List of French phrases used by English speakers

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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 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.

This article, however, covers only words and phrases that seem unmistakably foreign and "French" to an English-speaking person; that is, words that are infrequently used and which have not passed into general usage as a part of the English language proper.

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 looks better in italics, it has retained its French identity, but if it doesn't need italics, it has probably passed over into English.

Contents

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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

Words and phrases

Note that these phrases are pronounced using the French rules, and not the English ones. 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 Template:IPA 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 bientôt!—See you soon! (relatively uncommon in English)
accouchement—confinement during childbirth, the process of having a baby
Adieu!—Good bye!
à gogo—in abundance
aide-de-camp—a military assistant
aide-mémoire—a position paper
agent provocateur, pl. agents provocateurs—a police spy who causes a crime to secure a conviction; can also mean a secret agent spreading unrest in French
à la—in the manner of
à la carte—on the card.
à la mode—fashionable; in the U.S., also with ice cream
amuse bouche—mouth pleaser - A pre-appetizer.
amour-propre—self regard. Lit proper love, or love of self
Ancien Régime—a sociopolitical or other system that no longer exists, in allusion to pre-revolutionary France
à outrance—to the utmost or last extreme
apéritif—a before-meal drink
appliqué—an inlaid or attached decorative feature
après—after
Après moi, le déluge—the remark attributed to Louis XV, used in reference to the impending end of an era (“After me, 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 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 moeurs—"other times, other customs"
avant garde— applied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art and literature, lit. before the guard (vanguard).

B

beaucoup—a lot of (slang, e.g., beaucoup bucks )
beau ideal—an idealized type (should be spelt and pronounced "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, pl. bêtes noires—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
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
bricolage—construction from bits and pieces on hand

C

cachet—a distinctive quality
cap-à-pie—from head to foot
carte blanche—unlimited authority, lit. blank card
Ça va sans dire—That goes without saying
C'est bon!—I understand; I get it, lit. It's good
C'est la mode —such is fashion
C'est la vie !—That's life!
C'est magnifique !—That's great! (relatively uncommon in English)
chaise longue—a long chair for reclining
chanson—a song
chanteuse—a female singer
chapeau—a hat (can also be used as a compliment: "Hat off!")
chargé d'affaires—a temporary or low-level diplomat
chef d'œuvre—a masterpiece
chez—the home of (pronounced SHAY)
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—a stereotype
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, 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, from the verb connaître, to know.)
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 (means assistance in French: "donner un coup de main" is "to give a hand")
coup d'état, pl. coups d'état—a sudden change in government by force, lit. takeover of state
coup d'oeil—a glance
couture—fashion
couturier—a fashion designer
crèche—a nativity display
crème de la crème—best of the best, lit. cream of the cream
cri de coeur—a passionate plea
cul-de-sac—a dead-end (residential) street. lit. bottom of bag

D

D'accord.—Agreed., OK. (relatively uncommon in English)
déclassé—of inferior social status
décor—the layout and furnishing of a room
découpage—decoration with cut paper
dégagé—unworried
déjà vu—The impression or illusion of having seen or experienced something before.
démarche—a decisive step.
demimonde—a class of women of ill repute
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, necessary, 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, french for "entertainment".
dossier—a file containing detailed information about a person
douceur de vivre—sweetness of life (relatively uncommon in English)
doyenne—the senior female member of a group
dressage—a form of competitive horse training.
du jour - lit. "of the day". said of something fashionable or hip for a day and quickly forgotten. See also 'plat du jour'.

E

eau de toilette—perfume
éclat—conspicuous achievement
élan—a distinctive flair
embarras de richesses—embarrassment of riches
embarras du choix— (in the construction: avoir l'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 (between us)
entrepreneur
escargots—snails as food, a delicacy; lit. snail, animal
escritoire (spelt écritoire in French) —a writing table
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—used to refer to words in two different languages that have the same etymology, but different meanings; lit. false friends such as the French verb "rester" which means to stay rather than to rest
faux pas—a social blunder, or "mis-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
garçon—lit. boy or male servant, but often used by English speakers to summon the attention of a male waiter (actually insulting in French)
gauche—tactless
gaucherie—boorishness
gendarme—a police officer (slang, irreverent)
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" or "Big 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 as "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
honni 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 d'œuvre

I

idée fixe—a leitmotiv, an obsession
insouciant—nonchalant
ingénue—an innocent young woman

J

J’accuse—the (generally untranslated) title of Émile Zola’s expose of the Dreyfus affair (I accuse), also used generally in allusion to a political or social indictment
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 [proper 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
layette—a set of clothing and accessories for a new baby
la petite mort—an orgasm
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 (frequently untranslated) remark attributed to Louis XIV (I am the state), also used generally in allusion 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.

M

maître d'
ménage à trois—a sexual arrangement between three people, not typically used if all three are of the same sex; lit. household for three
Merci beaucoup!—Thank you very much!
milieu—environment, setting
mirepoix—a cooking mixture of two parts onions and one part each of celery and carrots[1]
mise en place—a food assembly station in a commercial kitchen
mise en scène
moi—me; often used in English as an ironic reply to an accusation, for example "Pretentious? Moi?"
mousse—a whipped dessert or a hairstyling foam

N

né (masculine) form of née
née (feminine)—born; past participle of naître, to be born. Often used to give someone or something's former or maiden name: Martha Washington, née Martha Dandridge.
n'est-ce pas ?—Isn't it?, used after a statement, as in Right?
noblesse oblige—honorable behavior expected of high rank
non—No
nom de guerre—a pseudonym
nom de plume, pl. noms de plume—pen name
nouveau—newfangled
nouveau riche—newly rich

O

objet d'art - a work of art, commonly a painting or sculpture

P

papier-mâché, lit. chewed paper
par excellence—quintessential, lit. by excellence
pardon–I'm sorry; Excuse me?
pas de deux—a close relationship between two people, a duet in ballet
passé–out of fashion
peignoir—a woman’s dressing gown, a negligee (in French also a bathrobe)
petard as in “hoist on one's own petard”. In French, pétard means fire-cracker or small explosive device. In Medieval warfare, a petard was a primitive mine hoisted by a crane against a castle gate in a siege.
petite—waif like, skinny (can be used for both man and woman), lit. small
pièce de résistance — the one that resists, the best (among numerous examples). In French, pièce de résistance can mean the main course in a meal.
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 served 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
poseur—a person who pretends to be something he is not, a phony
prêt-à-porter—ready-to-wear clothing
prud-homme—an upstanding citizen, skilled workman

Q

Quel dommage!—What damage!" or "What a shame!"
Quelle horreur!—A usually sarcastic phrase meaning What a horrible thing!, lit. What horror!
Qu'est-ce que c'est?—What is this?

R

raison d'être—justification for existence, reason for being
raconteur—a conversationalist
rapprochement—the establishment of cordial relations
recherché—obscure, pretentious
résumé—originally, a summary; but in North American English, a document listing one's qualifications for employment (called curriculum vitae or CV, a Latin phrase meaning "course of life," by Francophones, as well as British and Commonwealth speakers, and speakers of some other European Languages.)
roué—a hedonist
roux—a cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a base in soups and gravies
rendezvous—a meeting, appointment, or date; usually written rendez-vous in French and sometimes in English
restaurateur—a restaurant owner
risqué—sexually suggestive. (in French, the meaning of "risqué" is risky, with no sexual connotation)
Laissez les bons temps rouler—Let the good times roll. Strongly associated with Cajun culture, and not commonly used by Francophones outside of Louisiana.
Le Roi est mort. Vive le Roi!—The King is dead. Long live the King!
roman à clef—a fictional account of a true story, lit. novel with a key

S

Sacré bleu!—General exclamation of horror and shock; used to avoid the oath “Sacré Dieu!”, lit. Sacred God!; This is a very dated expression, not used anymore in French; sometimes contracted and unaccented: “sacrebleu”.
sang-froid—great coolness and composure under strain. lit. cold blood
sans—without
savoir-faire;know-how
savoir-vivre — etiquette
s'il vous plaît (SVP)—please, lit. if it pleases you, if you please
soi-disant—self described, lit. oneself saying,
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
tête-à-tête —a private or tense meeting, lit. head-to-head
touché—acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint. lit. hit!. Used in French to point a successful shot.
tour de force—a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment, lit. feat of strength
très—very (slang, generally ironic)

U

V

vis-à-vis—in comparison with or in relation to, lit. face-to-face; also used to refer to the opposite corner of an intersection, i.e. catercorner (coll. kitty-corner).
Vive la différence—Long live the difference, generally referring to difference between male and female
Vive la France!—Long live France!, sometimes said with tongue-in-cheek sarcasm
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.
bondage—The sexual technique is called ligottage by Francophones.
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).
entrée or entree—The main dish or course of a meal (U.S.), or the first course of a meal (UK); in French, entrée literally means entrance.
faux pas—An embarrassing social error, lit. false step; sometimes used in French to mean to slip. Francophones would normally use «gaffe».
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 ["Réponde 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 ([venez] 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 for a more detailed explanation.

See also

External links

Communications Instructions, Distress and Rescue Procedures Combined Communications-Electronics Board of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States. PDF document.da:Franske ord og vendinger

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Categories: French phrases | Lists of phrases

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