{"id":38027,"date":"2025-07-23T16:19:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T15:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/?p=38027"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:18:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T09:18:56","slug":"verlan-french-slang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/blog\/verlan-french-slang\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering Verlan (French slang)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Last updated: March 31, 2026.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re planning a trip to France, learning the language, or simply curious about how French people really talk, knowing some slang is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Verlan is one of the most interesting and fun parts of French slang<\/strong>. Here, you\u2019ll learn how verlan works, why people use it, and how you can use it to sound more like a native in casual conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It\u2019s best to use verlan and other slang when you\u2019re <strong>with friends or in relaxed, informal situations<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verlan is a fun and creative type of French slang where you <strong>reverse the syllables in a word<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many <strong>verlan words are now so common<\/strong> that you can even find them in regular French dictionaries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Not all French slang is verlan. <\/strong>There are plenty of other informal words and phrases people use too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/10-1-819x1024.png\" alt=\"verlan French slang\" class=\"wp-image-66481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/10-1-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/10-1-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/10-1-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/10-1.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Verlan and why does it matter?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like slang in other languages, French slang has changed over time and comes from many different social, cultural, and historical influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lot of the slang you\u2019ll hear in everyday French comes from verlan, a special kind of wordplay where people <strong>switch around the syllables<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The word &#8220;verlan&#8221; actually comes from flipping the syllables of &#8220;l&#8217;envers&#8221;, which means &#8220;reverse&#8221;. This playful way of speaking is a big part of how young people talk in France, and it keeps changing as the language changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some <strong>verlan words are now so common<\/strong> that they\u2019re included in well-known French dictionaries like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lerobert.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Le Petit Robert<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.larousse.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Le Petit Larousse<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Verlan<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Standard<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English meaning<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cimer<\/td><td>Merci<\/td><td>Thank you<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Meuf<\/td><td>Girlfriend<\/td><td>Woman<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Zarbi<\/td><td>Bizarre<\/td><td>Weird<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>P\u00e9cho<\/td><td>Choper<\/td><td>To date<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>T\u00e9ma<\/td><td>Mater<\/td><td>To look at<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Keuf<\/td><td>Flic<\/td><td>Police<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>How does Verlan work in French?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make a <em>verlan<\/em> word in French, you usually switch the order of the syllables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Merci<\/strong> \u2192 Mer-ci \u2192 Ci-mer \u2192 <strong>Cimer<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fou<\/strong> \u2192 F-ou \u2192 Ou-f \u2192 <strong>Ouf<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Louche<\/strong> \u2192 Lou-che \u2192 Che-lou \u2192 <strong>Louche<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But not every word can be flipped easily, and <strong>some verlan words are irregular<\/strong> or have changed over time. You might hear versions that don\u2019t follow the usual rules, so it\u2019s a good idea to learn the most common verlan words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Essential Verlan words every French speaker uses<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some of the most common verlan words you\u2019ll hear in everyday French, especially among young people. Learning these will help you sound more natural and understand informal French more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Verlan<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Meaning<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Meuf<\/strong> (Femme)<\/td><td>Cop, police officer<\/td><td>C\u2019est ma <strong>meuf<\/strong>.<br><em>She\u2019s my girlfriend.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Reum<\/strong> (M\u00e8re)<\/td><td>Mom<\/td><td>J\u2019appelle ma <strong>reum<\/strong>.<br><em>I\u2019ll call my mom.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Keuf<\/strong> (Flic)<\/td><td>Cop, police officier<\/td><td>Les <strong>keufs<\/strong> arrivent.<br><em>The cops are coming.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Relou<\/strong> (Lourd)<\/td><td>Annoying<\/td><td>Ce prof est <strong>relou<\/strong>.<br><em>This teacher is so annoying.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Chelou<\/strong> (Louche)<\/td><td>Shady, sketchy, suspicious<\/td><td>Ce type est <strong>chelou<\/strong>.<br><em>That guy is sketchy.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Zarbi<\/strong> (Bizzare)<\/td><td>Weird, odd<\/td><td>Cette histoire est <strong>zarbi<\/strong>.<br><em>This story is weird.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Teuf<\/strong> (F\u00eate)<\/td><td>Party<\/td><td>On va \u00e0 une <strong>teuf<\/strong> ce soir ?<br><em>Are we going to a party tonight?<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Popular French slang beyond Verlan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, not all French slang is verlan. Verlan is just slang made by flipping syllables, but there are lots of other informal words and phrases too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some other common slang words you\u2019ll often hear in everyday French conversations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Slang<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Meaning<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bouquin<\/strong><\/td><td>Book<\/td><td>Tu as lu ce <strong>bouquin<\/strong>?<br><em>Have you read this book?<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bosser<\/strong><\/td><td>To work<\/td><td>Je dois <strong>bosser<\/strong> demain.<br><em>I have to work tomorrow.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Fringues<\/strong><\/td><td>Clothes<\/td><td>J\u2019adore tes <strong>fringues<\/strong>!<br><em>I love your clothes!<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Mec<\/strong><\/td><td>Guy<\/td><td>Ce <strong>mec<\/strong> est sympa.<br><em>This guy is nice.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Nana<\/strong><\/td><td>Girl<\/td><td>Cette <strong>nana<\/strong> est g\u00e9niale.<br><em>This girl is awesome.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Pote<\/strong><\/td><td>Friend<\/td><td>C\u2019est un de mes <strong>potes<\/strong>.<br><em>He&#8217;s one of my friends.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Thune<\/strong><\/td><td>Money<\/td><td>Je n\u2019ai pas de <strong>thune<\/strong>.<br><em>I have no money.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Baraque<\/strong><\/td><td>House<\/td><td>Ils ont une grande <strong>baraque<\/strong>.<br><em>They have a big house.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Kiffer<\/strong><\/td><td>To live<\/td><td>Je <strong>kiffe<\/strong> ce film!<br><em>I love this movie!<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/4-1-819x1024.png\" alt=\"verlan French slang\" class=\"wp-image-66463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/4-1-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/4-1-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/4-1-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/4-1.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The influence of the Internet<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The internet, social media, and messaging apps are now where lots of new slang gets created and shared in France, especially among young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, <em>MDR<\/em> (<em>mort de rire<\/em>) is like <em>LOL<\/em> in English and means you\u2019re laughing. There are plenty of others too:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>MDR<\/strong>: <em>mort de rire<\/em> (dying of laughter) is the French equivalent of <em>LOL<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PTDR<\/strong>: <em>p\u00e9t\u00e9 de rire<\/em> (bursting with laughter) is even stronger than <em>MDR<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>TKT<\/strong>: <em>t\u2019inqui\u00e8te<\/em> (don\u2019t worry)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A+<\/strong>: <em>\u00e0 plus tard<\/em> (see you later)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>JPP<\/strong>: <em>j\u2019en peux plus<\/em> (I can\u2019t take it anymore)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People now use these abbreviations when they talk, not just online. It\u2019s common to hear native French speakers say <em>MDR<\/em> or <em>TKT<\/em> in everyday conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to learn and confidently use Verlan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re an international student, learning and using verlan can be a fun way to connect with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just remember, <strong>verlan is mostly for informal situations<\/strong> with friends or people your own age. For example, you might use it when hanging out at a caf\u00e9 with classmates, chatting at a party, or joking around in group chats or text messages with friends. It\u2019s common among teenagers and young adults, so you\u2019ll hear it often in schools, universities, and social gatherings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, <strong>it\u2019s best not to use verlan in formal settings<\/strong>, with teachers, or at work, since it can seem too casual or even rude. Avoid using it when talking to people you don\u2019t know well, with older adults, or in professional environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To improve your pronunciation, try listening to French rap music or watching TV shows on Netflix. These are great ways to hear verlan in action. You can also find YouTube videos or podcasts that explain how to pronounce popular slang and verlan terms. There are plenty of resources you can learn from, and if you\u2019re not sure where to start, <strong>we\u2019ve put together a <a href=\"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/blog\/best-resources-for-learning-french\/\">list of recommendations<\/a> for you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to delve deeper into the nuances of the French language? <strong>Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/blog\/\">our Go! Go! France blog<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last updated: March 31, 2026. If you\u2019re planning a trip to France, learning the language, or simply curious about how French people really talk, knowing some slang is a must. Verlan is one of the most interesting and fun parts of French slang. Here, you\u2019ll learn how verlan works, why people use it, and how [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":66498,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1639],"tags":[1286],"class_list":["post-38027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-french","tag-learn-french-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38027"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38027\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87685,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38027\/revisions\/87685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}