50 French Slang Words and What They Mean
French slang can make films, messages, and informal conversations easier to follow, but meaning depends on age, region, relationship, and tone. Treat this list mainly as recognition vocabulary. Listen for who uses each expression and in what setting before you add it to your own speech.
50 slang words and expressions
| French | Meaning / use |
|---|---|
| mec | guy |
| meuf | woman / girl; verlan |
| pote | friend / mate |
| frangin / frangine | brother / sister |
| boulot | work / job |
| bosser | to work |
| taf | work |
| fric | money |
| thune | money |
| bouffe | food |
| bouffer | to eat |
| bagnole | car |
| baraque | house / place |
| piaule | room |
| clope | cigarette |
| truc | thing |
| machin | thingamajig / what's-his-name |
| dingue | crazy / amazing |
| ouf | crazy / amazing; verlan |
| chelou | weird / shady; verlan |
| relou | annoying; verlan |
| vénère | angry; verlan |
| chanmé | great; verlan |
| grave | seriously / very |
| carrément | totally |
| trop bien | really great |
| nickel | perfect / spotless |
| ça roule | things are good / okay |
| ça marche | that works |
| pas de souci | no problem |
| la flemme | can't be bothered |
| galérer | to struggle |
| se débrouiller | to manage |
| se planter | to make a mistake |
| louper | to miss |
| se barrer | to leave |
| se casser | to leave; can sound rude |
| flipper | to freak out |
| kiffer | to really like |
| mater | to watch / look at |
| draguer | to flirt |
| râler | to complain |
| avoir le seum | to be bitter / disappointed |
| être crevé | to be exhausted |
| être fauché | to be broke |
| c'est mort | no chance / it's off |
| j'en ai marre | I'm fed up |
| laisse tomber | forget it |
| vas-y | go ahead / come on |
| à plus | see you |
Slang in context
Inès: Tu viens au ciné ce soir ?
Malik: J'aimerais bien, mais je suis crevé et j'ai la flemme de sortir.
Inès: Pas de souci. On remet ça à samedi ?
Malik: Carrément. À plus !
Use slang safely
- Learn it first for comprehension.
- Notice age, region, and relationship.
- Avoid insulting labels and profanity until you understand their force.
- Keep standard alternatives available for work and services.
FAQ
What is verlan?
It is a form of wordplay that reverses syllables or sounds, as in femme → meuf. Some forms are widely established; others date quickly.
Keep learning
- Practice next: everyday French expressions
- Practice next: spoken French
- Practice next: French listening
- Practice next: French conversation
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