French Slang

On this page you’ll find a complete list of French slang (l’argot) vocabulary words, short phrases and expressions. French slang is extremely rich and colorful and can really add a lot of extra flavor to the language. Having basic knowledge of these words is a great idea as it’ll help you to ingratiate yourself with French people. This vocabulary list is broken down into the following sections: words for people, interjections, family, money, food and being hungry, body parts and physical ailments, class and social status, jobs and professions and finally moods and feelings. A lot of French slang comes from Verlan, which is a type of slang where syllables of words are reversed. Below we’ve included a link to a page about verlan.

Words for People
le mec guy/man le keum guy/man le gars guy/man
le type guy/man la nana woman/girl la gonzesse woman/girl
la nénette woman/girl la minette woman/girl la meuf woman/girl
la louloutte woman/girl mon pote my (male) friend
 ma pote my (female) friend
mon poteau my (male) friend
 mon jules my boyfriend
 mon keum my boyfriend
la mocheté ugly woman
 mon frère my brother (my friend)
 ma sœur my sister (my friend)
le bonhomme guy/man le canon beautiful man or woman
 la bombe beautiful woman
le missile beautiful woman le thon ugly man or woman le boudin fat man or woman
Interjections
aïe! Ouch! ouïe! Ouch! holà! Hey! Whoa!
ouf! Phew! oups! Oops! zut! Darn!
merde! shit youpi! yippi! et toc! serves you right!
Boum! Boom Pan! Bang! (gun sound)
Family
ma reum my mom mon reup my dad mon daron my dad
mon frangin my brother ma frangine my sister le gamin child/kid
le môme child/kit le gosse child/kid la belle-doche mother in-law
la belle-muche mother in-law le beauf brother in-law ma meuf my girl/myspouse
le fiston son la tatie aunt le tonton uncle
Money
le fric money la thune money le pèze money
le pognon money l’oseille money la balle ten euros
la brique about 1,500 euros
 reuch expensive Ça douille it’s expensive
Ça coûte bonbon it’s expensive
 Je suis fauché I’m broke
 Je suis à sec I’m broke
Je suis raide I’m broke
 J’ai une galère de thune I’m having money problems
 le radin stingy man
le rapiat stingy man
 le pingre stingy man
 la radine stingy woman
la rapine stingy woman
 la pingre stingy woman
 bourré de fric very rich
Food & Being Hungry
je mangerais un bœuf I could eat a horse j’ai la dalle I’m starved miam miam! yum! yum!
beurk! Yuck! le petit déjbreakfast la bouffe meal
la casse-dalle snack la graille food la barbaque bad meat
la bidoche bad meat super bon delicious dégueulasse disgusting
dégueu disgusting écoeurant disgusting
Body Parts & Physical Ailments
le pif nose la tronche face la gueule face
les mirettes eyes les tifs hair les chicots teeth
le bide belly/stomach le bidon belly/stomach le panard foot
les esgourdes ears la gambette legs le palpitant heart
avoir la crève to have a cold gerber to vomit/puke tomber dans les pommes to faint
Class/Social Status
le richard very wealthy man l’aristo (m) aristocrat BCBG preppy
bobo yuppies le bourge bourgeois or middle-class le prolo working class, proletariat
le smicard minimum wage earner le rmiste somebody who lives on the dole le clodo homeless person
Professions/Jobs
la fliquette police woman la pique-fesse nurse le babillard lawyer
le barbouillleur bad artist le cognard cop or policeman le coincoin priest
le flic cop or policeman le gratte-papier paper-pusher le gyneco gynecologist
l’inter interpreter le keuf cop or policeman le kiné physiotherapist
le larbin butler le loche taxi driver le louchébem butcher
le loufiat waiter le mécano mechanic le musicos musician
le perruquemar hairdresser, barber le pomplard fireman le posticheur door-to-door salesman
le prof professor/teacher le proprio landlord le psy psychiatrist or shrink
le scribouillard writer le toubib doctor le véto veterinarian
le vise-au-trou midwife l’intello intellectual/nerd le politicard politician
Moods & Feelings
avoir la banane to feel good avoir la frite to feel good avoir la patate to feel good
avoir la pêche to feel good avoir le blues to be sad avoir le cafard to be depressed
avoir le spleen to be sad avoir les boules to have butterflies avoir les glandes to be sad
avoir les nerfs to be angry cassé(e) tired décalqué(e) tired
être vénère angry être vert(e) angry explosé(e) tired
fracassé(e) tired H.S.(hors-service) tired nase tired

Back To Main Vocabulary Page | Verlan

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