Here are some examples of 'French words and phrases used by English speakers'.
There are many
words of French origin in English, such as ''art'', ''collage'', ''competition'', ''force'', ''machine'', ''police'', ''publicity'', ''role'', ''routine'', ''table'', and many others which have been and are being anglicized. They are now pronounced according to
English rules of
orthography, rather than
French. Approximately 40% of English vocabulary is of French or
Oïl language origin, most derived from, or transmitted by, the
Anglo-Norman spoken by the
upper classes in
England for several hundred years after the
Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became
Modern English.
This article, however, covers words and phrases that generally entered the lexicon later, as through literature, the arts, diplomacy, and other cultural exchanges not involving conquests. As such, they have not lost their character as Gallicisms, or words that seem unmistakably foreign and "French" to an English-speaking person.
That said, the phrases are given as used in English, and may seem correct modern French to English speakers, but may not be recognised as such by French speakers as many of them are now defunct or have a different meaning due to semantic evolution. A general rule is that if the word or phrase retains French
diacritics or is usually printed in italics, it has retained its French identity.
Words and phrases
A
; : in abundance
; ] : in the manner of [...]
;
à la carte : ''on the card''; (in restaurants refers to ordering individual dishes rather than a fixed-price meal)
; : fashionable; also, with ice cream (in the U.S.)
; : confinement during childbirth; the process of having a baby; only this last meaning remains in French
; : farewell; as it literally means "to God," it carries more weight than "au revoir" (it is definitive, you won't see the other person alive). Depending of the context, misuse of this term can be considered as an insult, as you'll wish for the other person's death or will say that you don't wish to see the other person ever again while alive
; : skillful, clever, in French: ''habile'', as a "right handed" person would be using his "right" hand, as opposed to his left one with which he would be "gauche" meaning "left".
;
agent provocateur : a police spy who infiltrates a group to disrupt or discredit it.
;
aide-de-camp : a military assistant
; : a position paper; a diplomatic agenda
;
amuse bouche : an appetizer; lit. ''mouth pleaser'', ''amuse gueule'' in modern French.
;
ancien régime : a sociopolitical or other system that no longer exists, an allusion to pre-revolutionary France (used with capital letter in French with this meaning : Ancien Régime)
; : a first impression; initial insight
;
apéritif : a before-meal drink
;
appliqué : an inlaid or attached decorative feature
; après moi, le déluge : the remark attributed to
Louis XV of France; used in reference to the impending end of a functioning French monarchy and predicting the French Revolution. (''After me, the
deluge.'')
;
après-ski : '' after skiing'' socializing after a ski session; in modern French, this word refers to boots used to walk in snow typically (MoonBoots
TM)usually worn after a ski session
;
arête : a narrow ridge
; : a type of cabinet; wardrobe
; : a skilled performer, a person with artistic pretensions
;
art nouveau : a style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (usually bears capitals in French : Art Nouveau)
;
attaché : a person attached to an embassy; in French is also the past participle of the verb ''attacher'' (=to fasten)
; : ''to the contrary''
; : up-to-date; abreast of current affairs
; : literally, ''with juice'', referring to a food course served with sauce. Often redundantly formulated, as in 'Open-faced steak sandwich, served with au jus.' In modern French, although 'jus' can refer to juice produced by meat during cooking, ''se mettre au jus'' (to put oneself au jus) is also a colloquial expression used to call someone to try something (jump into water at a pool, try a new recipe. ..)
; : nude; literally, it is the contraction of ''Ã le'' (same as ''Ã la'') ''naturel'' (in a natural manner)
;
au pair : a young foreigner who does domestic chores in exchange for room and board
; ! : "See you soon!"; lit. ''Until the next sight.'' In French contraction of ''Au plaisir de vous revoir'' (=to the pleasure of seeing you again).
;
avant-garde : applied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art, music and literature; figuratively "on the edge", literally, a military term, meaning "vanguard" (which is the deformation of avant-garde) or "advance guard", in other words, "first to attack" (plural ''avant-gardes''; antonym of ''arrière-garde'').
;
avant la lettre : used to describe something or someone seen as a precursor or forerunner of something (such as an artistic or political movement) before that something was recognized and named, e.g. "a post-modernist avant la lettre", "a feminist avant la lettre"; the expression literally means ''before the letter'', i.e. "before it had a name".
B
;
ballet : a type of dance
; : a lot of (slang, such as, "''beaucoup bucks")
;
belle : a beautiful woman or girl. Common uses of this word are in the phrases ''the belle of the ball'' (the most beautiful woman or girl present at a function) and ''
southern belle'' (a beautiful woman from the southern states of the US)
;
bête noire : a scary or unpopular person, idea, or thing, or the archetypical scary monster in a story; literally "black beast".
; : a love letter, literally "sweet letter" (plural ''billets doux'').
;'blasé/e' : a nonchalant or uninterested man/woman; literally cloyed or chronically hung over
;'blond/e' : this is not the only foreign word in everyday use in the English language that also differs in gender — 'blond' is masculine, 'blonde' is feminine.
;'bon appétit!' : enjoy your meal; literally "good appetite". There is no native equivalent English phrase.
;'bonjour' : hello, used to express a greeting; literally "good day".
;'bon voyage!' : have a good trip!
;'brunette' : a brown-haired girl. For brown-haired boy or man, French uses ''brun'' and for a woman ''brune''
;'bureau' : office (plural ''bureaux'')
C
; cachet : a distinctive quality
; café : a snack, a coffee shop;
; café au lait : coffee with milk; or a light-brown color
; cap-Ã -pied : from head to foot; modern French uses ''de pied en cap''
;
carte blanche : unlimited authority; literally "white card" (i.e.
blank check)
; carte d'identité : identity card
;
cause célèbre : a controversial issue, such as a legal case, which divides public opinion
; c'est la mode. : "Such is fashion"
;
c'est la vie! : "That's life!"; or "Such is life!" It is sometimes used as an expression to say that life is harsh but that one must accept it.
; c'est magnifique! : "That's great!"; literally ''it's magnificent''
;
chaise longue : a long chair for reclining; (also rendered ''chaise lounge'' or ''chase lounge'' via
folk etymology)
; chanson : a song
; chanteuse : a female singer
; chapeau : a hat. In French, ''chapeau'' is also an expression of congratulations similar to the English "hats off to...."
;
chargé d'affaires : a diplomat left in charge of day to day business at a diplomatic mission. Within the United States Department of State a chargé is any officer left in charge of the mission in the absence of the titular chief of mission.
; châteaux en Espagne : literally "castles in Spain"; something that exists only in the imagination (as, "castles in the air" or "
pie in the sky")
;
chef d'Å“uvre : a masterpiece
;
cherchez la femme. : literally "Look for the woman." (expressing the notion that behind a man’s unusual behavior may be his trying to impress a woman or to cover up an affair)
; chevalier d'industrie : one who lives by his wits, specially by swindling, literally "knight of industry";
; chez : the home of
; chic : stylish
;
chignon : a hairstyle worn in a roll at the nape of the neck
;
cinéma vérité : realism in documentary filmmaking
;
claque : a group of admirers; in French = ''a slap''
;
cliché : trite through overuse; a stereotype
;
clique : a small exclusive group of friends; often used in a pejorative way in French
; coquette : a flirtatious girl; a tease
;
commandant : a commanding officer
; comme il faut : as is proper; literally ''as it should be''
; comme ci comme ça : so-so; literally ''as this, as that''
; communiqué : an official communication
;
concierge : a hotel desk manager (in French also refers to the caretaker of a building usually living at the front floor ; ''concierges'' have a reputation for gossiping)
;
concordat : an agreement; a treaty; when used with capital letters in French refers to a treaty between the French State and Judaeo-Christian religions during the French Empire (Napoleon) : priests, ministers and rabbis became civil servants. This treaty was abolished in 1905 (Church-State separation) but is still in use in Alsace-Lorraine (those territories were under German administration during 1871–1918)
; confrère : a colleague
; congé : a departure; in French when used in the plural form refers to ''vacations''
;
connoisseur : an expert in wines, fine arts, or other matters of culture; a person of refined taste; (spelt ''conn'a'isseur'' in modern French)
; conte : a short story; in French a ''conte'' has usually a fantasy context (such as in fairytales)
; contretemps : an awkward clash; a delay
;
cordon sanitaire : a policy of
containment directed against a hostile entity or ideology; a chain of
buffer states; lit. "quarantine line"
;
corduroy : a material used in clothing, derives from French "corde du roi"; lit. "cloth of kings"
; cortège : a funeral procession; in French has a broader meaning and refers to all kinds of procession
;
corvée : forced labor for minimal or no pay
;
cotte d'armes : coat of arms
; coup de foudre : a sudden unforeseen event (in French, "thunderbolt": love at first sight)
;
coup de grâce : the final blow that results in victory (literally "blow of mercy"), historically used in the context of the battlefield, now more often used in other contexts (e.g. the defense's production of a particular piece of evidence in court that destroys the prosecution's case).
;
coup de main : a surprise attack (usually means to give assistance in French: ''donner un coup de main'' is "to give a hand", even if the English meaning exists as well but is old-fashioned)
;
coup d'État : a sudden change in government by force; literally "hit (blow) of state" (note the capital E in French, not used in English)
; coup d'Å“il : a glance, literally "a blow (or touch) of the eye"
;
couture : fashion
; couturier : a fashion designer
;
crèche : a
nativity display; more commonly (in UK), a place where children are left by their parents for short periods in the supervision of childminders; both meanings still exist in French
;
crème brûlée : a dessert consisting primarily of custard and toasted sugar, that is,
caramel; literally "burnt cream"
; crème de la crème : best of the best; literally "cream of the cream", used to describe highly skilled people
;
crème fraîche : literally "fresh cream", a heavy cream slightly soured with bacterial culture, but not as sour or as thick as sour cream
;
crêpe : a thin sweet or savoury pancake eaten as a light meal or dessert
; cri du cœur : a passionate plea, literally "cry of the heart"
;
cul-de-sac : a dead-end (residential) street; literally "bottom (buttocks) of the bag"
D
; déclassé : of inferior social status
;
décor : the layout and furnishing of a room
;
découpage : decoration with cut paper
;
dépanneur : a neighborhood general/convenience store, term used in eastern Canada
;
déjà vu : an impression or illusion of having seen or experienced something before. Literally "already seen".
;
démarche : a decisive step
;
dénouement : the end result
; de nouveau : again; anew
;
dérailleur : a bicycle gear-shift mechanism
; de règle : according to custom;
;
de rigueur : required or expected, especially with reference to fashion
; dernier cri : the latest fashion; literally "last scream"
; derrière : rear; buttocks; literally "behind"
; déshabillé : partially clad
;
détente : easing of diplomatic tension
; de trop : excessive
; diablerie : witchcraft, deviltry
; divertissement : an amusing diversion; entertainment
; dossier : a file containing detailed information about a person; it has a much wider meaning in modern French, as any type of file, or even a computer directory
; douceur de vivre : "sweetness of life"
; : the senior member of a group; the feminine is
;
dressage : a form of competitive horse training
;
droit du seigneur : the purported right of a lord of an estate to deflower a woman on her wedding night in precedence to her new husband; literally the "right of the lord" (also called "droit de cuissage" in modern French)
; du jour : said of something fashionable or hip for a day and quickly forgotten; today's choice on the menu, as soup du jour, literally "of the day"
E
;
eau de toilette : perfume; can be shortened as ''eau'' (water); does not mean "water from the toilet".
; éclat : Great brilliance, as of performance or achievement. Conspicuous success. Great acclamation or applause
; élan : a distinctive flair
;
émigré : one who has emigrated for political reasons; the political reason is not implied in the French use of the word
;
éminence grise : a powerful advisor or decision-maker who operates secretly or otherwise unofficially; literally "gray eminence"
;
enfant terrible : a disruptively unconventional person, a "terrible child"
; en bloc : as a group
; en masse : all together
;
ennui : boredom
;
en passant : in passing
; en route : on the way
; en suite : as a set (do not confuse with "ensuite", meaning "then")
;
entente : diplomatic agreement or cooperation
; entre nous : confidentially; literally "between us"
;
entrée : literally "entrance"; the first course of a meal (UK English); used to denote the main dish or course of a meal (US English)
;
entremets : desserts/sweet dishes. More literally, a side dish that can be served between the courses of a meal
;
entrepreneur : a person who undertakes and operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks
;
escargots : snails (as food)
;
escritoire : a writing table (spelt ''écritoire'' in French)
;
esprit de corps : a feeling of solidarity among members of a group; morale; literally "spirit of the body (of troops)"
;
étude : a musical composition designed to provide practice in a particular technical skill in the performance of an instrument. French for "study".
;
exposé : a published exposure of a fraud or scandal; in French refers to a talk or a report on all kinds of subject
; extraordinaire : extraordinary, usually as a following adjective, as "musician extraordinaire"
F
;
façade : the front view of an edifice (the ''ç'' is pronounced like an ''s'')
; fait accompli : something that has already happened and is thus unlikely to be reversed
;
faute de mieux : for want of better
;
faux : fake
;
faux amis : literally "false friends"; used to refer to words in two different languages that have the same or similar spelling, and often the same
etymology but different meanings, such as the French verb ''rester'' which means "to stay" rather than "to rest"
;
faux pas : a social blunder, literally ''false step'' (to slip). Francophones can use more commonly "gaffe", which is less polite.
;
femme fatale : an alluring, mysterious woman; the term implies a fatal ending to meeting and frequenting such a woman
; fiancé/e : a man engaged to be married/a woman engaged to be married; literally betrothed
;
film noir : a genre of dark-themed movies
; fils : used after a man's surname to distinguish a son from a father, as George Bush ''fils'' (in French, "fils" = ''son'')
;
fin de siècle : comparable to (but not exactly the same as)
turn-of-the-century but with a connotation of decadence, usually applied to the period from 1890 through 1910.
; flambeau : a lighted torch
;
flâneur : a gentleman stroller of city streets
;
fleur-de-lis : a stylized-flower heraldic device; the golden ''fleur-de-lis'' on an azure background were the arms of the French Kingdom
;
folie à deux : a simultaneous occurrence of delusions in two closely related people, often said of an unsuitable romance
;
force majeure : an overpowering event, an act of God
;
forte : a strength, a strong point, typically of a person, from the French ''fort'' or strong.
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary,"In forte we have a word derived from French that in its "strong point" sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated 'for-"tA and 'for-tE because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived forte. Their recommended pronunciation 'fort, however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would rhyme it with English for. So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All are standard, however. In British English 'fo-"tA and 'fot predominate; 'for-"tA and or-'tA are probably the most frequent pronunciations in American English."
G
; gaffe : blunder
; garçon : literally "boy" or "male servant"; sometimes used by English speakers to summon the attention of a male
waiter; (has a playful connotation in English but can be rather insulting in French)
; gauche : tactless, literally "left handed"
; gaucherie : boorishness
;
genre : a type or class, such as "the
thriller genre"
;
glissade : slide down a slope
;
Grand Prix : a type of motor racing, literally "Grand Prize"
;
Grand Guignol : a
horror show, named after a French theater famous for its frightening plays and bloody special effects. (''Guignol'' can be used in French to describe a ridiculous person, in the same way that ''clown'' might be used in English.)
H
; habitué : one who regularly frequents a place
;
haute couture : trend-setting fashion
;
haute cuisine : a manner of preparing food; literally "upper kitchen".
;
haute école : advanced horsemanship; literally "upper school"
; hauteur : arrogance; lit. ''height''
; haut monde : fashionable society, the "upper world"
;
Honi soit qui mal y pense. : "Shame on him who thinks ill of it"; or sometimes translated as ''Evil be to him who evil thinks''; the motto of the most noble
Order of the Garter (modern French writes ''honni'' instead of Old French ''honi'')
;
hors de combat : out of the fight
; hors-concours : "out of the running"; used to describe someone who is a non-competitor, especially in love (not restricted to love in modern French)
;
hors d'Å“uvre : appetizer
;
huis-clos : the ''huis clos'' is a term which indicates an enclosed space such as a room or cell.
I
;
idée fixe : a
leitmotiv; an obsession
; insouciant/e : a nonchalant man/woman
;
ingénu/e : an innocent young man/woman, used particularly in reference to a theatrical
stock character
J
; J’accuse : ''I accuse.''; used generally in reference to a political or social indictment (alluding to the title of
Émile Zola’s exposé of the
Dreyfus affair)
; J'adore : literally, I adore. Implies "Je t'adore", translated as "I love you", or possibly ''I adore you''.
; J'adoube : In
chess, an expression said discreetly signaling an intention to straighten out the pieces, without being committed to moving or capturing the first one touched as per the game's rules. lit. "I adjust". From the French verb ''adouber'', to dub (the action of knighting someone)
; Je ne sais pas: ''I don't know''
;
Je-ne-sais-quoi : an indefinable, usually compelling quality (
charisma); lit. ''I don't know what''
; joie de vivre : joy of living
L
; l'affaire [proper name] : a cause célèbre, such as "l’affaire Enron", an allusion to
L’Affaire Dreyfus
;
laissez-faire : a policy of minimal interference, usu. in reference to government regulation of commerce
; Laissez les bons temps rouler. : "Let the good times roll." (strongly associated with
Cajun and
New Orleans culture and not commonly used by Francophones outside of
Louisiana)
;
Lamé : is a type of fabric woven or knit with metallic yarns.
;
layette : a set of clothing and accessories for a new baby
;
la petite mort : an
orgasm; literally "the little death"
;
l'esprit de l'escalier : thinking of the right comeback too late; literally "staircase wit"; (originally a witticism of
Diderot, the French
encyclopedist, in his ''Paradoxe sur le Comédien'')
; L'État, c'est moi. : the remark attributed to
Louis XIV ("I am the state"); also used generally in reference to the overweening ego of an absolute ruler
; liaison : a close relationship or connection; an affair. The French meaning is broader; "liaison" also means ''bond'' such as in ''une liaison chimique'' = " a chemical bond"
;
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité :"Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood"; (motto of the French Republic)
;
littérateur : an intellectual; (pejorative in French)
; louche : of questionable taste; shady
M
;
macramé : coarse lace work made with knotted cords
; maison : house
;
maître d' : short for maître d'hotel, headwaiter. (French never uses "d'" alone, as "d'" only means "of" (litt :master of hotel)).
;
malaise : a general sense of depression or unease
;
mal de mer : motion sickness, literally "seasickness"
;
Mardi gras : Fat Tuesday, the last day of eating meat before
Lent. Note that there isn't a capital to ''gras''
;
marque : a model or brand
;
matériel : supplies and equipment, particularly in a military context (French meaning is broader and corresponds more to "hardware")
; mélange : a mixture
;
mêlée : a confused fight; a struggling crowd
;
ménage à trois : a sexual arrangement between three people; literally "household for three"; (not typically used if all three are of the same sex)
; Merci beaucoup! : "Thank you very much!"
; Merde : "crap" (literally means "shit")
; métier : a field of work or other activity; usually one in which one has special ability or training
;
milieu : social environment; setting
;
mirepoix : a cooking mixture of two parts onions and one part each of celery and carrots
;
mise en place : a food assembly station in a commercial kitchen
;
mise en scène : staging of sets, props, actors, etc. in theater and film
; moi : "me"; often used in English as an ironic reply to an accusation; for example, "Pretentious? ''Moi?''"
; moi aussi : "me too", used to show agreeing with someone
;
montage : a blending of pictures, scenes, or sounds
; mot juste : right word. French uses it often in the expression ''chercher le mot juste'' (to search for the right word)
; : a recurrent thematic element
;
mousse : a whipped dessert or a hairstyling foam; in modern French, any kind of foam
N
;
naïf/naïve : a man/woman lacking experience, understanding or sophistication
;
naïveté : fact of being naïf
; né/e : used to indicate a man/woman’s birth name (
maiden name for a woman), such as, "Martha Washington, ''née'' Martha Custis"; "born"
; n'est-ce pas? : ''Isn't it?''; asked rhetorically after a statement, as in "Right?"
;
noblesse oblige : honorable behavior expected of high rank
;
nom de guerre : pseudonym to disguise the identity of a leader of a militant group, literally "war name", used in France for "pseudonym"
;
nom de plume : author's pseudonym, literally "pen name". Originally an English phrase, now also used in France
; nouveau : newfangled
;
nouveau riche : newly rich
;
nouvelle cuisine : new cuisine
;
nouvelle vague : Literary mening "new wave". Used for stating a new way or a new trend of something. Originally marked a new style of French filmmaking in 1950 with the secession from the mainstrem cinema
O
; objet d'art : a work of art, commonly a painting or sculpture
; Å“uvre : "work", in the sense of an artist's work; by extension, an artist's entire body of work
P
;
panache : verve; flamboyance
;
papier-mâché : a craft medium using paper and paste; literally "chewed paper"
; par excellence : quintessential; literally "by excellence"
;
parkour : urban street sport involving climbing and leaping, using buildings, walls, curbs to ricochet off much as if one were on a skateboard, often in follow-the-leader style.
;
pas de deux : a close relationship between two people; a duet in ballet
;
pas de trois : a dance for three, usually in ballet.
; passé : out of fashion
;
pastiche : a derivative work; an imitation
;
patois : a dialect; jargon
;
peignoir : a woman’s dressing gown; a negligee (in French, also a
bathrobe)
; père : used after a man's surname to distinguish a father from a son, as in "George Bush ''père''."
; petite : small; waiflike; skinny; lit. ''small''
; pièce d'occasion : ''occasional piece''; item written or composed for a special occasion
;
pied-Ã -terre : a second home, usually an
apartment in the city
; plat du jour : a dish served in a restaurant on a particular day but which is not part of the regular menu; literally "dish of the day"
; plus ça change : The more things change, the more they stay the same. (from ''Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,'' or ''Plus ça change, plus c’est pareil.'')
;
pot-pourri : medley, mélange, mixture; literally ''rotten pot''
; pour encourager les autres : to encourage the others, from
Voltaire (
Candide)
[1]
; précis : a concise summary
;
portmanteau : a blend; a word which fuses two or more words or parts of words to give a combined meaning; literally ''carry coat'', a large suitcase.
;
poseur : a person who pretends to be something he is not; a phony; a poser
;
prêt-à -porter : ready-to-wear clothing
;
prix fixe : a fixed price meal, sometimes with choices
;
protégé : one who receives support from an influential patron
;
provocateur : a polemicist
Q
; Quel ! : "What a pity!"
; Quelle ! : ''What a horrible thing!'' (often used sarcastically)
; ? : "What is this/that?"
R
;
raconteur : a conversationalist
; : justification for existence; "reason for being"
;
rapport : to be in someone's "good graces"; to be in synch with someone; "I've developed a rapport with my co-workers"; French for: relationship
;
rapprochement : the establishment of cordial relations, often used in
diplomacy
; : obscure; pretentious. (usually used in French for ''sophisticated'' or ''delicate'')
;
résumé : in
North American English, a document listing one's qualifications for employment (in French, any kind of summary)
;
rendez-vous : a meeting, appointment, or date;
;
répertoire : the range of skills of a particular person or group
;
reportage : reporting; journalism
; répondez s'il vous plaît. (
RSVP) : ''Please reply''. Though francophones may use more usually "prière de répondre", it is common enough. ''(Note: RSLP ["Réponde s'il lui plaît"] is used on old-fashioned invitations written in the 3rd person, usually in "Script" typography — at least in Belgium.)''
;
ressentiment : a deep-seated sense of aggrievement and powerlessness
; : a restaurant owner
;
roman à clef : a fictional account of a true story; literally "novel with a key"
; : a
hedonist, "cunning devil"
;
roux : a cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a base in soups and gravies
S
;
sabotage : subversive destruction, from the practice of workers fearful of
industrialization destroying machines by tossing their ''sabots'' ("wooden shoes") into machinery
;
saboteur : one who commits sabotage
;
Sacrebleu! : general exclamation of horror and shock; literally "holy blue", blue being the deformation of ''Dieu'' (God).
;
sang-froid : great coolness and composure under strain; literally "cold blood"
; : without
;
sans-culottes : an extremist, literally "without pants", name the insurgent crowd in the streets of Paris gave to itself during the French Revolution. It is a way to shake off the monarchy because they usually wore pantaloons (full-length pants or trousers) instead of the chic knee-length culotte of the nobles.
;
savant : a wise or learned person; in English referring to an exceptionally gifted individual
;
savoir-faire : social grace; means know-how in French.
; : etiquette
; : please; literally "if it pleases you", "if you please"
; si vous préférez : "if you prefer"
;
sobriquet : an assumed name, a nickname
; : so-called; self-described; literally "oneself saying"
; : fashionable; polished
; : an evening party
;
Sommelier : a wine steward
; : a very small amount (In French, can also mean ''suspicion'')
;
soupe du jour : "soup of the day", meaning the particular kind of soup offered that day
; succès d’estime : a "success in the estimation of others", sometimes used pejoratively
T
;
table d'hôte : a full-course meal offered at a fixed price
;
tableau vivant : in drama, a scene in which actors remain still as if in a picture
; tant mieux : so much the better
; tant pis : "Oh, well", "that's tough", "too bad".
; tête-à -tête : a private meeting; literally "head-to-head"
; toilette : the process of dressing or grooming and can also mean 'the flush'
;
touché : acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint; literally "touched" or "hit!"
; tour de force : a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment; literally "feat of strength"
; très : very (often ironically)
;
trompe l'Å“il : photograph-like realism in painting; literally "trick the eye"
U
V
; : invited man/woman for a show, once ("come"); unused in modern French, though it can still be used in a few expressions like ''bienvenu/e'' (literally well come : welcome) or ''le premier venu'' (anyone; literally, the first who came)
;
vignette : a brief description; a short scene (in French, a small picture)
;
vinaigrette : salad dressing of
oil and
vinegar; diminutive of ''vinaigre'' (vinegar)
;
vis-Ã -vis : in comparison with or in relation to; also "opposite number", literally "face-to-face"
;
Vive! : "Long live ...!"; literally "Live"; as in ''"Vive la France!"'', ''“
Vive la Résistance!â€'', ''"
Vive le Canada!"'', or ''"
Vive le Québec libre!"''
; Vive la différence. : ''Long live the difference.'' (generally referring to difference between male and female)
; Voilà ! or Et voilà ! : "There you go!" or "And there you have it!"
;
volte-face : a complete reversal of opinion or position, about face
;
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)? : "Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)? " (quite rude in modern French as it has no cultural background and is just a rude move). Title of a music by Labelle
[2].
;
voyeur : a peeping tom
W - X - Y - Z
; Zut alors! : "Darn it all!", a general exclamation. Like ''Sacre bleu'', this is considered old-fashioned by modern French speakers. Just plain ''zut'' is still in use, however — often repeated for effect, for example, ''zut, zut et zut!'') (Whether ''zut'' is dated or not might depend on context: where ''merde'' is not polite enough, ''zut'', ''zut alors'', ''zut et rezut'' etc. are still in current use.) There is an album by
Frank Zappa titled
Zoot Allures.
Only found in English
;
bureau de change : a currency exchange (plural ''bureaux de change''). In French, it means the office where you can change your currency
; après-garde : Avant-garde's antonym. French uses ''arrière-garde'' (either in a military or artistic context)
;
auteur : A film director, specifically one who controls most aspects of a film, or other controller of an artistic situation. The English connotation derives from French film theory. It was popularized in the journal ''
Cahiers du cinéma'': auteur theory maintains that directors like Hitchcock exert a level of creative control equivalent to the author of a literary work. In French, the word originally means ''author'', but some expressions like "cinéma d'auteur" are also in use.
;
cause célèbre : An issue arousing widespread controversy or heated public debate, lit. ''famous cause''
;
décolletage : a low-cut neckline, cleavage ''(This is actually a case of "false friends": Engl. décolletage = Fr. décolleté; Fr. décolletage means: 1. action of lowering a female garment's neckline; 2. Agric.: cutting leaves from some cultivated roots such as beets, carrots, etc.; 3. Tech. Operation consisting of making screws, bolts, etc. one after another out of a single bar of metal on a parallel lathe.''
; déjà entendu/lu: already heard/read. They do not exist as an expression in French : the
Académie française[1] says that ''un déjà vu'' (a feeling of something already seen) can be used but not ''un déjà entendu'' or ''un déjà lu''
;
demimonde : a class of women of ill repute; a fringe group or subculture; French used ''demi-mondaine'' in the XIX century, even then it is not in use anymore
;
double entendre : ''double meaning'', for which
Francophones would use « double sens ». The verb entendre, ''to hear'' (modern), originally meant ''to understand''. ''(Note: French usage: "un mot à double sens": a word with more than one meaning; "une phrase à double entente": a sentence with a hidden meaning. "À double entente" is listed in the
Petit Larousse 1994 with no mention of its being obsolete or regional.)''
;
encore : A request to repeat a performance, as in “Encore !â€, lit. ''again''; also used to describe additional songs played at the end of a
gig. Francophones would say « Bis ! » (''a second time !''); or « Une autre ! » (''Another one !'') to request « un rappel » (an ''encore''). To say « Encore ! » implies a request to reprieve the entire repertoire.
;
femme : a stereotypically effeminate gay man or lesbian (slang, pronounced as written). In French, ''femme'' means "woman".
;
maître d’ : translates as ''master o'. Francophones would say ''maître d’hôtel'' instead (French never uses "d'" alone).
;
negligee : A robe or a dressing gown, usually of sheer or soft fabric for women. French uses négligé (masculine form, with accents). Négligée qualifies a woman who neglects her appearance.
;
pièce de résistance : the best; the main meal, literally "a piece that resists". Francophones use ''plat de résistance'' (main dish)
; : clever banter. Is written ''répartie'' in French (répartée means nothing; repartie means a woman eminine object that has gone again)
; : sexually suggestive; in French, the meaning of ''risqué'' is "risky", with no sexual connotation
;
succès de scandale : ''Success through scandal''; Francophones might use « succès par médisance ».
;
voir dire : jury selection (
Law French)
French phrases in international air-sea rescue
International authorities have adopted a number of words and phrases from French for use by speakers of all languages in voice communications during air-sea rescues. Note that the "phonetic" versions are presented as shown and not in
IPA.
; SECURITAY : (''securité'', “safetyâ€) the following is a safety message or warning, the lowest level of danger.
;
PAN PAN: (''panne'', “breakdownâ€) the following is a message concerning a danger to a person or ship, the next level of danger.
;
MAYDAY: (''[venez] m'aider'', come help me"; note that ''aidez-moi'' means "help me") the following is a message of extreme urgency, the highest level of danger. ''(MAYDAY is used on voice channels for the same uses as SOS on
Morse channels.)''
; SEELONCE : (''silence'', “silenceâ€) keep this channel clear for air-sea rescue communications.
; SEELONCE FEE NEE : (''silence fini'', “silence is overâ€) this channel is now available again.
; PRU DONCE : (''prudence'', “prudenceâ€) silence partially lifted, channel may be used again for urgent non-distress communication.
; MAY DEE CAL : (''médical'', “medicalâ€) medical assistance needed.
It is a serious breach in most countries, and in international zones, to use any of these phrases without justification.
''See
Mayday (distress signal) for a more detailed explanation.''
See also
★
List of French phrases
★
Pseudo-Gallicisms
★
Law French
★
French language
★
List of Latin words with English derivatives
★
List of Latin phrases
★
List of Greek phrases
★
List of German expressions in English
References
★
''Communications Instructions, Distress and Rescue Procedures'' (pdf),
Combined Communications-Electronics Board
★
''Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words'', Helicon Publishing, Ltd.
★
''Online Etymology Dictionary'', Harper, D.
★ ''Je Ne Sais What?: A Guide to'' de rigueur ''Frenglish for Readers, Writers, and Speakers'', Winokur, J.
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