French Texting Abbreviations Young People Actually Use (2025 Guide)
You’re texting with French friends or following French social media accounts and encountering confusing abbreviations like “mdr,” “slt,” “bcp,” and “ouf” that don’t appear in any textbook, leaving you completely lost trying to decode messages that seem like random letter combinations, unable to participate naturally in casual French conversations through WhatsApp, Instagram, or SMS because you sound awkwardly formal using complete sentences while everyone else uses shorthand, and frustrated that traditional French courses never teach the informal texting language that young French people actually use daily, making you miss jokes, cultural references, and the authentic communication style that defines French youth culture online and through messaging apps where most real French conversation happens today.
Why French texting language is essential for understanding real French
Traditional French courses teach you formal written French – complete sentences, proper punctuation, careful grammar. Then you text a French friend and receive “slt cv ? on se voit tjrs ce soir ?” and panic because you recognize maybe two words.
🇺🇸 salut ça va ? on se voit toujours ce soir ? (hi how are you? we’re still seeing each other tonight?)
French texting language follows completely different rules than formal French. Letters disappear, words get reversed (verlan), English influences creep in, and entire expressions compress into 2-3 letters. If you want to understand French social media, follow French influencers, text naturally with French friends, or comprehend French youth culture, you need to learn this informal register.
Roger learned French texting language the hard way after moving to France in 2012 – by being completely confused in group chats with French friends. In his private French lessons, he now teaches authentic informal French including texting abbreviations because textbooks ignore this crucial aspect of real communication.
Essential French texting abbreviations – the basics
Greetings and basic conversation starters
🇺🇸 salut (hi/hey)
🇺🇸 bonjour (hello/good morning)
🇺🇸 bonsoir (good evening)
🇺🇸 coucou (hey/hi – informal, cute)
🇺🇸 ça va ? (how are you? / how’s it going?)
🇺🇸 ça va bien (I’m good / it’s going well)
🇺🇸 tu fais quoi ? (what are you doing?)
🇺🇸 quoi de neuf ? (what’s new? / what’s up?)
Usage note: “slt” and “cc” are very informal – use only with friends your age or younger, never in professional contexts. “bjr” is slightly more polite but still casual.
Common responses and reactions
🇺🇸 okay
🇺🇸 d’accord (okay / agreed / alright)
🇺🇸 oui (yeah / yep)
🇺🇸 non (no / nope)
🇺🇸 je ne sais pas (I don’t know / idk)
🇺🇸 j’en peux plus (I can’t take it anymore / I’m done)
🇺🇸 peut-être (maybe / perhaps)
🇺🇸 peut-être (maybe – even shorter version)
Question words and connecting phrases
🇺🇸 pourquoi ? (why?)
🇺🇸 parce que (because)
🇺🇸 quoi ? (what?)
🇺🇸 quand ? (when?)
🇺🇸 où ? (where?)
🇺🇸 combien ? (how much? / how many?)
🇺🇸 comment ? (how?)
⚠️ Critical distinction: “pk” vs “pq”
English speakers constantly confuse these:
- pk = pourquoi (why?) – used in questions
- pq = parce que (because) – used in answers
🇺🇸 pourquoi tu viens pas ? — parce que j’ai trop de travail (why aren’t you coming? — because I have too much work)
Mixing these up completely changes the meaning of your message!
Time and frequency abbreviations
Time-related shortcuts
🇺🇸 aujourd’hui (today)
🇺🇸 demain (tomorrow)
🇺🇸 hier (yesterday)
🇺🇸 maintenant (now)
🇺🇸 tout (all / everything / very)
🇺🇸 toujours (always / still)
🇺🇸 jamais (never)
🇺🇸 souvent (often)
🇺🇸 as soon as possible (borrowed from English)
Real conversation example:
🇺🇸 on se voit toujours aujourd’hui ? — ouais, à tout à l’heure ! (we’re still meeting today? — yeah, see you later!)
Expressions and reactions – the fun stuff
Laughter and humor
🇺🇸 mort de rire (dying of laughter – equivalent to “lol”)
🇺🇸 pété de rire (bursting with laughter – stronger than mdr, like “lmao”)
🇺🇸 explosé de rire (exploding with laughter – even more intense)
🇺🇸 lol (also used in French, borrowed from English)
🇺🇸 haha / really laughing (adding more r’s = laughing harder)
Cultural note: French people predominantly use “mdr” not “lol.” Using “lol” marks you as either very young or influenced by English. Roger teaches these nuances in his conversation-focused lessons because textbooks never explain when to use which expression.
Emphasis and intensity
🇺🇸 too much / very / really (c’est trop bien = it’s really good)
🇺🇸 seriously / really / badly (c’est grave cool = it’s seriously cool)
🇺🇸 fou backwards (verlan) = crazy/amazing (c’est ouf = it’s crazy/amazing)
🇺🇸 stylish / cool / awesome
🇺🇸 beau gosse (handsome / hot guy)
🇺🇸 brave / bravo (well done / congrats)
🇺🇸 frère (brother – used like “bro” in English)
🇺🇸 femme backwards (verlan) = girl/woman/girlfriend
💡 Understanding verlan in texting:
Verlan = inverser (to invert) backwards. French youth slang created by reversing syllables. Common in texting:
- ouf = fou (crazy)
- meuf = femme (woman/girl)
- chelou = louche (sketchy/weird)
- relou = lourd (annoying/heavy)
- téma = mate (look at)
- reuf = frère (brother)
🇺🇸 cette femme est trop lourde frère (this girl is so annoying bro)
Roger covers verlan and youth slang in his intermediate lessons because it’s essential for understanding real French conversations, especially among people under 35.
Common phrases and expressions shortened
Everyday expressions compressed
🇺🇸 beaucoup (a lot / very much)
🇺🇸 merci / merci beaucoup (thanks / thanks a lot)
🇺🇸 désolé (sorry)
🇺🇸 s’il te plaît / s’il vous plaît (please)
🇺🇸 énervé (annoyed / angry)
🇺🇸 tout le monde (everyone / everybody)
🇺🇸 rendez-vous (appointment / meeting / date)
🇺🇸 t’inquiète pas / ne t’inquiète pas (don’t worry / no worries)
🇺🇸 bref (anyway / in short)
🇺🇸 donc (so / therefore)
🇺🇸 pour (for)
🇺🇸 dans (in)
🇺🇸 avec (with)
🇺🇸 sans (without)
🇺🇸 message
🇺🇸 téléphone (phone)
Verbs and actions
🇺🇸 viens (come)
🇺🇸 on y va (let’s go – borrowed from English)
🇺🇸 c’est (it is / it’s)
🇺🇸 j’ai (I have)
🇺🇸 tu / tu as (you / you have)
🇺🇸 c’était (it was)
🇺🇸 j’espère (I hope)
🇺🇸 je crois (I think / I believe)
🇺🇸 je suis (I am)
🇺🇸 tu es (you are)
Social media specific abbreviations
Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X) French
🇺🇸 retweet (share on Twitter/X)
🇺🇸 favorite / like
🇺🇸 follow (borrowed from English)
🇺🇸 Instagram/Snapchat stories
🇺🇸 direct message
🇺🇸 message privé (private message – French equivalent of DM)
🇺🇸 Snapchat
🇺🇸 TikTok
🇺🇸 YouTube
🇺🇸 notification
🇺🇸 subscriber / follower
Number substitutions – the phonetic tricks
Using numbers for sounds
French texting uses numbers to replace sounds, similar to English “gr8” (great) or “l8r” (later):
🇺🇸 de (of / from) – sounds like “deux”
🇺🇸 quoi de neuf ? (what’s new?) – “2” = de, “9” = neuf
🇺🇸 à demain (see you tomorrow) – “2” = de, “1” = un/ain sound
🇺🇸 merci (thanks) – “6” = six sounds like “ci”
🇺🇸 bien (good/well) – “1” = un sounds like “ien”
🇺🇸 c’est pas sympa (that’s not nice) – “5” = cinq sounds like “sym”
🇺🇸 cette (this/that) – “7” = sept sounds like “cet”
Warning: Number substitutions are extremely informal and mostly used by teenagers. Even among young adults (20-30), these are considered somewhat childish. Use sparingly and only with close friends your age.
When to use texting abbreviations (and when NOT to)
⚠️ Critical context rules:
USE informal texting abbreviations with:
- Close friends your age or younger
- Casual group chats with peers
- Social media posts/comments among friends
- Dating app conversations (once rapport established)
- Family members you’re close with (siblings, cousins your age)
NEVER use with:
- Professors, teachers, Roger (unless he texts you first this way!)
- Bosses, colleagues, professional contacts
- People significantly older than you
- People you don’t know well yet
- Formal situations (job applications, official requests)
- Customer service, administration, official correspondence
Example of inappropriate use:
🇺🇸 ❌ Bonjour Monsieur, je ne sais pas si c’est ok pour le rendez-vous. T’inquiète j’en peux plus mort de rire
This would be shockingly unprofessional and rude to a professor or boss!
Correct formal version:
🇺🇸 ✅ Hello Sir, I’m not certain I understand if the appointment is confirmed. Please keep me informed.
💡 Roger’s approach to teaching informal French:
In his private lessons, Roger teaches BOTH formal and informal French because you need both to function in France:
- Formal French: For work, administration, older people, strangers
- Informal French: For friends, social situations, understanding youth culture
- Texting French: For casual digital communication with peers
Most French courses only teach formal French, leaving students confused when encountering real conversations. Roger’s trilingual background helps him explain not just WHAT to say but WHEN different registers are appropriate, based on his own experience navigating French social contexts as an adult learner.
Real text conversation examples
Conversation 1: Making plans with friends
🇺🇸 Person A: Salut ! Tu fais quoi ce soir ? (Hey! What are you doing tonight?)
🇺🇸 Person B: rien de spécial pourquoi ? (nothing special why?)
🇺🇸 Person A: On va au cinéma avec des potes, tu viens ? (We’re going to the cinema with friends, you coming?)
🇺🇸 Person B: Ouais trop stylé ! À quelle heure ? (Yeah so cool! What time?)
🇺🇸 Person A: 20h, rendez-vous devant le cinéma (8pm, meet in front of the cinema)
🇺🇸 Person B: D’accord je serai là. À tout à l’heure ! (Okay I’ll be there. See you later!)
Conversation 2: Reacting to news
🇺🇸 Person A: Mec tu as vu ? Julie et Thomas ont rompu (Dude did you see? Julie and Thomas broke up)
🇺🇸 Person B: Sérieux ?? C’est ouf ! (Seriously?? That’s crazy!)
🇺🇸 Person A: Ouais je ne sais pas pourquoi mais apparemment c’est chelou (Yeah idk why but apparently it’s weird)
🇺🇸 Person B: Mort de rire ça m’étonne pas frère. Thomas était trop relou (Lol doesn’t surprise me bro. Thomas was so annoying)
🇺🇸 Person A: Grave ! Bon bref on en parle ce soir ? (Seriously! Anyway we’ll talk about it tonight?)
🇺🇸 Person B: Yep à ce soir, bisous (Yep see you tonight, kisses)
Study glossary – Essential texting vocabulary
| FR Abbreviation | Full French | EN Translation |
|---|---|---|
| mdr | mort de rire | dying of laughter (lol) |
| slt | salut | hi / hey |
| bcp | beaucoup | a lot / very much |
| pk | pourquoi | why |
| pq | parce que | because |
| tjs / tjrs | toujours | always / still |
| jsp | je ne sais pas | I don’t know (idk) |
| dsl | désolé | sorry |
| ouf | fou (verlan) | crazy / amazing |
| tkt | t’inquiète (pas) | don’t worry |
| cv | ça va | how are you / how’s it going |
| dac / dak | d’accord | okay / agreed |
The bottom line: texting French is essential for real communication
French texting abbreviations aren’t just shortcuts – they’re cultural markers that signal you understand French youth culture and informal communication norms. Using them appropriately makes you sound natural and integrated. Using them inappropriately marks you as clueless about French social codes.
🇺🇸 Learning French without SMS language is like learning to drive without ever touching a car
Roger teaches informal French including texting abbreviations in his conversation-focused lessons because textbooks ignore this crucial aspect of real French. His trilingual background and experience learning French as an adult help him explain not just what abbreviations mean but when and with whom to use them – social context that native speakers take for granted but adult learners need explicitly taught.
Start with the basics (slt, mdr, bcp, pk, pq) and gradually incorporate more as you gain confidence. Watch how your French friends text and mirror their style. Don’t stress about perfect usage – even French people don’t follow strict rules in texting. The goal is natural communication, not perfection.
