From job titles to lyrics, many French words do not have a direct translation in English, leaving English-speakers with the difficult task of deciphering the nuanced meaning.
We look at some of the best French words with no true English equivalent, and challenge you to tackle their translations.
1. Un frileux/une frileuse
This is an adjective used for a person who gets cold easily, however there is no direct equivalent in English. Instead, we would translate it as a phrase such as ‘sensitive to the cold’.
With this in mind, try to translate the following phrase into English: Les personnes âgées sont souvent frileuses alors l’hiver est difficile.
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A) Older people are often sensitive to the cold, so winter is difficult
2. Dépaysement
This is a word used when you find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. It comes from the verb dépayser which can be translated as the idea of taking a break from your usual routine or to have a change of scenery.
The word can have both negative and positive connotations.
For example, it could suggest disorientation in a new place, or feeling like you do not belong somewhere. More positively, it can also be used to describe the feeling you are seeking when going on holiday.
For example, you could use it to describe going away to escape your daily routine.
Connexion readers could, for example, use it to explain how you are feeling about being in a new country: Notre vie ici est un dépaysement total.
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A) Our life here is a complete change of scenery
3. Faire du yaourt/Chanter en yaourt
This is another great phrase for language learners. ‘Faire du yaourt’ is when you are speaking or singing in another language, but making lots of mistakes and misrepeating what you think you hear.
It is commonly used when people do karaoke and copy the noises they hear incorrectly.
A literal translation would be ‘to make yogurt’, but of course this does not carry any meaning in English! A similar equivalent could be ‘butchering’, as in: ‘He was butchering the lyrics.’
For example: Pourquoi pas apprendre les paroles au lieu de chanter en yaourt ?
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A) Why not learn the lyrics instead of singing nonsense?
4. Montrer patte blanche
This unique expression literally translates as: to show the white paw.
The saying comes from the French fable Le Loup, la Chèvre et le Chevreau (The Wolf, the Goat and the Kid), written by Jean de La Fontaine in 1668.
It has no real equivalent in English and has three slightly different meanings in French. It can refer to showing your credentials to grant access to a certain place or event, and can also describe the idea of proving you can be trusted.
A third, more widely-used definition is to conform to expectations or so as to 'fit in' with a particular group of people: Tu dois montrer patte blanche quand nous sommes au restaurant
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A) You must be on your best behaviour when we are at the restaurant.
5. Animateur/Animatrice
The students I work with are training to be ‘animateur/animatrice’, and there is an endless struggle in explaining to them that there is not a direct translation for this job title in English.
While often they refer to themselves as ‘animators’, in English this is someone who works in visual animation, for example making TV shows like Wallace and Gromit.
Instead in English the translation would depend on the context in which an animateur is working.
If they are working in a school or with children, they may be a ‘support worker’ or ‘kids’ club leader’, while if they are working in an adult institution they may be considered an ‘events facilitator’.
They could also be called a ‘team leader’, an ‘activity leader’, or if they work on TV, a ‘host’ or ‘presenter’.
6. Flâner
This again has no direct equivalent; it suggests wandering around aimlessly but happily, while appreciating your surroundings.
You can use it in the same sense we would say to have a look around the shops; flâner dans les magasins creates the idea of wandering in and out of shops looking at the products without having any intention of buying anything specific.
It can also suggest doing nothing much. A possible English equivalent could be ‘to mooch’ or ‘potter about’.
For example, you may: profiter du week-end pour flâner.
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A) Take advantage of the weekend to laze around/do nothing
7. Bouquiner
Bouquiner is an informal way to talk about reading, but the connotation is cosier than ‘lire’.
It suggests curling up with a good book, or to have your head in a book, rather than the idea of reading for school, academia or work.
For example: Après le travail ce soir je vais bouquiner dans mon lit.
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A) After work this evening I am going to curl up in bed with my book.
8. Faire des papouilles
This refers to loving strokes or caresses you might get from a loved one and has a similar meaning to caresser; for example if they are stroking your back or your head.
It can also mean to tickle someone gently, and in this context may be used when talking about tickling the tummy of a cat or dog.
A possible English translation could be ‘to pet’, although this is more US English than UK.
For example: Elle a fait des papouilles à son chien.
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A) She stroked her dog.
9. Avoir l’esprit d’escalier
This is a French phrase that describes the feeling when you come up with the perfect retort or reply too late, after the moment has passed. It literally translates as having ‘staircase wit’.
There is a phrase in English that describes the same thing - ‘escalator wit’ - but this is not widely known or used.
For example, you might say: Mon père est toujours un pas derrière nous, il a l'esprit de d'escalier...
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A) My father can never keep up with the conversation, he is a bit slow off the mark
The phrase is thought to refer to the visual idea of reaching the top or bottom of a staircase, and only then remembering that you have forgotten something at the other end.
10. Crapoter
Broadly speaking, it can be used as a means of describing someone who is fake or who pretends to be something they are not.
In casual UK English, a translation could be ‘faking’; or in US slang vernacular, ‘fronting’.
Originally the term comes from smoking; the idea of someone taking a puff of a cigarette without actually inhaling.
For example: Elle ne sait pas fumer, elle crapote.
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A) She doesn’t know how to smoke, she puffs without inhaling.
11. Chipoter
Chipoter sounds similar to crapoter but means something very different.
It can either be used to describe nibbling on a light snack, or quibbling over small, trivial details. Some even use it to refer to the idea of haggling over a price.
For example: Il est toujours prêt à chipoter aux vide greniers pour une histoire de un ou deux centimes.
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A) He is always haggling at jumble sales over one or two cents.
12. Râler
This is a word my students often use to describe the French approach to life.
While dictionaries will tell you the translation for râler is to complain, it is actually more nuanced than this and there is not an exact translation.
The word refers to the idea of grumbling or complaining about anything and everything, no matter how small.
For example we could say that, râler permet d'exprimer mon mécontentement...
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A) Complaining or grumbling allows one to express their unhappiness.
A possible English slang translation could be ‘venting’, as in, someone who is expressing all of their complaints loudly.
French also uses a similar ‘ral’ expression to describe feeling ‘fed up’ or ‘sick of something’: ras-le-bol, as in ‘J’ai en ras-le-bol’. It almost literally means ‘I’ve had it up to here - my bowl is full’.
Read also: Widen your vocabulary with these alternatives to common French expressions
