Lesson 20 Flashcards
This deck offers a quick survey of common colloquial, informal French terms and phrases.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Je vais me faire à manger plus tard
J’vais m’faire à manger plus tard
In informal French, all monosyllabic words that end in “e” – like je, me, ne, se, etc. – are usually shortened to just the sound of the consonant in front of other consonants.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Je suis au courant, mais je ne sais pas si elle va partir
J’suis au courant, mais j’sais pas si elle va partir
Note the informal pronunciation of both j’suis and j’sais pas, including how the ne has disappeared completely.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Tu ne veux pas sortir, mais je t’assure, je ne vois personne! Il n’y a rien à craindre
Tu veux pas sortir, mais je t’assure, je vois personne! Y’a rien à craindre
In informal, spoken French, the ne in negative sentences is usually dropped, but the second negative word (pas, personne, rien, etc.) is retained. Also note how il y a is pronounced y’a.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Tu as raison mais tu es quand même coupable
T’as raison mais t’es quand même coupable
In colloquial French, when tu is in front of a vowel, it usually contracts just like te. Keep in mind that this is grammatically incorrect but very common in everyday speech.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Quand est le prochain film? Où est le cinéma? Qui est le protagoniste du film?
C’est quand le prochain film? C’est où le cinéma? C’est qui le protagoniste du film?
In everyday spoken French, it is common to ask questions with the formula c’est + question word + noun.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
It’s the guy I saw last night!
C’est le mec que j’ai vu hier soir!
a guy, a man - un mec. This is a slang word that is very commonly used. When paired with a possessive adjective, as in mon mec or son mec, it usually means “boyfriend.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Don’t invite her! I can’t stand that girl
L’invite pas! Je peux pas supporter cette meuf
a girl, a woman - une meuf. This is the commonly used, informal word for a girl or woman, although it can be viewed as derogatory depending on context. When paired with a possessive adjective, as in ma meuf or sa meuf, it usually means “girlfriend.” Note how ne has been dropped from the two negative sentences.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
That guy over there is a friend of my brother’s
Le mec là-bas est un pote de mon frère
a friend, a pal - un pote. This informal word is usually reserved for one’s close friends.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
This book is really interesting!
Il est vachement intéressant, ce bouquin!
really, very - vachement. This is an informal adverb. Notice the tendency to use a pronoun in the beginning of the sentence and then mention the actual noun at the end. Also note that bouquin is slang for “book.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Your girlfriend is super nice
Elle est hyper sympa, ta meuf
very, super - hyper. This is a slang word. Also note how the pronoun is used at the beginning of the sentence, then how the actual noun is used at the end.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
What are you talking about?!
Qu’est-ce que tu racontes?!
What are you talking about? - Qu’est-ce que tu racontes?. Notice that this is not the regular verb for “to talk.” Raconter usually means “to tell,” “to recount,” or “to narrate.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
You really annoy me! Shut up!
Qu’est-ce que tu m’énerves! Ta gueule!
shut up - ta gueule. This common informal expression is shortened from ferme ta gueule – “shut your face/mouth.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I don’t care (about) what you think
Je m’en fiche de ce que tu penses
to not care - s’en ficher. Note how de is used to mean “about.” A more vulgar version of this expression is s’en foutre.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Wow, you bought that car? No way!
Waouh, t’as acheté cette voiture-là? La vache!
no way - la vache. This expression is comparable to “holy cow” in English. Also note the informal contraction of tu here.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I don’t like this restaurant. Let’s leave!
J’aime pas trop ce resto. On se casse!
to leave - se casser. This verb should only be used colloquially. It is often considered rude in the imperative form, casse-toi, which is like “scram” in English. Also note that resto is slang for “restaurant.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
He has put on so much weight, you can tell
Il a tellement grossi, ça se voit
you can tell, it’s obvious - ça se voit
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Did you enjoy the film?
Et le film, t’as kiffé?
to love, to enjoy - kiffer. This is an informal term.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I love/like your new car
Je kiffe ta nouvelle caisse
a car - une caisse, une bagnole. These are slang terms.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
That guy is really weird
Ce mec est vraiment chelou
weird, sketchy - chelou. Note that this word is the verlan of louche. Verlan is a French backward-slang whereby the syllables of words are reversed.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Doing homework on Sunday – that sucks!
Faire les devoirs le dimanche – ça craint!
that sucks - ça craint. This is an informal expression.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
He was so drunk, he couldn’t even manage to speak
Il était tellement bourré, il arrivait même pas à parler
drunk - bourré. Note that this is a colloquial term.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
They freaked out when they saw me
Ils ont flippé quand ils m’ont vu
to freak out - flipper. Keep in mind that this is a slang term.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
You got kicked out of the club? That’s embarrassing!
Tu t’es fait virer de la boîte? La honte!
that’s/how embarrassing - la honte. The “h” in honte is aspirated so it does not contract.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
He wrote her a love poem? That’s crazy
Il lui a écrit un poème d’amour? C’est ouf
crazy, absurd - ouf. Note that this term is the verlan of fou.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Don’t you find Sophie’s boyfriend annoying?
Tu le trouves pas relou, le mec de Sophie?
annoying - relou. This word is technically the verlan of lourd, but takes on meanings like “annoying,” “difficult,” or “lame.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I am fed up with this class
J’en ai marre de ce cours
to be fed up with something - en avoir marre de quelque chose
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I’m sick of seeing the same clothes everywhere
J’en ai marre de voir les mêmes fringues partout
clothes - des fringues. This is a feminine plural slang word.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
He dumped his girlfriend by text? That’s crazy!
Il a largué sa copine par texto? C’est dingue!
mad, crazy, nuts - dingue. Note the informal term for “text message,” texto. Meanwhile, larguer (quelqu’un) is the slang alternative to rompre avec (quelqu’un), “to break up with/dump (someone).”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I don’t like to eat pizza with my hands, I think that’s disgusting
J’aime pas manger la pizza avec les mains, je trouve ça dégueu
dirty, gross, disgusting - dégueu. This is a shortened form of the adjective dégueulasse.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
You should go home, you’re totally drunk
Tu devrais rentrer, t’es vachement défoncé
drunk, wasted - défoncé. Alternatives include déchiré and bourré.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I really like Moroccan food
Je kiffe trop la bouffe marocaine
food - la bouffe. Note that bouffer is the slang verb for “to eat.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
If I had money, I would gladly go out with you guys
Si j’avais du blé, je sortirais volontiers avec vous
money - le blé. This is an informal term. Also note the adverb volontiers, which means “gladly” or “willingly.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
I don’t have any money, I need to work this weekend
J’ai pas de blé, j’ai besoin de bosser ce week-end
to work - bosser. Keep in mind that this is a slang term.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
If only you knew how mad I am right now!
Si tu savais comme j’ai les boules là!
to be mad/annoyed - avoir les boules. This is an informal expression. Avoir les glandes means “to be scared.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
They broke my cell phone last week
Ils ont pété mon portable la semaine dernière
to break - péter. Note that the literal meaning of this verb is “to fart,” so be careful how and when you use it.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
You want us to break up? Are you kidding me?
Tu veux qu’on rompe? Mais tu te fous de ma gueule?
to kid/mock/mess with someone - se foutre de la gueule de quelqu’un. A shorter alternative is se foutre de quelqu’un. Foutre is a common slang term that can also mean “to do”: Qu’est-ce que tu fous dehors? – “What (the heck) are you doing outside?”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
We should clean the house today. I’m kidding!
Nous devrions faire le ménage aujourd’hui. Je rigole!
to be kidding - rigoler. Note that this verb also means “to laugh.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
It’s not worth it, just forget it
Ça vaut pas le coup, laisse tomber
forget it - laisse tomber. This is a common colloquial expression. Note how the negative ne has been dropped.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Never mind
T’inquiète
never mind, don’t worry - c’est pas grave, t’inquiète. Note that these common expressions are shortened from ce n’est pas grave and ne t’inquiète pas, respectively.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
We need to find a restaurant, I am starving!
Il faut qu’on trouve un resto, j’ai la dalle!
to be starving - avoir la dalle. This is an informal expression.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
See you next time!
À la prochaine!
see you next time - à la prochaine (fois)
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
See you later!
À plus!
see you later - à plus (tard). Note how when tard is dropped from this expression, the “s” in plus is pronounced.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
That’s completely brilliant!
C’est carrément génial!
completely, real - carrément. This is an informal use of this adverb, which technically means “squarely.”
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Which one do you want? Either one. It doesn’t matter to me
Tu veux lequel? Ça m’est égal
It doesn’t matter to me - Ça m’est égal
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
It’s OK it doesn’t matter
Ça fait rien
It’s OK it doesn’t matter - Ça (ne) fait rien. Note that in spoken French, the ne is dropped.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
That isn’t done
Ça se fait pas
That isn’t done - Ça (ne) se fait pas. Another way of translating this expression is “We don’t do that/One doesn’t do that.” Also recall that in spoken French, the ne is dropped.
Rewrite in INFORMAL French:
Watch out!
Fais gaffe!
Watch out! - Fais gaffe! This is an informal expression.
Translate to French:
Let me see
Fais voir
Let me see - Fais voir
Translate to French:
Sophie is fooling herself
Sophie se fait des illusions
to be fooling oneself - se faire des illusions
Translate to French:
That will do him some good
Ça lui fera du bien
That will do him/her some good - Ça lui fera du bien
Translate to French:
Make yourself at home
Faites comme chez vous
Make yourself at home - Faites comme chez vous. This is a common, polite expression that is used formally.
Translate to French:
Don’t hesitate (feel free) to ask me questions
N’hésitez pas à me poser des questions
to hesitate - hésiter
Translate to French:
Paul is acting like a child
Paul fait l’enfant
to act immature/like a child - faire l’enfant
Translate to French:
Well, I don’t know anything about that
Alors là, je n’en sais rien
Well, I don’t know anything about that - Alors là, je n’en sais rien
Translate to French:
That’s another thing
Ça, c’est autre chose
That’s another thing - Ça, c’est autre chose
Translate to French:
It’s hopeless
Rien à faire
It’s hopeless - Rien à faire
Translate to French:
Isaac was sulking after his birthday
Isaac faisait la tête après son anniversaire
to pout, to sulk - faire la tête
Translate to French:
No problem
Pas de souci
no problem - pas de souci. This is a shortened way of saying il n’y a pas de souci. Souci is a masculine noun meaning “worry.”
Translate to French:
As a result, they had to leave
Du coup, ils ont dû partir
as a result, thus, then - du coup. This construction is very common in everyday spoken French.
Translate to French:
Well, there it is
Et bien, le voilà. / Tiens, le voilà
well - et bien, tiens. These are used as interjections, often at the beginning of sentences. Tiens is often used to mean “Hey!”
Translate to French:
Don’t hold it against me
Ne m’en veux pas
to hold something against someone - en vouloir à quelqu’un
Translate to French:
There’s no point in repeating his name several times
Ce n’est pas la peine de répéter son nom plusieurs fois
it’s not worth it to, it’s pointless to, there’s no point in - ce n’est pas la peine de
