Bisous:👄The many ways to say French kiss, kisses & kiss me in French

The direct translation of “un bisou” in English is “a kiss.” But their are many more nuanced ways of saying kiss in French. Let’s go over the most common ones and how to use them, including ending a conversation or closing the end of a letter or message with “kisses”.

Different Ways To Say Kiss In French

Do you know how many ways there are to say the word kiss in English?

A lot!

Have you heard of these? 

Smooch, peck, snog, smackeroo, suck face, swap spit, necking, tonsil hockey, make out, and of course everyone’s favourite, French kiss. 

Each one of these words generally means the same thing but isn’t used in the same way.

For instance, you probably wouldn’t say “do you want to swap spit or play tonsil hockey” with someone you just met, would you? 

Given all these nuanced ways of saying Kiss in English, it should be no surprise that there are also similar nuances when discussing kissing in French. 

Spoiler alert, you know how French fries are not called French fries in France; they’re called “les Frites”.

Well, a French kiss is called something totally different in French, which I’ll explain in a moment.

HOW TO SAY KISS IN FRENCH

1) Un Bisou: (a kiss)

 \Bee-Zoo\ Un Bisou (singular)

 \DAY-Bee-Zoo\ Des bisous (plural)

Bisous is a kiss where lips touch the skin.

It’s a very tender way of saying kiss in French.

• Give me some kisses: Fais-moi des bisous.
• Can I give you a kiss?: Je peux te faire un bisou?
• I wanted to kiss you: J’avais envie de te faire un bisou.
• I’m going to kiss you: Je vais te faire un bisou.

2) La Bise (a kiss)

 \BeeZ\ Une Bise (singular)

 \DAY-BeeZ\ Des bises (plural)

Although bise means a kiss in French, it usually refers to a cheek kiss, also known as “la bise.”

“Faire la bise, (to do the kiss), always means a cheek kiss. 

If you’re not familiar with la bise, it’s the French way of greeting someone and saying hello or goodbye to friends and family with two, three, and sometimes four consecutive cheek kisses.

I wrote a comprehensive guide about la bise and how to greet French friends here. It’s a topic that often confuses newcomers to France.

Depending on how the word bise is used in a sentence, it has a broader meaning than just a kiss.

For instance, when someone says I’m going to do “la bise”, idiomatically speaking, this could also mean that they are going to say hello. 

Here are a few examples of what I mean.

• Shall we cheek kiss? On se fait la bise?
• I’m going to say hello: Je vais lui faire une bise.
• Give a kiss to Jean for me: Fais une grosse bise à Jean pour moi.
• Come and say hello to your aunt!: Viens faire une bise à ta tante!
• I’ve always hated cheek kissing.: J’ai toujours détesté faire la bise.

HOW TO SAY KISS KISS IN FRENCH (For letters and to end a conversation)

• Bises:
• Bisous:

It’s very common to say “bises or bisous” at the end of a conversation or at the end of letters, emails, text messages, cards and other correspondence with family, close friends and even work colleagues in certain situations.

It’s a little like saying Kiss Kiss, or hugs and kisses or xoxo.

Be careful though.

BISES and BISOUS have different degrees of intimacy.

If used incorrectly, you might give someone the wrong idea.

And if you don’t use them for certain people, you might inadvertently make someone feel snubbed.

And lastly, you never want to use kisses (bises or bisous) for formal or professional correspondence, like with your banker. But in some instances, it may be acceptable with co-workers. 

If all this sounds confusing, it will all be explained below. 

Bisous: to end a conversation or message

Only say or use bisous on correspondence with people you have close relationships with.

You’ll usually say bises to family, friends, or distant relatives you know but are not close with, such as:

A lover, boyfriend, girlfriend, close friend, close family, brother, sister, parents and children, etc.

If this sounds too intimate for family or friends, don’t worry; it’s not taken in a romantic way, it’s very nuanced.

Having said that, if you don’t close a message with “bisous” with someone you are romantically involved with, your husband, boyfriend or lover, they may feel snubbed, and you may come off as cold. Brrrrr!

Here are a few ways you can end a conversation or end a letter with bisous:

•  Gros bisous (big kisses)
• Doux bisous (soft kisses)
• Tendres bisous (tender kisses)
• Plein de bisous (lots of kisses)
• Mille bisous (a thousand kisses)

Bises: to end a conversation or message

Bises is amicable not tender. It’s familiar but more formal than “Bisous, which is more intimate, and tender. 

You can use bises with friends or colleagues you work closely with. And relatives that you are not close with like a cousin or aunt you don’t talk to very often. 

Here are a few ways you can end a letter or conversion with bises:

• Goodbye and kisses to all: Au revoir et bises à tous
• Big kiss: Grosse bise
• Big kisses: Grosses bises
• Good buy and give my love to everyone: Au revoir et grosses bises à tous
• A big kiss to you, and a thousand thank yous for all that you do for us.: Une grosse bise à toi, et encore mille mercis pour tout ce que tu a fait pour nous 

A good litmus test ofor which one to use: Bises or Bisous:

• If you would cheek kiss someone in real life, but they are not close, use Bise.
• If you would cheek kiss someone in real life who you are very close with, use bisous. 
• If you would not cheek kiss someone in real life, you use neither. You would end your conversation or close your letter with something more formal such as goodbye, or Cordialement. 

In short, use bises to end a message with anyone with whom saying something like “Cordialement” would be too formal, and bises would be too intimate.

3) Embrasser (How to say kiss in French)

 \Om-Brass-Ay\

Embrasser is a verb that means To Kiss, unlike bise and bisous, which are nouns and mean A Kiss and Kisses. You could say that the French verb “embrasser” is more formal or posh than bise and bisous, but not pretentious. 

Watch out! Embrasser DOES not mean “To Hug”. The French verb “embrasser” is a French false friend in English. False friends are words that are identical or sounds similar but mean something entirely different.  French false friends are usually words that have been borrowed from the French language but their use has been distorted over the years in English. The french word for a hug or to embrace in your arms is calin, serrer (dans les bras), prendre dans les bras.

• Do you want to kiss me? : Veut-tu m’embrasser?
• I want to kiss you! j’ai envie de t’embrasser!
• My wife doesn’t want to kiss me anymore.: Ma femme ne veut plus m’embrasser.
• If I kiss you, I’m afraid I’ll fall in love with you.: Si je vous embrasse, j’ai peur de tomber amoureuse.
• Everyone loves to kiss: Tout le monde aime embrasser!
• They don’t kiss one another anymore: Ils ne s’embrassent plus

Embrasser on letters, messages and correspondence 

 In correspondence, use the French verb “embrasser” at the end of a letter like you would bise, for friends and relatives with whom you are familiar but not close. Although embrasser means to kiss, when used at the end of a letter it’s just a nice way to say goodbye. 

• je vous embrasse:  (I kiss you)
• Je vous embrasse tous (I kiss you all)
• je t’embrasse chaleureusement (this is equivalent to saying “warm regards” but the literal translation is “warm kiss“)

4) Un Baiser: (watch out when you say this kiss)

 \Un-Bay-zay\

**IMPORTANT

Watch out when using baiser because it has two different meanings in French.

VERB: 

If you use “baiser” as a verb, it’s a Dirty French phrase!

“Baiser” =” f#@ck.”

• Can I f#@ck you?: Je peux te baiser?

NOUN:

If you use “baiser” as a noun, it’s a harmless kiss. You can use it just as you would use “bisous” or “bises. “

“un baiser” = a kiss.

•  Can I give you a kiss?: Je peux to donner un baiser? 

Here are other embarrassing mistakes you should avoid in French.

Other ways to use baiser

• Hand kiss: Le baise main:
• To blow a kiss: envoyer un baiser 

5) Un Bécot: (A smooch or a peck)

Bécoter : To smooch(verb)

• Give grandma a kiss: fais un bécot à mamie
• Did you see the lovers kissing on the public bench? : As-tu vu les amoureux se bécotent sur un banc public
• Why did you leave without giving me a peck?  Pour quoi t’es parti sans me faire un bécot

6) Un Bec: (A peck or kiss -Quebecois French)

Julie gave him a big kiss: Julie lui a donné un gros bec.

HOW TO SAY FRENCH KISS IN FRENCH

In English, it’s easy to describe kissing someone with tongue because there’s a word for it which is both a noun and a verb; French kiss.

• Verb: I French kissed him
• Noun: I gave him a French kiss

The irony is for centuries; there has been no single word in the French language for the act of French kissing. 

You had to say something crazy long like:

• Faire un baiser profond avec la langue (Kiss deeply with the tongue.)

It’s a mouthful, but times change and languages evolve. Now, however, there are many slang words for French kiss and French kissing. 

7) Embrasser à la française  (Kiss in the French style)

The literal translation of “Embrasser à la française” is to kiss someone in the French style; in other words to French kiss someone. 

Let me French kiss you: laissez-moi vous embrasser à la française

8) “Frencher” or “se Frencher” (a French kiss– Quebec French)

I have never heard anyone say this in France, but it’s the term used in Quebec. 

9) Un patin (a French kiss)

Rouler un patin: “to roll a skate”

Last night, they french kissed / Last night they made out:

Hier soir, ils se sont roulé un patin.

The word Patin, which means skate in French is from the verb “patiner” (to skate.) In 19th-century French slang “to skate,” meant to kiss insistently.

A common phrase at the time was to “rouler un pélot” (to roll a fondle,) from the verm peloter (to fondle).

Over time,”rouler un pélot” transformed into “rouler une pelle” and”rouler un palot,” which are now both commonly used expressions in French that mean to kiss someone passionately, to French kiss, and to make out. (see the next two examples.)

10) Une Pelle (a French kiss)

Rouler une pelle: “to roll a shovel/spade”

Last night, they french kissed / Last night they made out: Hier soir, ils se sont roulé une pelle.

11) Un Palot (a French kiss)

Rouler une palot: “to roll a shovel/spade”

Last night, they french kissed / Last night they made out: Hier soir, ils se sont roulé une palot.

12) Une Galoche (a French kiss)

Rouler une galoche: 

Last night, they french kissed / Last night they made out: Hier soir, ils se sont roulé une galoche

13) Galocher (To French kiss)

Up until 2014, other than slang words, there was no officially recognized French verb for the act of French kissing.

People had to use slang terms and phrases like the ones I listed above, or really long descriptive phrases. 

In 2014, the verb “Galocher” was officially recognized and was added to Le Petit Robert French dictionary. 

I want to French kiss François = j’ai envie de galocher François

How to conjugage Galocher: To French kiss

• je galoche: I French kiss
• tu galoches : You French kiss
• il/elle:on galoche: He:she French kisses
• nous galochons: We French kiss
• vous galochez: You French kiss
• Ils:elles galochent: They French kiss

The verb Galocher isn’t a new word. The original meaning of Galocher is “the noise made while walking with galoche shoes. “Les Galoches” are any leather shoes with a wooden sole and may come from Latin Gallicus — Gaulish shoe. It’s where the English word Galoshes comes from. 

Words changing meaning over time is a normal process in any language called semantic change. For instance, did you know the word “cute” originally meant sharp or quick-witted and was made by shortening the word “acute”?

“The word “nice” originally meant a stupid, ignorant or foolish person. And unsurprisingly, a “spinster” used to be a woman who spun yarn or thread.

So there you have it.

Go forth and ask for kisses in French with confidence.