When Swearing’s Okay and When it isn’t
One of the great conundrums of the French language is trying to determine when swearing is okay - and when it isn’t. As France 2 television newscaster, Francoise Laborde discovered this past Thursday night, swearing during station breaks can be embarassing when you discover your heated response to a colleague is caught live on prime time TV. Her remark, “Pourquoi vous m’avez pas dit, putain?” i.e. “Why didn’t you tell me, damnit?” was shocking enough for the newscaster to offer the public an apology at the end of the emission.
She’s not alone. Even France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy’s swearing incident at the Salon d’Agriculture this past February engendered dozens of video reproductions - and embellishments of his snap response ‘Casse-toi, pauvre con!’ when a visitor at the Salon d’Agriculture refused to shake his hand.
Sometimes the media responds with it’s own expletives such Marianne journal’s ‘Putain! Encore 4 ans. (Very interesting commentary comparing the Sarkozy Era to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Era!!!)
Hopefully, you’ll never find yourself in a situation, where you’ll find it necessary to swear. On the other hand, here are some basic terms that you’ll encounter in newspapers, on television (even, if by accident), or in conversations overheard while walking down the street. Not heads of state, nor, believe it or not, even men of the cloth are immune. (A Norman priest was reprimanded last year for using one of these naughty words - for which he apologized like the newscaster).
Parents Condone Kids’ Swearing
Unlike American kids, not all French parents punish their kids for swearing. In fact, one parent told us that he allowed his kids about ten minutes to use all the swear words they could think of at the end of the dinner hour. Maybe this sounds weird, but here in France, it’s not a question of whether or not you should use swear words as much as it’s the question of using swear words in the right context and in the right situation. When you figure that a vast portion of the French vocabulary was wiped out by the Pleaides (or the French Academy of Letters) when French literature entered its classic era, this simple act of allowing the language to be exercised and spoken from the most vulgar levels to the most sublime might be considered the key to keeping a language rich and varied.
However, for those sensitive spirits who are offended by vulgar language, please stop here.
Top Swear Words
Putain! i.e. Damn!
Putain literally means prostitute. Yet, when it’s used as an expletive, it translates into English as ‘Damn’, but considered to be stronger language than ‘damn’.
Con- stupid, imbecile, ’sorry bastard’, ass
Con, short for conasse, literally translates as cunt. There are dozens of variations of the usage:
Ne me prenez pas pour un ‘con’. Don’t take me for a fool.
Ne fait pas le con. Don’t be an ass.
Casse-toi, pauvre ‘con’. Shove off, sorry bastard.
Foutre. Fuck.
Je m’en fou. I don’t give a damn.
This expression is so common that it’s lost its literal translation i.e. I don’t give a fuck (but is still considered to be unrefined).
Fou-le-camp. Get the hell out. (Va-t-en! Go away is much milder and achieves the same results).
Se faire chier. (Reflexive Verb) To be irritated or bothered by s.o.
S’Emmerder. (Reflexive Verb) To be irritated or bothered by s.o.
Chiant/Emmerdant (Adjective) Pain in the neck, pain in the ass.
Literally to make someone shit or to shit upon.
Merde! Shit
Salope. Bitch.
Saloperies. Dirty tricks.
Cochonneries. Dirty stories or talking dirty (literally derived from a pig sty)
Peter (infinitive)- Fart (accent over the first ‘e’) (pronounced ‘petay’
Pete (Noun) (There’s an accent over the first ‘e’) (pronounced ‘pet)
Peter des plombs. Losing it. Blow a fuse. Having a hissy fit. Literally farting lead.
Degueulasse- really disgusting. This isn’t exactly a swear word. The word is commonly used but not in refined company. Nothing is quite as ‘degueulasse’ as the linked movie. Not recommended for the faint of heart. This is the most disgusting I’ve seen to date, and truly exemplifies the word.
>> Learn more about French swear words and urban street language:
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