20 Useful French Texting Abbreviations For Messaging, Facebook & Email

Let’s face it, texting or using text message abbreviations like LOL or ROLF to communicate is no longer restricted to totally cool hipster adults or tweens anymore. The same is true in France. Here are 20 common text abbreviations you can use to stay in contact with your French friends via Facebook, email or text messaging.

By Annie André ⦿ updated January 10, 2024  
Feature photo for French texting for facebook, phone and email
Feature photo for French texting for facebook, phone and email

Let’s face it, texting or using text message abbreviations like LOL or ROLF to communicate is no longer restricted to totally cool hipster adults or tweens anymore. Even in France. If you live in France or have French friends you want to stay in touch with via Facebook, email or text message, try learning a few internet text message abbreviations. Here are 20 common ones to get you started.

Why should you learn some French texting slang abbreviations?

Even if you never plan on texting in French or insist on using whole words rather than abbreviated words to communicate, like my husband, it doesn’t mean other people will do the same. The only way for you to understand this cryptic text messaging is to learn some. 

Understand friends texting.

I resisted learning French texting abbreviations (sometimes referred to as “French texting slang”) for a long time. I caved because I was sick and tired of logging onto Facebook or reading phone text messages from my French friends and not understanding what the hell they were saying.

For example, QDN is something I saw from time to time from one of my friends, which means “Quoi De Neuf” – “What’s new” in English.

Understand kids texting.

I was also bewildered by the cryptic text messages my kids sent to one another using French texting abbreviations. The kids take texting abbreviations to a whole new level, which is beyond the scope of this article.

Save time texting.

Another benefit of learning French text messaging abbreviations is it helps you save time on your keystrokes when you’re in a rush.

French Texting Vocabulary

  • “Un Texto” or “Un SMS” or “Un Message”: All three mean text message.
  • “Envoie-moi un texto” or “Envoie-moi un sms” or “Envoie moi un message” :All three mean Send me a text message
  • Envoie-Moi un message sur Facebook: Send me a message on Facebook.
  • envoyez-moi un courriel or envoyez-moi un email: Both mean send me an email, but the former is more formal or business like.

infographic French texting Abbreviations 20 must know and common internet and texting abbreviations for phone, Facebook and email

20 French texting abbreviations

The infographic below lists 20 of the most useful or common text message abbreviations. Just below the infographic are more detailed explanations of each of the French text abbreviations.

**Note Variations: These are not rules, and there are sometimes variations for certain French text abbreviations but not always.

For example:

MDR, which is short for “Mort de rire” ( the French version of LOL), will always be MDR. There is no variation. However, QQ1, which is short for équelqa’un” (someone), can be abbreviated as QQ1, QQN or QQUN. It just depends on the user. I don’t list out every variant. I just list the one I see the most or that I use myself.

Below are the same text abbreviations in the above infographic just explained in more detail. 

In French, just like in English, you would use different text abbreviations to express different degrees of amusement or funniness. If something is funny in English, you might use the text message abbreviation LOL (laughing out loud). If something is even funnier, than you would most likely use ROFL (Rolling On The Floor Laughing) or LMAO (laughing my ass off).

1- MDR:

screenshot example of my friend using MDR on Facebook

 

MDR is short for “mort de rire”  and is used as you would use LOL. It literally means <<dying of laughter>> and in my opinion is one of, scratch that…..It is THE most used French text message abbreviations around.  I can’t prove that, but I know it has to be true. Even grannies use it. 

Note* You can use LOL when texting with a French person. They will understand what it means. They probably have no idea that it stands for Laugh out loud, though. MDR LOL LOL LOL.

2- PTDR:

PTDR is short for “Pété de rire” and means you are laughing so much that you just can’t laugh anymore.
Use it like you would use LMAO when something is even funnier or more amusing than a simple LOL.

3- EXPDR:

EXPDR is short for “eplosé de rire” and literally means <<exploding with laughter>>. Use like ROFL or LMAO when something is funnier than a simple LOL.

4- C:

C is short for “c’est” which means <<it is>>

c’est magnifique ( it’s magnificent).

5- C ça:

C ça is the abbreviation for “C’est ça” which can mean anything from <<that’s it>> and <<there you have it>> to <<there you go>> and <<you got it>>.

6- CT:

CT is short for c’était, which means <<it was>> or <<that was>>

c’était fun ( that was fun, or it was fun).

7- G:

G is short for “j’ai” which means <<I have>>

J’ai beaucoup d’amis (I have a lot of friends).

8- GT:

GT is short for “j’étais,” which means <<I was>>

j’étais son amis ( I was his friend).

9- JC:

JC is short “Je sais,” which means <<I know>>

Je sais tous (I know everything).

10- TT:

TT is short for “t’étais” which means <<you were>>

t’étais avec lui (you were with him).

11- Chuis:

Chuis is short for “Je Suis” pronounced (shwee), which means <<I am>>

je suis content (I am happy).

12- QQC:

QQC is short for “quelque chose” which means <<something>> 

je veux quelque chose (I want something).

13- QQN or QQ1:

QQN or QQ1 is short for “quelqu’un” which means <<someone>>

quelqu’un t’aime (someone loves you).

14- BIZ:

BIZ is short for “bises” or “bisous,” which means <<kisses>>. You use this much like you would use xoxo or hugs at the end of a message. Possibly the second most used text abbreviation in French?

15- STP or SVP:

STP is short for “s’il te plait,” which is the informal way to say <<please>>. If you want to text using the more formal way to say please, you would use SVP (s’il vous plait).

16- PK:

PK is short for the very useful question “pourquoi,” which means <<why.>>

pourquoi est ce que tu ne m’aime plus (why don’t you love me anymore?).

17- DSL

DSL is short for “desolé,” which means<< sorry>> 

je suis desolé (I am sorry).

18- ENTK

ENTK is short for “en tout cas,” which can mean <<in any case>> or <<anyways>>

en tout cas, je t’aime (in any case, I love you).

19- DAC

Dac is short for “d’accord” which means <<ok>> or <<all right>>

d’accord, j’y vas avec tois (all right, I’ll go there with you).

20- MPLC:

MPLC is short for “merci pour le cache”.

MPLC is not really that common unless you do geocaching in France. My husband, Blake, first came across it when he took our daughter to find her first geocache. Someone left a note marked MPLC, which simply means <<thank you for the cache>>.

Other French Language Guides

These were but a few of the hundreds of French texting abbreviations you might see your French friends using. My son uses a whole bunch more, which I can’t be bothered to learn.

See Also15 Funny French Expressions Involving Farm Animals And Bugs That Don’t Make Sense To English Speakers But Will Make You Sound Like A Native!

Watch a Video of my daughter showing you 20 Useful French Words and Phrases To Learn Before You Travel To France.

Merci beaucoup!

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Annie André

Annie André

About the author

I'm Annie André, a bilingual North American with Thai and French Canadian roots. I've lived in France since 2011. When I'm not eating cheese, drinking wine or hanging out with my husband and children, I write articles on my personal blog annieandre.com for intellectually curious people interested in all things France: Life in France, travel to France, French culture, French language, travel and more.

 

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