French Slang/Colloquial Speak

detlef

Anyone know any french phrases that people actually use when speaking day to day? I don't mean stuff you find in books. I suppose the word I'm looking for is authentic french speak:

For example, is there any french equivalent for when people say in english: 'like', 'y'know', 'd'y'know' wha I mean?', ie. language fillers.

Or any other words that are distinctly french, used in a different way in casual talk, like the way when irish people say 'That film was serious' they can mean ' That film was really good'.

tolosenc

Bof, en fait, n'est pas, donc, alors, euh... And many more.

That film was serious? Never heard that expression, but a French person would say:
"Ca filme était formidable"

ga2re2t

the translation of "like" in sentences such as "you know, like" is "quoi".
Example: Tu sais, quoi?

If you want to say that something is "serious" or "deadly", meaning good then the word to use would often be "terrible" (pronounced ter-ee-bluh)
Example: J'ai vu un film terrible hier soir!

Stuff like "d'y'know" and "wha I mean" are not language fillers, but mispronunciations. The equivalent in French would be when they remove certain vowel sounds, but they are more difficult to do in French than in English. A very common example is the expression for " I don't know" or "I dunno" which would be: "J'sais pas" which is pronounced more like 'Shay pah".

ga2re2t

Bonjour tout le monde !

This thread could be very interesting if we kept on adding slang/everyday terms. Here's a few more:
- It's quite common in France for people not to fully pronounce "tu" when the verb begins with a vowel. Some examples:
"tu es marrant" becomes "t'es marrant"
'tu as quel age ?" becomes "t'as quel age ?"

- as you may know, "salut" is used for saying both "hi" and "bye". Sometimes, the Italian word "ciao" (pronounced "chaow") replaces "salut" to say "bye". The Italians also use it to say "hi" but it is never used by the French in this way.

- the French for sh*t is "merde" and its vulgarity is similar to how Irish people would consider the word sh*t, i.e. not that big a deal when said among friends and peers. (Americans, however, consider the word "sh*t" to be extremely vulgar, going as far as calling it the "s-word").

- there is no equivalent (in terms of vulgarity) in French of the word f**k. In fact, no words are beeped out on French television and radio, although the TF1 channel has started doing so with certain words for "dramatic" effect! Probably the most vulgar expression in French is "vas te faire foutre", litteraly meaning "go do yourself", where "foutre" is an old French verb meaning "to do" and is closely linked with sexual acts. Therefore, the translation is closer to "go f**k yourself"!

Bon apprentisage et à plus !

mick.fr

ga2re2t wrote: »

Bonjour tout le monde !

This thread could be very interesting if we kept on adding slang/everyday terms. Here's a few more:
- It's quite common in France for people not to fully pronounce "tu" when the verb begins with a vowel. Some examples:
"tu es marrant" becomes "t'es marrant"
'tu as quel age ?" becomes "t'as quel age ?"

- as you may know, "salut" is used for saying both "hi" and "bye". Sometimes, the Italian word "ciao" (pronounced "chaow") replaces "salut" to say "bye". The Italians also use it to say "hi" but it is never used by the French in this way.

- the French for sh*t is "merde" and its vulgarity is similar to how Irish people would consider the word sh*t, i.e. not that big a deal when said among friends and peers. (Americans, however, consider the word "sh*t" to be extremely vulgar, going as far as calling it the "s-word").

- there is no equivalent (in terms of vulgarity) in French of the word f**k. In fact, no words are beeped out on French television and radio, although the TF1 channel has started doing so with certain words for "dramatic" effect! Probably the most vulgar expression in French is "vas te faire foutre", litteraly meaning "go do yourself", where "foutre" is an old French verb meaning "to do" and is closely linked with sexual acts. Therefore, the translation is closer to "go f**k yourself"!

Bon apprentisage et à plus !

Hum.
**** in French is translated by "putain".
Now when "go **** yourself" and other ways to use **** in English, "putain" is generally not used".
"Go **** yourself" is actually translated by "Va te faire foutre", or "Va te faire enculer". Enculer means "been taken by the ass/taking it in the ass"...

Very interesting, hum so.

I would not transate "foutre" by "to do" at all.
"Foutre" means two things in French. "Fill up" and "Semens". So we can translate, well, more adapt using the previous examples.

Dasilva94

'Ta gueule' is a vulgar version of 'Tais toi', meaning 'Shut up'.

mick.fr

Dasilva94 wrote: »

'Ta gueule' is a vulgar version of 'Tais toi', meaning 'Shut up'.

Well again I would more translate "ta gueule" by "shut the **** up".

Calina

I wouldn't agree with the latter. Context is everything and I would go with Oh Shut up rather than Ta Guele but of course...demeanour can change everything.

OP if you're interested in French slang, a tour around some of the french message boards could be interesting although they are holy terrors for text speak on them.

Dasilva94

Anyways here's another one: 'C'est la bérézina', meaning disaster or catastrophe.

It comes from the fact that Napoleon's troops suffered huge losses while crossing the river Berezina during their retreat from Moscow in 1812.

ga2re2t

mick.fr wrote: »

**** in French is translated by "putain".

Can't agree with you there I'm afraid. The French do indeed use "putain" in cases where we would say f**k, but "putain" is not a translation as such. "Putain" comes from the word "pute", meaning "whore" in English. On the vulgarity scale, "putain" is somewhere in between "sh*t" and "f**k, but there is no one word in French that has the same effect as f**k in English.

"Go **** yourself" is actually translated by "Va te faire foutre",

Yes, as I already said.

I would not transate "foutre" by "to do" at all.
"Foutre" means two things in French. "Fill up" and "Semens". So we can translate, well, more adapt using the previous examples.

Again, can't completly agree with you. Foutre, as a noun, does indeed mean "semen" or in more vulgar terms "cum".
But as a verb, it usually means "to do/make" in a very colloquial sense, sometimes means "to f**k" and sometimes "to fill" or "tu put" as in "mettre". Examples are:
Qu'est ce que tu fous ? = what (the hell) are you doing?
Je n'en ai rien à foutre ! = I don't give a damn about it! (litteraly: I don't want anything to do with it!)
Foutez-moi la paix ! = Leave me alone (litt: make me some peace)

Anyhows, check out http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/foutre for more info.

ga2re2t

Dasilva94 wrote: »

Anyways here's another one: 'C'est la bérézina', meaning disaster or catastrophe.

Never heard that one before, interesting. Of course, one could also say:
"C'était la cata !" were cata is short for catastrophe. The French like a lot of shortened two syllable words ending in a vowel. Other examples are:

"Resto" or "restau" = restaurant
"McDo" = McDonalds
"metro" = metropolitain
"texto" = text message, sms

Dasilva94

mick.fr wrote: »

Well again I would more translate "ta gueule" by "shut the **** up".

I might have phrased it badly, but that's what I was trying to say

Shinto

This is an interesting thread, i'm enjoying it. It's handy to be able to tell some Kunt to phoque off!

DaCorkGeezer

"C'est (trop) de la balle!" means "It's great/brilliant.etc"

It comes from the suburbs and can also be humurous at times, depending on whom you say it to.

"ça craint" = "it sucks"...

too many of 'em

Steffano2002

Here's another:

You can translate "Do you want a bag of chips with that?" by saying "Cent (100) balles et un Mars aussi?" (which means "do you want 100 francs - or €uros now - and a Mars bar with that").

DaCorkGeezer

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Here's another:

You can translate "Do you want a bag of chips with that?" by saying "Cent (100) balles et un Mars aussi?" (which means "do you want 100 francs - or €uros now - and a Mars bar with that").

I knew another version - without something else instead of the cent balles

Steffano2002

DaCorkGeezer wrote: »

I knew another version - without something else instead of the cent balles

Yeah there's quite a few around alright! I posted the censored version up!

shrapnel222

here's another good one:

"mortel" said as "morteeeellll"

which means "awesome"!!!

Steffano2002

There's also:

"J'en ai plein le cul" when you're really fed up about something (it translates "my ass is full of it" - lol)

and

"Parle a mon cul ma tete est malade" when you want somebody to stop talking to you (it translated "talk to my ass my head is sick)

Steffano2002

shrapnel222 wrote: »

here's another good one:

"mortel" said as "morteeeellll"

which means "awesome"!!!

We wouldn't use that one in the South. We say "Trop fort!" ("Too strong")

shrapnel222

Steffano2002 wrote: »

There's also:

"J'en ai plein le cul" when you're really fed up about something (it translates "my ass is full of it" - lol)

or "ras la fouffe" which is "up to my fanny" to say the same thing

DaCorkGeezer

Steffano2002 wrote: »

We wouldn't use that one in the South. We say "Trop fort!" ("Too strong")

One that I'm particularly fond of is "(C'est) puissant" ("That's powerful")

That can apply to something funny, puzzling, impressive, something that strikes you in general...Can be a song, a painting, a book, a phrase...

I like it for its versatility...and power

Steffano2002

DaCorkGeezer wrote: »

One that I'm particularly fond of is "(C'est) puissant" ("That's powerful")

That can apply to something funny, puzzling, impressive, something that strikes you in general...Can be a song, a painting, a book, a phrase...

I like it for its versatility...and power

Very true! I say "Trop puissant!" a lot actually!

Steffano2002

shrapnel222 wrote: »

or "ras la fouffe" which is "up to my fanny" to say the same thing

LOL Ras la fouffe! Forgot about that one!

voyelles

'Putain' is a very handy little word. Although meaning 'whore' in the first sense of the word, it's actually a very common exclamation word. You'd use it without any worry with friends. It conveys a sense of amazement or disbelief. Thus:

"Putain, c'est pas vrai!" --> "God, that can't be true!"

Or you can use it as an adjective

"Il a une putain de caisse, le mec! --> "That dude has a nifty car"

Heinrich

balèze

(familiar adj) brawny, strapping; great, terrific

C'est un mec très balèze - He's a very brawny guy.

Elle est balèze en maths - She's great at math.

un/e balèze - strapping wo/man

CasimiR

shrapnel222 wrote: »

or "ras la fouffe" which is "up to my fanny" to say the same thing

"ras le bol" would be a nicer way to put it

how about ..
"et mon cul c est du poulet ?"
"ca craint"
"foutage de gueule"
"abusage"
"de la balle"
"va chier"

'C'est la bérézina' i didn t know that one, what part of France is that used in ? ?
"c'est la cata " would be an alternative (for 'la catastrophe')

Sounds like this thread s turning into and howto of French slang
Bravo les mecs, on fait tres fort sur ce cou la pour promouvoir notre belle langue a l etranger ;-)

gufcfan

Calina wrote: »

OP if you're interested in French slang, a tour around some of the french message boards could be interesting although they are holy terrors for text speak on them.

I'm on a few french message boards, not related to learning french, just some sites of interest to me that happen to be in french. Sometimes it can be a real head-scratcher trying to figure out what is being said, when they use text-speak and abbrieviations.

Pain in the ass.

gufcfan

You have got to be kidding!!!

Saw this MALPT!, it means "Merde A La Puissance Treize!".

Literal translation to English means "**** to the thirteenth power"

ffs

DaCorkGeezer

gufcfan wrote: »

You have got to be kidding!!!

Saw this MALPT!, it means "Merde A La Puissance Treize!".

Literal translation to English means "**** to the thirteenth power"

ffs

Here, I'd say the "Power 13" refers to Marseille (13 being the departement code for les Bouches du Rhône).

This statement sounds like it comes from a person living in Paris, thus emphasizing the rivalry between football fans/suburbs.

What's a MALPT! anyway

franc 91

The first phrase you asked for was - d'ya know - which I would translate as - tu vois but in Parisien it becomes - t'vois or t'vois ce que je veux dire (with all the words squeezed in together) t'vois can even be pronounced like toi.

ValerieR

gufcfan wrote: »

You have got to be kidding!!!

Saw this MALPT!, it means "Merde A La Puissance Treize!".

Literal translation to English means "**** to the thirteenth power"

ffs

DaCorkGeezer wrote: »

Here, I'd say the "Power 13" refers to Marseille (13 being the departement code for les Bouches du Rhône).

This statement sounds like it comes from a person living in Paris, thus emphasizing the rivalry between football fans/suburbs.

What's a MALPT! anyway

"Merde A La Puissance Treize!" Means "Good luck", in the North of France too - Something you'd say to someone going in for an exam for example.

Steffano2002 wrote: »

LOL Ras la fouffe! Forgot about that one!

Il y a aussi "Ras la touffe" which means to be fed up with something.

Another expression "Eh ben dis donc" which means "wow" or a sentiment of surprise.

The word "Putain" has big time gained usage in the spoken French language, but this is relatively new. It used to be considered very vulgar (esp. in the Northern parts of France) in my days (showing my age now ).

Keep this thread going, I might learn something new ... it's amazing how a language evolves over the years if you don't speak it every day.

Valerie

Aard

In Nice, from certain types of course, "putain" is used all the time. You bascule somebody on the street, it's "putain". "Putain de qqch" is very common too. Anywhere there's a comma in the sentence you can probably slip in a "putain" too!