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Here are some examples of French words and phrases used by English speakers.

There are many words of French origin in English, such as competition, art, table, publicity, police, role, routine, machine, force, 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 via, 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. A general rule is that if the word or phrase retains French diacritics or looks better in italics, it has retained its French identity.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ __NOTOC__

Only found in English — French phrases in international air-sea rescue — See also — References

Words and phrases

Note that these phrases are generally pronounced using an approximation of the French rules to one degree or another. Thus, the stress may fall on the final syllable, a final consonant is usually silent, consequent words are pronounced without a pause between them, unaccented e is usually pronounced as except in final position when it is silent, and final n nasalizes the preceding vowel. (See International Phonetic Alphabet for English for a guide to phonetic symbols.)

A

à gogo : in abundance
à la : in the manner of
à la carte : on the card; (in restaurants refers to ordering individual dishes rather than a fixed-price meal)
à la mode : fashionable; also, with ice cream (in the U.S.)
à outrance : to the utmost or last extreme
accouchement : confinement during childbirth; the process of having a baby
adieu : good bye
agent provocateur : a police spy who infiltrates a group to disrupt or discredit it
aide-de-camp : a military assistant
aide-mémoire : a position paper; a diplomatic agenda
amuse bouche : an appetizer; lit. mouth pleaser
amour-propre : self regard; lit. love of self
ancien régime : a sociopolitical or other system that no longer exists, in allusion to pre-revolutionary France
apéritif : a before-meal drink
appliqué : an inlaid or attached decorative feature
après : after
Après nous, le déluge. : the remark attributed to Louis XV; used in reference to the impending end of an era (After us, the deluge.)
après-ski : socializing after a ski session
arête : a narrow ridge
armoire : a type of cabinet; wardrobe
arriviste : a social climber
artiste : a skilled performer, a person with artistic pretensions
art nouveau : a style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
attaché : a person attached to an embassy
au contraire : to the contrary
au courant : up-to-date; abreast of current affairs
au fait : up to par
au mieux : at best
au naturel : nude
au pair : a young foreigner who does domestic chores in exchange for room and board
Au revoir! : "See you soon!"; lit. Until the next sight.
autres temps, autres mœurs : "other times, other customs"
avant garde : applied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art and literature; lit. before the guard (vanguard)
avant la lettre : before such a thing was common, as a precursor, as a forerunner

B

beaucoup : a lot of (slang, e.g., "beaucoup bucks")
beau ideal : an idealized type; (bel idéal in French)
beaux arts : fine arts; a style of architecture
bel esprit : a witty or clever person
belle époque : an era of cultural refinement
belles lettres : literary works valued for their aesthetic qualities
bête noire : someone or something which is detested or avoided; lit. black beast
bêtise : a foolish act
bien aimé : a beloved person
bien pensant : right-thinking; politically correct
bien soigné : well-groomed
billet doux : a love letter
bistro : a small restaurant
bivouac : a temporary camp
blasé : jaded
Bon appétit! : "Enjoy your meal!"; lit. Good appetite!
bonhomie : geniality
Bonjour! : "Hello!"; lit. Good day!
bon mot : a witticism
bonne bouche : a delicious morsel
Bonne chance! : Good luck!
bonnet rouge : a revolutionist
bon ton : a sophisticated manner; high society
bon vivant : an epicure
Bon voyage! : "Have a good trip!"
boudoir : bedroom
bourgeois : belonging to the privileged class
bourgeoisie : the privileged class
boutonnière : a small bunch of flowers for a buttonhole
brasserie : a small restaurant
brassiere : a bra
bric-à-brac : small ornamental objects
bricolage : construction from bits and pieces on hand

C

cachet : a distinctive quality
cafe-au-lait : coffee with milk; or a light-brown color
Ça ne fait rien. : "It doesn't matter."
cap-à-pie : from head to foot
carte blanche : unlimited authority; lit. blank card
Cassé: burn, so there
carte d'identité : identity card
Ça va sans dire. : "That goes without saying."
C'est bon. : "I understand."; lit. It's good.
C'est la mode. : Such is fashion.
C'est la vie! : "That's life!"; or Such is life!
C'est magnifique! : That's great!
chaise longue : a long chair for reclining
chanson : a song
chanteuse : a female singer
chapeau : a hat
chargé d'affaires : a temporary or low-level diplomat
châteaux en Espagne : lit. castles in Spain; something that exists only in the imagination (cf. "castles in the air" or "pie in the sky")
chef d'œuvre : a masterpiece
Cherchez la femme. : lit., "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 affaire)
Chevalier d'Industrie : one who lives by his wits, specially by swindling
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
cliché : trite through overuse; a stereotype
clique : a small exclusive group of friends
coquette : a flirtatious girl; a tease
commandant : a commanding officer
comme il faut : as is proper
comme ci comme ça : so-so
Comment allez-vous ? : How are you?
communiqué : an official communication
concierge : a hotel desk manager
concordat : an agreement; a treaty
confrère : a colleague
congé : a departure
connoisseur : an expert in wines, fine arts, or other matters of culture; a person of refined taste; (spelt connaisseur in modern French)
conte : a short story
contretemps : an awkward clash; a delay
cortège : a funeral 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 : death blow, lit. blow of mercy
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)
coup d'état : a sudden change in government by force; lit. hit (blow) of state
coup d'œil : a glance
couture : fashion
couturier : a fashion designer
crèche : a nativity display
crème brûlée : a dessert consisting primarily of custard and caramel
crème de la crème : best of the best; lit. cream of the cream
crêpe : a thin sweet or savoury pancake eaten as a light meal or dessert
cri de cœur : a passionate plea
cul-de-sac : a dead-end (residential) street; lit. bottom of bag

D

D'accord. : "OK."; Agreed.
déclassé : of inferior social status
décor : the layout and furnishing of a room
découpage : decoration with cut paper
dégagé : unworried
déjà vu : an impression or illusion of having seen or experienced something before. Literally "already seen".
déjà entendu : already heard
déjà lu : already read
démarche : a decisive step
demimonde : a class of women of ill repute; a fringe group or subculture
démodé : dated
dénouement : the end result
de nouveau : again; anew
dépaysé : out of one’s element
dérailleur : a bicycle gear-shift mechanism
de règle : according to custom; (not used in French)
de rigueur : required or expected, especially with reference to fashion
dernier cri : the latest fashion
derrière : rear; buttocks; lit. 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
double entendre : something which can be interpreted in two ways, both of which make sense in the context used. One is often sexual (now defunct in French)
douceur de vivre : sweetness of life
doyenne : the senior female member of a group
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; lit., right of the lord;
du jour : said of something fashionable or hip for a day and quickly forgotten; lit. of the day;

E

eau de toilette : perfume
éclat : conspicuous achievement
élan : a distinctive flair
embarras de richesses : embarrassment of riches
embarras du choix : multitude difficult to choose from
embonpoint : fat (euphemistically)
émigré : one who has emigrated for political reasons
éminence grise : a powerful advisor or decision-maker who operates secretly or otherwise unofficially; lit. gray eminence
empressé : eager
enfant terrible : a disruptively unconventional person
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
entente : diplomatic agreement or cooperation
entre nous : confidentially; lit. between us
entrée : the main dish or course of a meal (U.S.), or the first course of a meal (UK); lit., entrance
entrepreneur
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; lit. spirit of body
exposé : a published exposure of a fraud or scandal
extraordinaire : extraordinary

F

fainéant : a slacker
fait accompli : something that has happened and is unlikely to be reversed
faute de mieux : for want of better
faux : fake
faux amis : lit. false friends; used to refer to words in two different languages that have 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, or false step
femme fatale : an alluring, mysterious woman
fiancé : a man engaged to be married
fiancée : a woman engaged to be married
film noir : a genre of dark-themed movies
fils : used after a man's surname to distinguish a son from a father
fin de siècle : comparable to (but not exactly the same as) turn-of-the-century but with a connotation of decadence
flambeau : a lighted torch
flâneur : an aimless idler
fleur-de-lis : a stylized-flower heraldic device
folie à deux : a simultaneous occurrence of delusions in two closely related people
force majeure : an overpowering event, an act of God
frisson : a thrill

G

gaffe : blunder
gamine : impish girl
garçon : lit. boy or male servant; sometimes used by English speakers to summon the attention of a male waiter; (has a playful connotation in English but is insulting in French)
gauche : tactless
gaucherie : boorishness
gendarme : a police officer (irreverently)
genre : a type or class
glissade : slide down a slope
grande dame : a venerable woman
Grand Prix : a type of motor racing, lit. Grand Prize
Grand Guignol : a type of puppet theatre; used in English to describe a ridiculous situation ("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; lit. upper kitchen.
haute école : advanced horsemanship; lit. upper school
hauteur : arrogance
haut monde : fashionable society
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
hors d'œuvre

I

idée fixe : a leitmotiv; an obsession
insouciant : nonchalant
ingénue : an innocent young woman

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)
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

K

L

l'affaire name : a cause célèbre, e.g., l’affaire Enron, in allusion to L’Affaire Dreyfus
laisser-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 culture and not commonly used by Francophones outside of Louisiana)
layette : a set of clothing and accessories for a new baby
la petite mort : an orgasm; lit. the little death
lèse majesté : treason; an affront
l'esprit de l'escalier : thinking of the right comeback too late; lit. 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 an overweening ego
liaison : a close relationship or connection; an affaire
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité : Liberty, Equality, Fraternity; (motto of the French Republic)
littérateur : a literary person; (pejorative in French)
longueur : a tedious passage in drama or literature
louche : of questionable taste; shady
Louis Quinze : of the style of architecture and furniture at the time of Louis XV of France

M

macramé : course lace work made with knotted cords
maison : house
malaise : a general sense of depression or unease
mal de mer : motion sickness
manqué : underachieving
Mardi Gras : Fat Tuesday
marque : a model or brand
matériel : supplies and equipment
mélange : a mixture
mêlée : a confused fight; a struggling crowd
ménage à trois : a sexual arrangement between three people; lit. household for three; (not typically used if all three are of the same sex)
Merci beaucoup! : Thank you very much!
Merde. : Shit.
métier : one’s profession; forte
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?"
monde : one’s own world
montage : a blending of pictures, scenes, or sounds
motif : a recurrent thematic element
moue : a small grimace; pout
mousse : a whipped dessert or a hairstyling foam

N

né : masculine form of née
née : used to indicate a woman’s birth name or maiden name, e.g., Martha Washington, née Martha Dandridge; lit. 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
nom de plume : pen name
nouveau : newfangled
nouveau riche : newly rich
nouvelle cuisine

O

objet d'art : a work of art, commonly a painting or sculpture
œuvre : "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; lit. chewed paper
par excellence : quintessential; lit. by excellence
Pardon. : Excuse me.
parvenu : an upstart; an arriviste
pas de deux : a close relationship between two people; a duet 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
petite : small; waiflike; skinny; lit. small
pièce de résistance : the best; the one that resists; (In French, pièce de résistance can mean the main course in a meal.)
pièce d'occasion : occasional piece; item written or composed for a special occasion
pied-à-terre : a second home, usually an apartment in the city
plat de résistance : the main dish of a meal; lit. dish of resistance
plat du jour : a dish served in a restaurant on a particular day but which is not part of the regular menu; lit. 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.)
précis : a concise summary
prix fixe : a fixed-price meal
politesse : courteous formality
portmanteau : a large suitcase
poseur : a person who pretends to be something he is not; a phony
prêt-à-porter : ready-to-wear clothing
protégé : one who receives support from an influential patron
provocateur : a polemicist
prud-homme : an upstanding citizen; a skilled workman

Q

Quel dommage! : What damage! or "What a shame!"
Quelle horreur! : What a horrible thing! (sarcastically)
Qu'est-ce que c'est? : What is this?

R

raconteur : a conversationalist
raison d'être : justification for existence; reason for being
rapport : to be in someone's "good graces"; to be in sych with someone; "I've developed a rapport with my co-workers"; French for: relationship
rapprochement : the establishment of cordial relations
recherché : obscure; pretentious
résumé : in North American English, a document listing one's qualifications for employment
rendezvous : a meeting, appointment, or date; (usually written rendez-vous in French and sometimes in English)
repartee : clever banter
repertoire : the range of skills of a particular person or group
reportage : reporting; journalism
restaurateur : a restaurant owner
risqué : sexually suggestive; (in French, the meaning of risqué is risky, with no sexual connotation)
roman à clef : a fictional account of a true story; lit. novel with a key
roué : a hedonist
roux : a cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a base in soups and gravies

S

sabotage : subversive destruction
saboteur : one who commits sabotage
Sacré bleu! : general exclamation of horror and shock; a minced oath for "Sacré Dieu!" (Sacred God!); sometimes contracted and unaccented: sacrebleu (no longer current in French)
sang-froid : great coolness and composure under strain; lit. cold blood
sans : without
sans-culottes : an extremist
savant : a wise or learned person
savoir-faire : social grace
savoir-vivre : etiquette
s'il vous plaît : please; lit. if it pleases you, if you please
sobriquet : an assumed name, a nickname
soi-disant : so-called; self-described; lit. oneself saying
soigné : fashionable; polished
soirée : a party
soupçon : a very small amount
soupe du jour : soup of the day
succès d’estime : an important but unpopular achievement

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
tête-à-tête : a private or tense meeting; lit. head-to-head
toilette : the process of dressing or grooming
touché : acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint; lit. hit!
tour de force : a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment; lit. feat of strength
très : very (often ironically)
trompe l'œil : photograph-like realism in painting; lit. fool the eye

U

V

vignette : a brief description; a short scene
vis-à-vis : in comparison with or in relation to; lit. face-to-face
Vive! : "Long live ...!"; lit. Live!; as in "Vive la France!", "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
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)? : "Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?"
voyeur : a peeping tom

W - X - Y - Z

Zut alors! : Darn it!, a general exclamation. Like "Sacré bleu", this is considered dated by modern French speakers. (Just plain zut is still in use, however - often repeated for effect, ie. zut, zut et zut!) (Whether "zut" is dated or not might depend on context: where "merde" (wfw. "shit") is not polite enough, "zut", "zut alors", "zut et rezut" etc. are still in current use.)

Only found in English

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. celebrated 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.
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 !”, 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).
faux pas : An embarrassing social error, lit. false step; sometimes used in French to mean to slip. Francophones would normally use «gaffe» which is less polite.
femme : a stereotypically effeminate gay man or lesbian (slang, pronounced as written)
le mot juste : the right word; lit. the just word
maitre d' : Francophones would say maître d'hôtel instead
Répondez s'il vous plaît. (RSVP) : Please reply. Francophones use "prière de répondre". (Note: RSLP s'il lui plaît" is used on old-fashioned invitations written in the 3rd person, usually in "Script" typography -- at least in Belgium.)
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, “safety”) the following is a safety message or warning, the lowest level of danger.
PAN PAN: (panne, “breakdown”) the following is a message concerning a danger to a person or ship, the next level of danger.
MAYDAY: (* m'aider, “come help me”; N.B. "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, “silence”) keep this channel clear for air-sea rescue communications.
SEELONCE FEE NEE : (silence fini, “silence is over”) this channel is now available again.
PRU DONCE : (prudence, “prudence”) silence partially lifted, channel may be used again for urgent non-distress communication.
MAY DEE CAL : (médical, “medical”) 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

References

French phrases | Lists of phrases

Franske ord og vendinger

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "List of French phrases used by English speakers".

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