Qu'est-ce qu'on dit ? French slang
In very few places in France do you actually hear the French of school books. The French ‘swallow’ letters, connect words to each other and pepper what they say with all sorts of sounds to reinforce their message. And as if that were not complicated enough, slang has also played a substantial role in the expansion of the language.
Slang evolves when groups of young people adopt words from each other’s cultures, which leads to a unique blend of languages. In the Netherlands, for example, slang is strongly influenced by Surinamese, English and the tongues of Morocco. In France, Arabic plays a major role in slang.
Now, if you go to France on business, you will probably not encounter a great deal of slang, but knowing a few popular terms may just come in handy.
| Slang | Standard French | Meaning |
| un mec | un homme, un individu | a man |
| une nana | une fille, une femme | a girl/woman |
| un/une pote | un ami, une amie | a friend |
| un boulot | un travail | a job |
| bosser | travailler | to work |
| une plombe | un long moment, une heure | a while, an hour |
| du fric / de la tune | de l’argent | money |
| un flic / un poulet | un policier | a police officer |
| c’est (la) galère | c’est difficile, c’est ennuyeux | it is difficult/boring |
| être à la bourre | être en retard | to be late |
| être claqué | être fatigué | to be tired |
| J’ai pas un rond ! | Je n'ai pas un centime. | I don't have a penny! |
| Je mets les gaz. | Je dois faire vite. | I have to hurry up. |
| Je veux me faire un cinoche. | Je veux regarder un film au cinéma | I want to see a film. |
Verlan
Verlan is a uniquely French form of slang. The word comes from l’envers, meaning the inverse, or ‘back-to-front’. And that is exactly what happens to words in Verlan: syllables get reversed. The idea behind it is that young people could communicate with each other without their parents understanding...
Some examples of Verlan:
| Verlan | Standard French | Meaning |
| genhar | argent | money |
| mifa | famille | relatives |
| céfran | français | French |
| rega | gare | station |
| zonmai | maison | house |
| géman | manger | food |
| cimer | merci | thank you |
| ouam | moi | I / me |
| trom’ | metro | subway / tube |
| port’nawak | n’importe quoi | it doesn't matter |
| turvoi | voiture | car |
While it can be handy to know a bit of slang, we ourselves do not recommend using it. Why not? Firstly, because language continually develops and it is difficult to keep up with the changes when you are not part of the scene. Secondly—and more importantly—because it does not contribute to a polished, professional image.
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Wilt u beter Frans leren?
Bij Regina Coeli leert u precies het Frans dat u nodig heeft. Want het maakt nogal een verschil of u gesprekken moet voeren met bekende Franse collega's over uw dagelijks werk of moet onderhandelen met een nieuwe Franse leverancier. Daarom volgt u een persoonlijk programma en krijgt u les van native speakers.
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