Published September 2, 2025 • Updated October 4, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Machin meaning
Machin (m.) is a French slang noun meaning “thing,” “thingamajig,” or “whatchamacallit.” It is used when you do not know, cannot remember, or do not want to say the exact name of an object. Machin can also refer informally to a person whose name you cannot remember, similar to “what’s-his-name” or “so-and-so” in English.
Machin pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of machin is /ma.ʃɛ̃/, which sounds approximately like “mah-sheh(n).”
Machin example sentences
C’est quoi, ce machin ?
What the heck is this?
Tu devrais téléphoner à Machin. Il pourrait venir nous aider.
You should call what’s-his-name. He can come help us.
Pascal est un vieux machin qui ne sort jamais de la maison.
Pascal is an old grouch who never goes out of the house.
👉 Next lesson: Truc (thing, slang) »
🔗 Related words and expressions
- la chose — thing
- le bidule — thingamajig, whatchamacallit
- le bazar — thing, mess, stuff
- un tel / une telle — so-and-so
- Monsieur Untel / Madame Unetelle — Mr. / Ms. So-and-so
- le gadget — gadget, device
🪶 Word origin
Machin is related to the feminine noun machine (machine, device), which comes from machina in Latin.
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