teacher was less than stellar, so you want to send them off with a few colorful words on your final day, or maybe there's a French guy who has a habit of yelling at you every time you cross paths and you'd just like to know what it is he's calling you. When the French faint, they don’t fall on a bed of roses perfumed with Chanel N°5, but in… apples! Avoir le seum. This is basically the French counterpart of … 10 French Slang Phrases You’ll Never Learn In School 1. This is a way to express that you are unhappy about something or, perhaps more accurately, ‘pissed’ about something. The French don’t tell you to “leave them alone”… they tell you to “go and cook yourself an egg” (Aller se faire cuire un œuf). When you want to say that something sucks, you use ça craint! 2. Last week? When the French feel that someone is looking really hard for a reason to complain about something, they say someone is “looking for the little beast.” The best English equivalent would be “splitting hairs.”. Clean your room. » Piger Piger is a French verb used as a slang substitute for the verb comprendre (to understand). The French don’t call you “idiotic”… they call you “as dumb as a broom” ( Être con comme un balai ). Here is another slang word in French to refer to money. Last year? The French are not “tired”… they have their head up their ass (Avoir la tête dans le cul). These fun French phrases will help you speak like a native! 4. Bon Appetit! However, these days bordel is more commonly used to describe a large mess. I’ve come across a lot of vulgar and offensive expressions, but I’ve tried to keep this article clean. Simply to do something ridiculous! Don’t panic, no cow is lost or wildly running away. If you’d rather use a funny French slang alternative, garde la pêche! Are you ready to take your French speaking skills to the next level? But, in slang, it’s used to describe a big mess, uncleanliness, disorganization, etc. This is French slang for dad for mom. 20. 16. Let’s take a look at some funny French idioms. ), When it gets very cold, the French pretend they’re chasing ducks to keep warm. French slang for Money. I also added the French from France equivalent whenever I could. mobile app. Wait – let’s start with the basics. The French don’t “blow you off”… they “give you the rake” (Se prendre un râteau). 21. The longer phrase is “ferme ta gueule" or "shut your mouth!". Ça baigne ! You’ll also learn how to give advice using new verb tenses and grammar. An example would be: Range ta chambre. 19. The French don’t say that someone is “unpleasant”… they say they are “badly fucked” ( Être mal baisé ). An expert instructor will help you practice and master the different conjugations of common verbs ending in “-ir.” You’ll conjugate these verbs in the present tense and discover new ways to create simple sentences that will boost your conversational skills. While you can now easily guess where “chanmé” comes from – it is the verlan version of the word méchant, meaning nasty or mean – guessing its meaning might not be as obvious, so we’ll help you: ch… Bon courage may sound mildly ominous, but it can be nice to hear at the end of a long shift at work. 15. You will also receive tips to improve your french! It’s an art. 3. 10 best words, phrases, expressions, and slang of Quebecois French. The French are not “big-headed”… they “fart higher than their ass is located” (Péter plus haut que son cul). un type, un mec (a guy) une meuf (a woman, a chick) The best language-learning apps and websites to try, 12 Swahili words to know before traveling in East Africa, Don’t let the end of lockdown be the end of learning, Resígaro is the Amazonian language with only one remaining speaker, The most popular last name in every country in the world, and what they mean, Samuel L. Jackson teaches you how to curse in 15 different languages, Download the Nicolas c’est mon keum. While these sayings have not made their way into everydayEnglish yet, their frequency in French is high. Some words seem to be deliberately funny, while others have just turned out to be amusing. 8 Funny French Words 1) abracadabrantesque . It is used as an incantation for magic tricks and is spelled the same way in English and in French. This is what happens when a man arrives late to dinner with his lovely date: she leaves the place with a note saying “adieu” (yes, French women are famous for their temper). They are actually asking you to “give a helping hand.” So, smile and say “oui, avec plaisir” (yes, with pleasure). Quand on parle du loup. Those who go fishing…… (you snooze, you loose) Qui va a la chasse perd sa place. Allons (Al lohn) – Let’s go. Nevertheless, after much debate, this is my top list. flouse Les voleurs ont pris tout le flouse dans la caisse. The thieves took all the money from the cash register. Revenons à nos moutons. The best English equivalent would be “to give your best.”. While the French did indeed produce some of the greatest writers, natives don’t necessarily speak like the characters in novels. 2. 5. “let’s get back to … In today’s edition though, we’re looking at a number of French Swear Words, Slang, Expletives, and Expressions that may come in handy for you some day! Picking up common French expressions are a great way to learn more about the personality of French people and their culture. Verlan is a word used to describe a kind of French slang where the syllables of a word are inverted to form new words. Quintessential Quebecois. What does “Faire l’andouille” actually mean? - darn or shoot. What happens when your neighbors decide to have an electro party at 3 a.m. and think they... 3. 8. 15 French Slang Words Every French Learner Should Know 1 . In French there is a corresponding adjective, which means preposterous, exaggerated. If you would do the English translation of blé it would mean wheat. 3. Are you ready to learn French words and phrases you will not learn in class or in a book? Here are some ways French speakers use everyday slang: General Everyday Slang (understood throughout the French-speaking world) bouffer (to eat) draguer (to flirt) piquer (to steal) une arnaque (a scam) un truc (a thing) déboussolé (disorientated) Everyday Slang from France. Bordel literally means brothel. Pognon, tune, oseille or fric The English language has a tone of slang words for “money”, but Franch catches up … The French slang words “mec” and “keum” can be used for a girl to describe a guy as her boyfriend. Let’s start with the basics. There are always more words to learn, and this French class will add some to your vocabulary. 7. If you’re traveling to France or learning how to speak French, don’t look surprised when you hear some of the funny French phrases below. The French don’t “shup someone up”… they “nail someone’s beak” (Clouer le bec de quelqu’un). 1. Blé. Merde - shit. It doesn't sound all that bad to us, really. 12. The French don’t tell you that “you’re grumpy”… they tell you that “you’re farting sideways” (Avoir un pet de travers). Informal and Spoken French includes more than 200 pages of informal speech, slang vocabulary, spontaneous listening resources with transcripts and exercises, and authentic French-language realia images from Europe.This e-book also comes with 91 mp3s recorded by several native speakers and FREE lifetime updates. The French don’t tell you “to mind your own business”… they tell you “to deal with your own onions” (Occupe-toi de tes oignons). This funny French saying means to work hard with the expectation that something good will happen. 17. Translation: Il me court sur le haricot It is the best way to learn before traveling to France! I know a few Spanish swear words and expressions which are pretty funny, and I like how they’re used as essential tools of communication!. Try using these French phrases in conversation – the more you practice using them, the more natural they will start to become. 9. You will walk away with learning tools to get your pronunciation to the next level! On big occasions, the French will “Être sur son 31,” meaning that they’ll be putting on beautiful and elegant clothes. It can be translated as 'I don't give a fuck'. 9. Quick Navigation. 25 French Insults for Every Occasion. Quebecois French is a colourful language that is very distinct from the French spoken in Europe – including its swear words. In actuality, however, this funny French phrase actually means to stop bluffing! If you “En avoir ras le bol,” it means that you’re “sick of it” and well, the bowl is full and your anger may overflow. Are you ready to learn the basics of French grammar? But remember that gueule pertains to an animal’s mouth hence the rudeness of this expression. 1. Get ready for a fun, supportive group class where you’ll stretch your skills and gain more confidence in your speaking abilities. If a French person asks you to “donner un coup de main,” don’t punch him or her please. "Oui. RELATED VIDEO: French Slang Everyone Should Know. The French are not “bumbling”… they have “their two feet in the same clog” (Avoir les deux pieds dans le même sabot). Those who go for the hunt loose their place. Mandarin is both incredibly hard and ridiculously easy to learn. British Slang is a fountain of beautiful words that we don’t normally use in America. Bayou (bi-yoo) – The streams crisscrossing Louisiana. We spend a lot of money on our holidays. Bordel. I don't have the money to buy a car. fric (pronounced: freek) is a French slang word that means “money”. The more, the merrier. Well then, French slang is the way to go! Chanmé is a ‘verlan’ word. 3. This is the North American version of French spoken in Canada.It is comes across as Franglais & borrows heavily from North American English.The accent also sounds very heavily like the North American English accent. A decent alternative to the overused adjective, nul. Learning French? oseille Most people of … Oftentimes, it’s not so much the word itself that’s awesome – but the usage of it so […] You will learn useful adjectives to introduce yourself in a daily conversation. Ça craint ! fric Je n'ai pas de fric pour m'acheter une voiture. If you watch the Cannes Festival Red Carpet events, for instance, this is typically what “to be on your 31” entails. The French phrase “ Ah, la vache ” actually... 2. Don’t panic, no cow is lost or wildly running away. Qui va a la pêche, la repêche. This is the French we are talking about, so of course somewhere in this article there had to be a reference to traditional French food. 10. The French don’t “give someone a tongue-lashing”… they “yell at them like they’re rotten fish” (Engueuler quelqu’un comme du poisson pourri). Ça baigne ? Here’s what travelers can master. A slang term offend attributed to 19th-century cowboys of the Wild West, it means jail, as on "You varmints are headin' straight for the hoosegow." 14. French swear words – turn away now if easily offended! The French don’t call you “idiotic”… they call you “as dumb as a broom” (Être con comme un balai). Andouille (ahn-do-ee) – A spicy country sausage used in Gumbo and other Cajun dishes. Popular French Slang Phrases. Some French slang is very popular as well. Arriver Initially, you might think that this French expression is used when trying to get someone to slow down. Verlan itself is a verlan word, the original one being l’envers, meaning backwards or upside down. 13. 22. “Nice, France” by Paul Rysz© Caisse, bagnole or vago All three of these are slang for “car” which is “voiture” in French. June 2020. Here is a look at some of the most popular Cajun French Sayings every documented. I’m not sure if you’ve seen that scene in Matrix 2 where Lambert Wilson starts swearing in French (click here Matrix reloaded Lambert Wilson – YouTube or see it below) and he says the same thing and he starts to swear wonderfully in French. It’s a mess. Speak of the devil. 4. Search for a topic, destination or article, We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. It’s amazing how bad foreigners are at swearing in French. Rather, they use the French expression “to become a goat.” If you’re not fluent in French, trying to understand an angry French person may actually turn you into a goat as well! What does Chanmé mean in French? French men don’t “sleep around”… they “dip their biscuit” (Tremper son biscuit). French Slang French Grammar French Phrases French Words French Quotes French Sayings French Language Lessons French Language Learning Learn A New Language. More like a family-friendly restaurant with crazy memorabilia on the wall then a place with bars on the windows. Learn these idiomatic French expressions and boost your language skills. Bordel means brothel. 18. When you first started learning French, you probably picked up quite quickly on that very useful question/answer pair: “Ça … The French don’t say “this is annoying me”… they say “I’m getting swollen by this” (Ça me gonfle). The French don’t say “it’s useless”… they say “it’s like pissing in a violin” (Pisser dans un violon). When someone says “ta gueule”, it’s a rude way to say, “shut up!”. (bon … We will look at adjectives of emotions and descriptions. The French don’t “piss you off”… they “shit you off” (Faire chier quelqu’un). These are expressions that have grown into popular use, but cannot be translated literally without losing their meaning. The best English equivalent would be “Oh my god!”, What happens when your neighbors decide to have an electro party at 3 a.m. and think they should let everybody know by turning the volume up? They “break your ears,” literally…. The French phrase “Ah, la vache” actually expresses surprise and excitement. The word “taquet” is used to refer to a piece of wood put between a door and a wall to block it. Quand les poulettes arount des dents" means yes, wheb chicken have teeth (Like saying when pigs fly). Oh la vache ! The French are not “very lucky”… they have “as much luck as a cuckold” (Avoir une veine de cocu). 6. 2. While Americans like to say “to be driven mad,” the French like to make it quite clear that anger is not their right state of mind. 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Some are hilarious, some are rude and some are… interesting. The French don’t “piss you off”… they “shit you off” ( Faire chier quelqu’un ). If a French person “gives you the rake,” it means he or she refuses to go out with you. Get ready to practice your skills in a fun exercise where you'll ask questions about things that happened in the past! In this helpful class, you’ll learn how to conjugate verbs starting with two of the most important verbs in French - “avoir” and “etre.” This online French class will also teach you different subject pronouns and common expressions that you can use in everyday language.