What do kids say these days? The digital culture keeps French learners just as confused as our grandparents when it comes to the newest expressions à la mode.
The good thing is that once you master a few texting codes, you’ll be able to communicate in written French on a daily basis. Sometimes, texting can be so much easier than talking face-to-face!
Table of Contents
- French Texting Slang 101: Consonants, Abbreviations, and Sounds
- Texting Slang to Agree on a Meeting
- Conveying Emotions with French Texting Slang
- Slang Etiquette: Being Polite While Texting in French
- Debating in Abbreviations
- The Daily Texting Slang: Holding Conversations in Abbreviated French
- Bonus—The Mystery Emojis
- How FrenchPod101 Can Help You
1. French Texting Slang 101: Consonants, Abbreviations, and Sounds
Let’s start with the basics! Just like in English texting slang, many abbreviations replace syllables or even words with letters and numbers that sound like them.
- Example: “U” = “You”
In French texting slang, the most current symbols include:
- 2, symbol for de = “of”
- G, symbol for J’ai = “I have”
- C, symbol for C’est = “It is”
- é, symbol for Est = “is”
- K, symbol for qu, found in the following abbreviations:
- Ki, short for Qui = “Who”
- Kel, short for Quel = “Which”
- Koi, or Kwa, short for Quoi = “What”
- Kan, short for Quand = “When”
- T, symbol for T’es or Tu es = “You are”
2. Texting Slang to Agree on a Meeting
Since organization is one of the main reasons people text, the slang dictionary of expressions related to meetings is particularly rich.
- 12C4, short for Un de ces quatre = “Someday” or more literally “one of the upcoming days”
- 2vant, short for Devant = “In front of”
- Bi1to, short for Bientôt = “Soon”
- Example: A bientôt = “See you soon!”
- D100, short for Descend = “Get downstairs”
- DRR, short for Derrière = “Behind”
- H24 = “24h/day” or “all the time”
- RSVP, short for Réservez s’il vous plaît; or RSTP, for Réserve s’il te plaît = “Please confirm your presence, whether you use the tutoiement or the vouvoiement with the person you’re talking with”
- TDS, short for Tout de suite; or DQP, short for Dès que possible = “ASAP”
- V1, sort for Viens = “Come on”; “Come on in”; “Join in”
3. Conveying Emotions with French Texting Slang
There are emojis, as well as a fine choice of slang abbreviations, to color the conversation in a pinch. Pick your favorites!
- 5pa, short for Sympa = “Nice”; “Cool”
- Example: C 5pa ici = “It’s cool here”
- NB: C Pas 5pa, short for C’est pas sympa = “That’s not cool”
- AC2N, short for Assez de haine = “Stop the hate”
- BLC, short for Je m’en bats les couilles = Literally “I’m beating my balls over this,” basically a rude way to say “I couldn’t care less.” Clearly to be used with caution.
- CPG, short for C’est pas grave = “INBG” or “It’s no big deal”
- DSL, short for Désolé = “Sry” or “Sorry”
- JPP, short for J’en peux plus = “I can’t take this anymore”
- JSPR, short for J’espère = “I hope so”
- JTM, short for Je t’aime = “I love you”
- LStomB, short for Laisse tomber = “WTV” or “Let it go”
- MDR, short for Mort de rire = “LOL” or literally “Dead from laughter”
- As early as 2009, a teenage movie starring famous actress Sophie Marceau even used “LOL” as its title.
- MSK, short for Miskine = Miskine is an Arabic word for “idiot.” It’s used to convey sympathy or spite.
- OKLM, short for Au calme = Literally “In a calm place,” it’s used to mean that you’ve found your peace of mind.
- OKLM is such a famous slang expression, it’s the name of media dedicated to urban rap music. Famous French rapper Booba has titled one of his songs “OKLM.”
- PTDR, short for Pété de rire = “LMAO”, “ROFL”, or literally “Bursting from laughter”
- Put1, short of Putain = One of the most famous French swear words; it literally means “whor*” but is used more like “f*ck” in English.
- Example: Put1 g oublié mes clés! = “f*ck, I forgot my keys!”
- NB: Obviously, use with caution!
- MRD, short for Merde = “sh*t,” another swear word
- NB: Again, use with caution!
- RAF, short for Je n’en ai rien à faire = “I don’t care,” as a rather strong statement
- Example: RAF 2 T PBS = “I don’t care about your problems!”
- NB: It could also mean Rien à foutre meaning “I don’t give a f*ck.” Use with caution.
- Snif = “Sob,” which is an onomatopoeia meant to indicate sadness
- Example: Snif tu peux pas venir à la soirée! = “So sad you can’t come to the party!”
- TG, short for Ta gueule = “Shut up.” Use with caution.
- T NRV, short for T’es énervé = “U mad”
- NB: If your interlocutor uses verlan, a slang that reverses the syllables of words, this could come out as T VNR.
- TOK, short for T’es OK = “Are u OK”
- WLLH, short for Wallah = “By God”; “I swear to God”
- WSH, short for Wesh = “Hey”; “Yo”
- X, symbol for Bisous (or Bzou in texting slang), or for Je crois = “I believe”
- Example: Je x ke c bon. OK, XXX
- “I think it’s all right.” “OK, XOXO”
4. Slang Etiquette: Being Polite While Texting in French
Believe it or not, in French even texting slang has its own etiquette!
We all know how ending a text message with an actual dot can set a completely different tone.
And the French remain attached to manners and politeness in all context. So, don’t neglect the following abbreviations:
- A+, short for A plus tard = “See you later”, as in “in a while”
- A tt, short for A tout à l’heure = “See you later”, as in “in a few hours”
- NB: This is the expression most appropriate to mean “BRB”
- A2m1, short for A demain = “See you tomorrow”
- ALP, short for A la prochaine = “See you next time”
- Bjr, short for Bonjour = “Hello”
- Bsr, short for Bonsoir = “Good night”
- CC, short for Coucou = “Hey there”
- Koi29, or QDN, short for Quoi de neuf = “What’s up”; “What’s new”
- Bugs Bunny’s famous “What’s up, doc?” became Quoi de neuf, docteur? in the cartoon’s French version.
- MR6, short for Merci = “Tks”; “Thank you”
- OKP, short for Occupé = “Busy”; a quick way to let the person you’re talking with know that you can’t answer just now. However, it’s a little short, and not too polite.
- P2K, short for Pas de quoi; or 2ri1, short for De rien = “Ur welcome”, in response to thanks
- RE, short for Retour = “I’m back online”; a signal to restart the conversation
- SLT, short for Salut = “Hi”
- STP, short for S’il te plaît; SVP, short for S’il vous plaît = “Please,” depending on whether you use the tutoiement or the vouvoiement
- TKT, short for T’inquiète or, more formally, Ne t’inquiète pas = “Don’t worry”
- Example: Tkt g géré l’exam = “No worries, I aced the test”
NB: If you really have to be polite while addressing an authority figure of any kind, just avoid slang altogether. And in any case, spelling the whole phrase out is much more pleasant and meaningful!
5. Debating in Abbreviations
Respect Twitter and other forums’ character limits with use of a few useful expressions.
- 1TRC, short for Intéressé = “Interested”; a way to mark your interest or to signal that you’re following the conversation
- 1mposibl, short for Impossible = “Impossible”
- AMHA, short for A mon humble avis = “IMHO” or “In my honest opinion”
- ASKIP, short for A ce qu’il paraît = “It seems that”
- Cbi1, CB1, short for C’est bien = “That’s good”
- NB: Don’t confuse with Cbn, short for Combien = “How many” or “How much”
- C ça, short for C’est ça = “That’s right”
- EnTK or EntouK, short for En tout cas = “In any case”
- Fo, short for Faut or Faux = “Must” or “False”
- Example: Fo HT du p1 or C pa fo
- “We must buy more bread” or “That’s not wrong”
- ID, short for Idée = “Idea”
- PEH, short for Pour être honnête = “TBH” or “To be honest”; “TBF” or “To be fair”
6. The Daily Texting Slang: Holding Conversations in Abbreviated French
Finally, French texters simply abbreviate a large number of words used in daily conversations. Don’t get confused if you come across any of the following:
- 6né, short for Cinéma = “Cinema”
- Ac or Av, short for Avec = “With”
- Auj or Ajdh, short for Aujourd’hui = “Today”
- Ayé, short for Ca y est = “Done”
- B1sur, short for Bien sûr = “OFC” or “Of course”
- BCP, short for Beaucoup = “A lot”
- CAD, short for C’est à dire = “That is”
- C cho, short for C’est chaud = “That’s rough”; “That’s intense”; “That won’t be easy”
- Chuis, short for Je suis = “I am”
- Cki, short for C’est qui = “Who dis”; “Who is this”
- CT, short for C’était = “It was”
- Com dab, short for Comme d’habitude = “As usual”
- Dacc, Dac, or Dak, short for D’accord = “OK,” or literally “We have an agreement”
- Dc, short for Donc = “So”
- GHT, short for J’ai acheté = “I bought”
- GT, short for J’étais = “I was”
- Je C, JC, or Je cé short for Je sais = “I know”
- NB: “IKR” or “I know, right,” would be better translated by a more intense expression: Je céééé = “IKR.”
- Grave = “Totally”
- JSP, short for Je ne sais pas = “IDK” or “I don’t know”
- NB: NSP, short for Ne sait pas = “Does not know”
- Je vé, JV, short for Je vais = “I am going to”
- JMS, short for Jamais = “Never”
- Keske, short for Qu’est-ce que = “What is”
- Kestufou, short for Qu’est-ce que tu fous = “What the hell are you doing?” Use with caution.
- Example: Kestufou ça fé 1h quejt’attend! = “What the hell are you doing, I’ve been waiting for you for an hour!”
- Kwa, short for Quoi = “What”
- MSG, short for Message = “Message”
- PB, short for Problème = “Problem”
- Example: Pas 2 pb = “No problem”
- PK or PKoi, short for Pourquoi = “Why”
- QQ or QQ1, short for Quelqu’un = “Someone”
- RAS, short for Rien à Signaler = “Nothing to report”
- TJS, short for Toujours = “Always”
- TLM, short for Tout le monde = “Everyone”
- Tps, short for Temps = “Time”
- TT, short for Tout = “All”
- VRT, short for Vraiment = “Truly”
- Ya, short for Il y a = “There is”
7. Bonus—The Mystery Emojis
Emojis aren’t always what they seem! You might want to be careful when you send someone a peach or an eggplant.
- A fire = Sexy
- A frog + a cup of tea = “Just saying”
- The frog and tea cup symbol derives from the famous Kermit the Frog meme
- A new moon = Discomfort; secret; afterthought
- An owl, symbol for C’est chouette = “That’s cool”
- NB: Une chouette is French for “an owl”
- A peach = Someone’s butt
- A pig = Something kinky, with a sexual connotation
How FrenchPod101 Can Help You
Slang in general—and texting slang in particular—evolves very fast. Don’t forget to add on to this list as you chat with your French friends!
We’ll update this lesson whenever necessary. Who knows what other expressions the younger French generations will make up next?
This lesson is but one of FrenchPod101’s explorations of the various French slang words! In our future articles, we’ll work on oral slang, French TV shows, and regional expressions.
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