If you’re anything like me (or the students I used to teach), you’ll want to learn more than the standard French delivered in class. I learnt French before the Internet took off (yes, I’m that old) and so I was reliant on looking up words in a dictionary.
Though useful, dictionaries do age! The huge and heavy dictionary I took away to University with me over twenty years ago is now obsolete for anyone wanting modern language terms. It’s older than the young people whose language I’d like to know and use!
Thankfully, the internet (and native French speakers) can help us develop our lexicon to include modern words. This article is all about giving you an insight into some cool French words and phrases to make you sound more like a native.
1. C’est chaud
Hang fire! Shouldn’t you use chaud with faire? Well, yes if you’re talking about the weather (il fait chaud) but we’re not in this case. This is a colloquial use of the word chaud and is pretty recent.
It can mean ‘that’s tough,’ ‘that’s intense or ‘that’s crazy’. Generally speaking, it describes a situation that is somewhat chaotic, tense or dangerous.
Example:
Des mecs sont en train de voler une voiture dans ma rue, c’est chaud !
Some guys are stealing a car in my street, it’s intense.
2. Je suis à la bourre
Another of our cool French phrases is je suis à la bourre, which means ‘I’m running late’ or ‘I’m behind schedule’. Though not necessarily a new phrase (it’s been used for several decades), it’s an idiomatic expression that is used colloquially and will make you sound more like a native.
On its own, la bourre is padding or stuffing in clothing or upholstery. With an accent bourré, the word is an adjective used to mean drunk – so if you’re running late to work don’t confuse je suis à la bourre with je suis bourré or you might get in trouble!
Example:
Désolé, je dois y aller, je suis à la bourre !
Sorry, I’ve got to go, I’m running late!
3. Grave
The next of our cool-sounding French words is grave and because it can take on different connotations, it’s a really useful word to know!
In general usage, it means ‘serious.’ However, in slang or colloquial French, it can be used in a variety of ways.
Examples:
- Very/extremely: je suis grave fatigué – I’m so tired/I’m seriously tired.
- Seriously: t’as pas révisé pour l’examen ? Grave ? – You haven’t revised for the exam? Seriously?
- To affirm something: T’as vu le nouveau film ? Grave bien ! – Did you see the new film? It’s really good!
- To exaggerate: Il a dit qu’il allait partir en vacances en Inde, grave ou pas ? – He said he was going to go on holiday to India, for real or what?!
4. La loose
If you’re looking for badass words in French, la loose (pron. ‘luce’) is a great example. It can have a few connotations, depending on the context.
Generally, it’s used to describe a negative or undesirable situation, and it can be used to express a range of emotions like disappointment, embarrassment or frustration.
You’d usually use this with friends or acquaintances as it might not be appropriate for professional environments.
Examples:
- Failure: Je viens de me faire licencier, c’est la loose. – I just got fired, it’s a failure.
- Bad luck: j’ai perdu mes clés, ma carte bleue et je n’ai pas bien dormi, c’est la loose – I’ve lost my keys and my debit card and I didn’t sleep well, it’s bad luck.
- Awkwardness : j’ai glissé et je suis tombé devant toute la classe, c’était la loose – I slipped and fell in front of the class, it was embarrassing.
5. C’est ouf/c’est un truc de ouf
Next on our list of cool French phrases is ouf. This word comes from verlan, which is a French form of slang used among young people.
Words in verlan have their syllables inverted. For instance, the word français becomes céfran. In fact, the word verlan itself is verlan as it comes from inverting the word l’envers, meaning ‘back to front’. Confused yet?!
Ouf is the verlan form of fou, meaning crazy. However, it’s one of the words that has become so commonplace that it’s actually considered a part of the French lexicon now. Un truc de ouf means ‘crazy stuff’.
Examples :
Le saut en parachute était un truc de ouf.
The parachute jump was crazy stuff!
Ce film était vraiment ouf !
The film was totally crazy.
6. C’est mort
You might know that mort means ‘dead’ in French and so you’re perhaps wondering why we’ve included c’est mort in our list of cool French words.
However, in slang usage, c’est mort is often used to convey the idea that a situation is hopeless or that something is unlikely to happen. It can also be used to express resignation or disappointment about an outcome.
Examples:
Je crois que je vais mon examen, c’est mort.
I think I’m going to fail my exam, it’s hopeless.
Tu veux sortir ce soir ? Non, c’est mort, je dois travailler demain.
Do you want to go out tonight? No, it’s not going to happen, I have to work tomorrow.
7. Trop chelou
Chelou is another example of verlan. In this case, it comes from louche, which means ‘shady’ or ‘sketchy.’ When describing something as trop chelou, you’re saying something is ‘so weird’.
It could also mean ‘cheesy.’ For example, a teenager might think that their parents’ use of the phrase trop chelou was in itself, trop chelou.
Example:
Ce mec que j’ai rencontré hier était trop chelou, je ne veux plus le voir.
That guy I met yesterday was super weird, I don’t want to see him again.
8. La flemme
If you want to express feeling lazy and can’t be bothered, you can use j’ai la flemme. This is an informal expression that definitely belongs in the category of cool French words.
Used with avoir, it means ‘not feeling like it’ or ‘feeling lazy’. Used with tirer, it means to ‘laze about’ or ‘be a couch potato’.
Examples:
J’ai la flemme de sortir ce soir – I can’t be bothered to go out tonight.
Que fais-tu ? Je suis en train de tirer ma flemme – What are you doing? I’m just lounging around.
9. Je suis à l’ouest
If you’re reading these phrases as a French speaker and feeling a little out of touch or not with it then you could describe yourself as being ‘à l’ouest’.
Though this phrase literally translates to “I am in the west,” it is used in a self-deprecating or playful way to describe not being up to date with something like a trend or technology, or being ‘not with it’.
Examples:
Je suis à l’ouest avec cette nouvelle application de médias sociaux – I’m clueless about this new social media app.
Je suis à l’ouest aujourd’hui – I’m not really with it today.
10. Mince
Mince is a common French slang word that’s used in everyday conversation. It’s used by people of all ages and though it’s not formal, it’s not particularly vulgar either.
Mince is used similarly to the English word ‘darn’ or ‘blast’. If you were to drop something you’re holding, you might say Mince! Instead of using an expletive, for instance.
Despite being used by all generations and social groups, we still think it belongs in the category of cool French words!
Example:
Mince ! J’ai rate le bus !
Darn! I’ve missed the bus!
11. Je kiffe
If want some cool French phrases that actually have a different origin, then je kiffe is a perfect example. A slang verb used to mean ‘to like’ or ‘to be really into,’ kiffer has its origins in North Africa.
In the Maghrebi Arabic dialects, ‘kif’ refers to a state of euphoria or pleasure, often induced by smoking marijuana. The word first came into usage in France during the 1980s and 1990s by young people of North African origin living in France.
It caught on quickly and is now part of the French slang lexicon, particularly among young people.
Examples:
Je kiffe cette fille – I like this girl.
Je kiffe ce nouveau groupe de musique – I’m really into this new band.
12. J’ai la patate
No, this doesn’t mean you literally have a potato (patate is an informal word for the more formal pomme de terre). This is one of the cool French phrases that we have an equivalent for in English. However, we say that we’re ‘full of beans’ instead.
In other words, it means to be in a great mood or to be on great form. Other versions are avoir la pêche (‘to have a peach’) and avoir la frite (‘to have a chip’).
Examples:
Aujoud’hui, j’ai bien dormi et j’ai pris un bon petit-déjeuner donc j’ai la patate pour commencer cette journée de travail.
Today, I slept well and had a good breakfast, so I feel great to start this workday.
Final thoughts
Hopefully, we’ve shared enough cool French words and phrases to make you avoir la patate to go out and use them! Which of our words and phrases do you kiffe the most?
And if you’re looking to widen your French lexicon, these French vocabulary apps can help!