So, you’ve been learning French for a while. You can introduce yourself, order a coffee, maybe even discuss your weekend plans. You’ve got your bonjour and merci down — and you sound pretty good… until you hear real French people talking.

Suddenly, it feels like they’re speaking a whole new language.
Words blur together. You catch ouais instead of oui, boulot instead of travail, and c’est ouf instead of c’est fou. You check your textbook — nothing.

Welcome to the world of French slang (l’argot) — the informal, colorful, fast-moving part of the language that makes native French sound alive.

And let’s be honest — nothing makes you sound more confident, more natural, and yes, more cool, than knowing a few slang words.

Today, you’ll learn the most useful (and widely used) French slang words and expressions that’ll make you sound like you’ve been hanging out in Paris cafés all your life.

 

Why You Should Learn French Slang

Before we dive in, let’s clear one thing up: slang isn’t just about sounding “cool.” It’s about understanding real French.

Here’s the thing: French people rarely speak the clean, slow, perfectly articulated French you learn in class. They shorten words, drop syllables, and use casual expressions constantly.

If you only study “textbook French,” you’ll always sound a little too formal — like a polite tourist instead of a fluent speaker.

Slang bridges that gap. It helps you:

• Understand what people actually say (in movies, songs, and real life).
• Sound more natural in conversation.
• Express personality and humor.

So, grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s explore the slang that’ll make you sound effortlessly fluent.

 

1. Ouais — Yeah

Let’s start with the basics. Ouais (pronounced “weh”) is the casual version of oui. It’s like saying “yeah” instead of “yes.”

You’ll hear it all the time — from kids, friends, coworkers, even adults in meetings when the mood is relaxed.

Examples:

• Ouais, carrément ! → Yeah, totally!
• Ouais, j’suis d’accord. → Yeah, I agree.

👉 Pro tip: Don’t overdo it in formal situations — ouais is fine with friends, but oui still works best with your boss or teachers.

 

2. Bof — Meh

This tiny word says a lot with very little. Bof means “meh,” “not really,” or “so-so.”

You use it when you’re not impressed or just indifferent.

Examples:

• Tu as aimé le film ? — Bof, pas trop. → Did you like the movie? — Meh, not really.
• On sort ce soir ? — Bof, j’suis fatigué. → Going out tonight? — Meh, I’m tired.

Why it’s great: It’s one of those words that instantly makes you sound French — laid-back, unimpressed, effortlessly cool.

 

3. Mec / Meuf — Guy / Girl

These are the French equivalents of “dude” and “chick.”

• Un mec → a guy
• Une meuf → a girl

They come from verlan — French slang that reverses syllables (we’ll talk more about that later).

Examples:

• C’est un mec sympa. → He’s a nice guy.
• Ta meuf est super cool ! → Your girlfriend’s awesome!

👉 Use them casually, never in formal contexts. You wouldn’t call someone une meuf in a business meeting — unless you’re fired up to get fired.

 

4. C’est ouf ! — That’s crazy!

This one is another verlan word. Ouf comes from reversing fou (crazy).

It’s super common, especially among younger speakers.

Examples:

• Ce film est ouf ! → This movie is crazy / amazing!
• T’as vu le prix ? C’est ouf ! → Did you see the price? That’s insane!

Fun fact: C’est ouf can mean both “crazy good” or “crazy bad,” depending on context.

 

5. Truc / Machin / Bidule — Thing / Stuff / Whatchamacallit

These are your lifesavers when you forget a word.

Examples:

• Passe-moi le truc là. → Pass me that thing.
• J’ai acheté un machin pour la cuisine. → I bought a thingy for the kitchen.

Truc is the most neutral and widely used. Machin is slightly more old-school and bidule is playful or vague.

 

6. Bosser — To work

Forget travailler. In everyday French, people say bosser.

Examples:

• Je bosse demain. → I’m working tomorrow.
• T’as beaucoup bossé cette semaine ? → Did you work a lot this week?

You’ll also hear le boulot for “job.”

• J’adore mon boulot ! → I love my job!

 

7. Kiffer — To love / To really like

If there’s one slang word you’ll want to use every day, it’s kiffer. It comes from Arabic and means “to like” or “to enjoy.”

Examples:

• Je kiffe cette chanson ! → I love this song!
• Tu kiffes le chocolat ? → Do you like chocolate?

👉 Be careful with grammar: it’s je kiffe, not j’aime. And yes, French people really say this all the time.

 

8. Fringues — Clothes

Instead of vêtements, say fringues. It’s casual, everyday French.

Examples:

• J’adore tes fringues ! → I love your clothes!
• Je vais acheter des fringues demain. → I’m going shopping for clothes tomorrow.

Simple, easy, and very common in conversation.

 

9. Bouffer — To eat

Yes, manger is standard. But bouffer is how French people talk when they’re being casual.

Examples:

• On bouffe quoi ce soir ? → What are we eating tonight?
• J’ai trop bouffé ! → I ate too much!

You can also use la bouffe for “food”:

• La bouffe française est incroyable. → French food is amazing.

 

10. Boulot, métro, dodo — Work, metro, sleep

This famous French phrase sums up everyday life: commute, work, sleep, repeat.

Examples:

• C’est la vie à Paris — boulot, métro, dodo. → That’s life in Paris — work, commute, sleep.

It’s often used with a sigh to complain about the daily grind.

 

11. La galère — A struggle / a hassle

When something’s annoying or difficult, it’s une galère.

Examples:

• Trouver un appart à Paris, c’est la galère ! → Finding an apartment in Paris is such a pain!
• J’étais en galère de wifi. → I was struggling with the Wi-Fi.

 

12. Relou — Annoying

Here’s another verlan (reversed syllables) word: relou = lourd (heavy, annoying).

Examples:

• Ce mec est relou. → That guy is annoying.
• C’est relou d’attendre comme ça. → It’s annoying to wait like this.

👉 You’ll hear this everywhere — it’s one of the most common modern slang words.

 

13. Chiant(e) — Annoying / a pain

This one’s slightly vulgar but used constantly, even by adults.

Examples:

• Ce film est chiant. → This movie is boring.
• C’est chiant de faire la queue. → It’s a pain to wait in line.

You’ll also hear the noun un chiant to describe an annoying person:

• Il est vraiment chiant, lui ! → He’s such a pain!

 

14. N’importe quoi ! — Nonsense! / That’s ridiculous!

A classic expression you can use when something makes no sense or seems absurd.

Examples:

• Il a dit qu’il parlait 10 langues ? N’importe quoi ! → He said he speaks 10 languages? Ridiculous!
• C’est n’importe quoi ce film. → This movie is total nonsense.

 

15. Ça craint ! — That sucks!

This one expresses disapproval or disappointment.

Examples:

• Le concert a été annulé ? Ça craint ! → The concert was canceled? That sucks!
• T’as raté ton train ? Oh, ça craint… → You missed your train? That’s too bad.

 

16. Avoir la flemme — To be lazy / can’t be bothered

This one is gold. It describes that ugh, I don’t feel like it mood.

Examples:

• J’ai la flemme de sortir ce soir. → I can’t be bothered to go out tonight.
• Il avait la flemme de faire ses devoirs. → He was too lazy to do his homework.

You can even shorten it to flemme:

• Flemme d’y aller. → Don’t feel like going.

 

17. T’inquiète ! — Don’t worry!

Short for ne t’inquiète pas, it’s one of the friendliest and most reassuring phrases in French.

Examples:

• Désolé pour le retard. → T’inquiète ! → Sorry for being late. — Don’t worry about it!
• Je t’envoie le message demain. → OK, t’inquiète. → I’ll send you the message tomorrow. — Okay, no stress.

 

18. Laisse tomber ! — Forget it! / Drop it!

Literally “let it fall,” this phrase means “never mind” or “forget about it.”

Examples:

• Tu veux que je t’aide ? — Non, laisse tomber. → Do you want help? — No, forget it.
• Laisse tomber, c’est pas grave. → Forget it, it’s not a big deal.

 

19. C’est pas grave — It’s okay

You’ll hear this everywhere — it’s a French way to say “It’s fine” or “No problem.”

Examples:

• Désolé, j’ai oublié ton livre ! → C’est pas grave. → Sorry, I forgot your book! — It’s okay.
• Merci de m’avoir attendu ! → C’est pas grave ! → Thanks for waiting! — No worries!

 

20. Ça roule ? — How’s it going?

Casual and cheerful, this is the equivalent of “All good?” or “How’s things?”

Examples:

• Salut ! Ça roule ? → Hey! How’s it going?
• Ouais, tranquille. → Yeah, all good.

It’s friendly and informal — great for chatting with friends or coworkers.

 

21. Grave — Totally / Seriously

This little word is everywhere in spoken French. It can mean “totally,” “seriously,” or “yeah, absolutely.”

Examples:

• Tu viens ce soir ? — Grave ! → You coming tonight? — Totally!
• C’était bon ? — Grave, trop bon ! → Was it good? — Seriously, so good!

It can also emphasize agreement or intensity:

• C’est grave cool ! → It’s super cool!

 

22. Trop — So / Very

While trop literally means “too,” French people use it like “so” or “really.”

Examples:

• C’est trop bien ! → It’s so good!
• Elle est trop mignonne. → She’s so cute.

You’ll hear it constantly among younger speakers.

 

23. Ça déchire ! — That’s awesome!

Literally “it rips,” but it means “it rocks!” or “it’s amazing!”

Examples:

• Ce groupe déchire ! → This band rocks!
• Ton dessin déchire ! → Your drawing’s awesome!

It’s high-energy slang — great for showing excitement.

 

24. Avoir le seum — To be pissed off / upset

From Arabic origin, avoir le seum means you’re annoyed or disappointed.

Examples:

• J’ai raté mon examen, j’ai le seum. → I failed my exam, I’m so pissed off.
• T’as le seum ? → You mad?

It’s very common among younger generations.

 

25. Être crevé(e) — To be exhausted

Instead of fatigué(e), say crevé(e) for a more natural tone.

Examples:

• Je suis crevé, j’ai bossé toute la journée. → I’m exhausted, I worked all day.
• Tu veux sortir ? — Non, trop crevé. → Wanna go out? — No, too tired.

 

26. Un truc de ouf ! — Something crazy

This combines two slang stars: truc and ouf.

Examples:

• Le concert hier, c’était un truc de ouf ! → The concert yesterday was insane!
• Ce gâteau, un truc de ouf ! → That cake — unbelievable!

It’s positive and expressive — perfect for storytelling.

 

27. Ça le fait ! — It works / It’s good

Examples:

• On se voit à 19h ? — Ouais, ça le fait ! → Meeting at 7? — Yeah, that works!
• Ton projet ? — Ça le fait grave ! → Your project? — It’s awesome!

 

28. C’est chaud ! — It’s tough / risky / intense

This one’s flexible. C’est chaud can mean something’s complicated, dangerous, or simply intense.

Examples:

• L’examen, c’était chaud ! → The exam was tough!
• Va là-bas maintenant ? C’est chaud, non ? → Go there now? That’s risky, no?

Tone is everything — it can be negative or admiring depending on context.

 

29. Ça me saoule ! — I’m fed up!

From saouler (to get drunk), it now means “to annoy” or “to bore.”

Examples:

• Il parle tout le temps, ça me saoule ! → He talks nonstop, it drives me crazy!
• Ce devoir me saoule. → This homework is so annoying.

 

30. Nickel ! — Perfect!

This cheerful word literally means “nickel” (the metal), but it’s slang for “flawless” or “great.”

Examples:

• Tout est prêt ? — Nickel ! → Everything ready? — Perfect!
• Ta présentation était nickel ! → Your presentation was perfect!

 

How to Use French Slang Like a Native

Now that you’ve got 30 slang words under your belt, here’s how to make them sound natural.

1. Match your audience

You can say bof, ouais, or relou with friends — but avoid slang with teachers, colleagues, or clients. French people adjust register constantly.

2. Start with one or two

Don’t try to use them all at once. Start sprinkling one or two, like ouais or bof, until they feel natural.

3. Copy the rhythm

French slang is as much about tone as vocabulary. Listen to podcasts, YouTube videos, or TikToks in French. Repeat phrases the way they sound — rhythm, intonation, everything.

4. Watch French movies or series

Try Lupin, Plan Cœur, or Dix pour cent. You’ll hear relou, grave, ça craint, and boulot everywhere. Subtitles help you connect meaning and context.

5. Practice with real people

Join a French conversation group or chat online with native speakers. Slang naturally slips into real conversations — that’s how it sticks.

 

Learning slang isn’t about being trendy — it’s about being real.

When you use words like ouais, bof, grave, or nickel, you’re not just speaking French — you’re connecting with the culture. You’re showing that you understand how people actually talk, not just how they write.

So, start small. Try saying ouais instead of oui. Replace travailler with bosser. Drop a casual t’inquiète when a friend apologizes.

Bit by bit, you’ll sound less like a student and more like a native — relaxed, confident, and effortlessly cool.

Because as the French might say…
👉 “Ton français déchire grave !”