24 of the best words in the French language

Published: April 16, 2017, 9:57 p.m.

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What\\u2019s your favourite word? We asked 24 listeners, past guests, and even each other for the \\u201cbest\\u201d French word in existence. From dragonflies to hardware shops, here\\u2019s the full list from the show, as well as a few links to check out the blogs and pages we mentioned.


Check your spelling here:

1. Pamplemousse\\xa0(grapefruit),\\xa0says\\xa0Veronique who runs French Girl in Seattle.\\xa0\\u201cIt appeals to all my senses: I love the way the word sounds, the taste, and the appearance of a grapefruit\\u2026\\xa0and I love the very distinctive scent,\\u201d she says.

2. Bof\\xa0(a disinterested sound people make), says tour guide Corey Frye. \\u201cThe three most important letters in French,\\u201d he says. Hear his top tip for each Paris arrondissement here.

3. En fait (actually).\\u201dYou just chuck it on the end of everything and it works,\\u201d says Matt\\xa0from movie masters in Paris\\xa0Lost in Frenchlation.

4. Formidable\\xa0(excellent):\\u201dIt has a finesse to it, and makes me think of the Stromae song,\\u201d says author Lindsey Tramuta, whose book The New Paris hits shelves worldwide on April 18th.

5. Menilmontant, a place in Paris that means a lot to Samuel Barrantes of Slim and the Beast (hear him in the pilot episode here). Here\\u2019s the song he was talking about.

6. Rabibocher, meaning \\u201cto get together\\u201d especially after a break-up, says listener Carolyn.

7. Aspirateur, meaning vacuum, \\u201cIt just sounds so much more interesting than vacuum\\u201d, says listener Shelly

8.\\xa0Couilles, says comedian\\xa0Paul Taylor. This word means \\u201cballs\\u201d (as in testicles). Why does Paul like the word? \\u201cBecause no anglophone can pronounce it properly,\\u201d he says.\\xa0No surprises that Paul likes a good swear word \\u2013 his TV show is called What the Fuck France? (We had him in the studio too for a warm beer and a chat).

9.\\xa0Merde (meaning shit),\\xa0says author\\xa0Stephen Clarke.\\xa0Stephen\\u2019s numerous novels have the word merde (shit) in the title, so it\\u2019s no surprise he likes this word. We had Stephen on the Earful too to talk about the French. Here\\u2019s his episode.

10. Vachement, meaning really really,\\xa0says writer\\xa0Lisa Anselmo. \\u201cIn France, a country famous for its cheese, it\\u2019s not terribly surprising a word like \\u201ccowly\\u201d would creep in,\\u201d she says.\\xa0Listen to her full episode on the Earful here.

11. Trottoir\\xa0(footpath),\\xa0says Kate Goodbody, who runs the More Native than the Natives blog (and who just won our giveaway on Facebook for a signed Stephen Clarke book). \\u201cI love the idea of people trotting down the street,\\u201d she says.

12. Papillon, says regular listener\\xa0Dingo\\xa0Mike. \\u201cIt means butterfly and bow-tie, two beautiful things and a beautiful word,\\u201d he says.

13.\\xa0Pompette, a pleasant word for \\u201ctipsy\\u201d, says lovely Lina. \\u201cIt sounds like the name of a poodle.\\u201d

14.\\xa0Rouflaquettes,\\xa0meaning \\u201csideburns\\u201d,\\xa0says Sam Davies, though the jury is still out on if this is a real word. Sam was also on the Earful, getting creative with language.

15.\\xa0Libellule, says\\xa0Jennifer who writes the blog Chez Loulou. \\u201cFor the fact that I love dragonflies and it\\u2019s a great word to say,\\u201d she says.

16.\\xa0Truc, meaning \\u201cthing\\u201d, says\\xa0Gail of PerfectlyParis.\\xa0\\u201cIt covers\\xa0everything, it\\u2019s vague, indirect and can refer to anything.\\u201d Isabelle in Sweden adds:\\xa0\\u201cBest word ever for someone who wants to believe she sounds more French than she does.\\u201d

17.\\xa0Grenouille (frog), says Coutume cafe\\u2019s\\xa0Tom Clark. \\u201cIf you can pronounce it, you can speak French.\\u201d Hear his episode on the Earful here.

18.\\xa0D\\xe9gueulasse (disgusting), says\\xa0Ben McPartland, the editor of The Local France. \\u201cSounds like a character from Lord of the Rings,\\u201d he says.

19.\\xa0Ancre/Encre (anchor/ink), says Breton sailor Fabien. The words both mean a lot to me, he says, literature and travel.

20.\\xa0Quincaillerie, a hardware shop, says Joey Yanity on Facebook. \\u201cIt\\u2019s pretty fun to say.\\u201d We agree!

21. Fl\\xe2neur, an aimless walker, says Tami Tamir-Shaughnessey. \\u201cIt\\u2019s my favourite thing to do in Paris.\\u201d

22.\\xa0D\\xe9chetterie (a dump, a tip), says\\xa0Jim Carmichael. \\u201cI like the way it rolls off the tongue,\\u201d he says.

23. Croutte, says producer James. \\u201cIt\\u2019s actually my least favourite French word, it means crust and scab. Revolting.\\u201d

24. Inoubliable (unforgettable), says host Oliver. \\u201cI like the sound of the word, it sounds like a foreigner imitating a French person\\u2026\\u201d

If you want to see more like this, then join our Facebook followers here.\\xa0Click the link below to hear the full episode of this list.

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