Are you planning a trip to France or just want to sound like a local? Then you'll want to check out our list of the top 10 French slang words that every young person needs to know. From greeting friends and saying no, to describing something as weird or cool, these slang words are essential for understanding and participating in youth culture in France. Whether you're a student, traveler, or Francophile, you'll find this guide useful for navigating social situations and fitting in with the locals.
This term means "guy" or "dude" and is commonly used among friends.
"Mec, tu viens au boum ce soir?" - "Dude, are you coming to the party tonight?"
This term means "no" or "nah" and is often used as a casual way to say no.
"Nan, je ne veux pas y aller." - "No, I don't want to go."
This term means to relax or take it easy, and is often used as a way to tell someone to calm down.
"Chill un peu, ça va bien se passer." - "Take it easy, it's going to be fine."
This slang term means "party" or "bash," and is often used to describe a fun event or gathering.
"Il y a une super boum ce week-end." - "There's a really cool party this weekend."
This term means "good-looking" or "handsome," and is often used to describe someone who is attractive.
"Regarde, il y a un bogoss là-bas." - "Look, there's a good-looking guy over there."
This slang word means "weird" or "crazy" and is often used to describe something or someone that is out of the ordinary.
"Ce film est vraiment zarbi." - "This movie is really weird."
This term is used as a greeting and means "hello" or "hi." It is often used in a casual or informal setting.
"Coucou, comment ça va?" - "Hi, how's it going?"
This term means "to like" or "to enjoy," and is often used to describe something or someone that someone finds appealing.
"J'adore cette musique, je kiffe vraiment." - "I love this music, I really enjoy it."
This acronym stands for "mort de rire" which means "dying of laughter," and is often used to express amusement or laughter.
"MDR, cette blague était tellement drôle!" - "LOL, that joke was so funny!"
This phrase means "let's calm down" and is often used as a way to tell someone to calm down or relax.
"On se calme, tout va bien." - "Calm down, everything's fine."
The last one, is to make use of your hardly learned French with real French native using Language Exchange Apps.
There are plenty of apps out there that allow you to do so, so it might be the topic of a different post to do an overview of some of them, but I'd like to recommend one: SewaYou which focuses on the in-person experience of practicing a foreign language one-on-one with a native.
So please give it a try, it doesn't hurt, and might accelerate your learning journey! 😃
Merci!