You know what you want to say in English, and you think you know how to say it in French.
That’s Great!
Unfortunately, exact word-for-word translations don’t always match up in French with their English counterparts.
Some innocent-looking French phrases and expressions don’t mean what you think they do. They could actually be French sex phrases, curse words or French dirty talk: some are vulgar to the French ear, while others are flirty and harmless.
I’ve put together a list of French phrases and expressions that look innocent enough to English speakers if you translate them word for word. But underneath that innocent façade lies a world of amusing and occasionally embarrassing French faux pas and double entendres.
So, grab your sense of humourand join me as we unveil these cheeky linguistic surprises.
Sexy French Dirty Talk: French Expressions Lost In Translation
It’s a linguistic minefield for English speakers navigating the French language.
Imagine confidently ordering your favourite French dish at a charming bistro, only to find yourself unintentionally uttering something that sends the waiter blushing and the neighbouring tables into fits of laughter.
One small slip-up and you could accidentally tell your French server that the cook is a “good lover” rather than a “good cook.”
Yikes!
For each of these dirty French phrases, curse words and sexy French words, I’ve given you the literal translation in English and what they really mean in French. I’ve also listed how to say what you want to say in a non-sexual way.
You might be interested in reading World Best Lovers By Country: Are French Men The Hottest Lovers?
1- (I Am Horny) = Je Suis Chaud(e)
You think it means ≠ I Am Hot
Je suis chaude = I am horny (if you are a woman)
Je suis chaud = I am horny (if you are a mand)
Scenario:
Imagine you’re a guy on a first date with a French girl. Everything is going well. There is even a little flirting going on.
However, it’s the middle of summer and it’s getting really hot so you look into your date’s eyes across the table and say “Je suis chaud,” and all she does is stare at you and giggle.
Huh, what’s so funny?
You think you just told her that you are hot (temperature-wise), but you actually just said, “I’m horny.”
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
“Je suis chaud” for a man and “je suis chaude” for a woman are the literal translations of “I am hot” in English to French.
The problem is that in French if you want to say “I feel hot” or “I am hot,” you don’t use the verb “To Be” (I am, you are, he is, etc.).
Doing so turns this benign phrase into a French expression with a sexual connotation that can get you into some pretty embarrassing situations.
How to say “I am hot” in a non-sexual way
To say “I am hot” or “I feel hot” in French, you have to use the verb “AVOIR” (TO HAVE: I have, you have, he/she has).
- “J’ai chaud” if you’re a man or woman (pronounced: zhay Show). Chaud is a noun, so it does not have to agree with the gender.
J’ai chaud literally translates to English as “I HAVE HOT,” which is why this phrase confuses English speakers.
SLANG:
There is another way to use “je suis chaud” in a non sexual way. Depending on the context, and if used correctly, you can say “Je suis chaud” to express that you are eager to do something. It’s kind of like saying “I’m down for doing soemthing.” it can mean you’re eager to do something.Do you want to go to the movies with me? “je suis chaud!” or simply “chaud” is slang for saying your down for it.
2- (She was Good In Bed) = Elle était bonne.
You think it means ≠ she was good or she was doing well.
Il est bon = he is good.
elle est bonne = she is good in bed.
elle était bonne = she was good in bed, she was hot in bed, etc.
Scenario: You’re with a French friend and start talking about a female friend who happened to come to your place for dinner the night before. Your friend asks about the female friend because he hasn’t seen her for a long time. You want to say in French, “She was good,” as in she was in good spirits, so you smile and say (Elle était bonne).
Your guy friend slaps you on the back as if to congratulate you. You just said that your female friend was a good lay or good in bed.
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
“Elle était bonne”– literally translates as “she was good,” but idiomatically, it’s a vulgar, macho and pejorative thing to say in French to a woman, and it could get you slapped.
The issue is with the French word for good (“Bonne” pronounced BUN) when talking about a woman.
Using the word “bonne” alone in a phrase to say that a woman is or was good at something turns this complimentary statement into a sexually charged Dirty French phrase.
For some strange reason, this expression only applies when talking about a woman. For a man, if you say “il est bon,” it doesn’t have the same sexual connotation.
How to say “she is good” at something in a non-sexual way:
To remove any ambiguity and sexual meaning from French phrases using “Bonne,” add the object of the thing she is good at.
Elle est bonne [+ object]
- She is a good cook= Elle est une bonne cuisinière .
- You are good at drawing, or you draw well—T’es bonne en dessin.
Other common ways to say a woman is good at something.
- Elle est douée = She’s talented or good at something
- Elle est forte = Literally means she is strong but idiomatically means she is good at something.
- Elle cuisine bien. = she cooks well.
3- (Make Love Again) = Remettre le couvert
You think it means ≠ Put Back The cutlery.
Remettre le couvert = To make love again
Scenario: It’s the end of the night, and you just finished washing the dishes after having hosted a successful French apero dinnatoire. You turn to your boyfriend and ask him if he and your friend Chantal put away all the cutlery.
“Est ce que vous pouvez remettre le couvert avec Chantal?”
They both stop and stare at you in disbelief because you just asked them, “If they could sleep together again.”
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
- “Remettre” is a French verb that can mean anything from “put back” or “put away” to “remit” or “return.” It can also mean “to do something again” or “put back on” as in “remettre tes vêtements” (put your clothes back on).
- “Couvert” is a French word that can mean many things, from the number of place settings or, in restaurant terminology, the number of covers, i.e. the number of diners. But this word sounds just like the French word “couverts” /Koo-ver/, which is the French word for silverware and cutlery.
When these two words are used together, “Remettre le couvert,” idiomatically, it means to “Do it again.” It can be used in a non-sexual way, but be careful because, in the wrong circumstances, it also infers two people to have sex again.
It’s an old expression that may have something to do with renewed sexual appetite.
Useful French expressions using the word «couvert.»
- Rangez les couverts = Put away the utensils.
- Je mets les couverts = I am setting the table
- Je mets le couvert pour cinq= I’ll set the table for 5
4- (I Want An Orgasm) = Je veux Jouir
You think it means ≠ I want to enjoy
Je veux Jouir = I want an orgasm, I want to cum.
Je veux te faire jouir =I want to make you cum
Scenario: Your French friend just cooked the most delicious homemade meal for you and asked if you enjoyed your meal. In your best French accent, you proudly say, “oui j’ai joui.” Don’t be surprised if he spits up his water because you just said, “I had an orgasm.”
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
The definition of the French verb “Jouir” is “To Enjoy” or “To Benefit from.” However, if you leave the object out of the phrase, the meaning changes into a dirty French phrase you wouldn’t want to say in front of a bunch of schoolchildren.
Most French people wouldn’t use the verb Jouir because it’s a very formal way to say you enjoyed something. For example, if you say “je veux jouir de l’instant,” this means I want to enjoy the moment, but idiomatically it’s like saying Carpe diem.
How to say I want to enjoy something in a non-sexual way
- “Je veux profiter de ma vie” = I want to enjoy my life.
- “J’ai bien aimer” = I really liked it / I really enjoyed it.
Jouir [+ object] French people rarely use Jouir in everyday language, but here it is in case you want to use it.
-
- Je veux jouir de l’instant : Carpe Diem / I want to enjoy the moment.
- Je veux jouir de la vie = I want to enjoy life
- Il jouit lire = He enjoys reading.
JOUER looks like JOUIR
Jouer is the French verb to play.
One slip-up, and you could say the wrong thing. One is pronounced [Zhoo-Ay], and the other is pronounced [Zhoo-Ear].
5- (I Want To Eat You Out) = Je veux te manger
You think it means ≠ I Want To Eat You Up (in a cute way)
Je veux te manger = I want to eat you out
Je vais te manger = I’m going to eat you out.
Scenario: You’re sitting on the couch drinking wine with an adorable French girl you just started dating. You turn to her and say in French, “Je veux te manger,” thinking you said, “I could eat you up.” Ahh, so cute.
The problem is “Je veux te manger” has a double meaning in French, which means “to eat you out” in a sexual way. Oops.
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
One small slip-up of a pronoun or an omission of a certain word turns this innocent phrase into a dirty French phrase.
How to say “I want to eat you up” in a non-sexual way
Add “tout cru” (raw) or “tout rond” (whole) to the end of the sentence.
Adding “tout cru,” which means raw, to the end of the phrase “I want to eat you up,” may sound sounds sexual in English, but French Mothers often say this to children. It’s a cute way to say I could eat you alive.
- Je vais te manger tout cru = I will eat you raw.
- Je pourrais te dévorer tout cru. = I could devour you raw
- Je pourrais vous manger tout cru! = I could eat you raw
- Je vex to manger tout rond! = I want to eat you whole
6- (I Want To F**K You) = Je veux te baiser
You think it means ≠ I Want To
“Baiser” = The French verb “to fuck.”
Scenario: You want to impress your French grandmother, whom you haven’t seen in years and ask if you can
You just said you wanted to “DO the nasty” with your grandmother. How embarrassing.
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
The word “Baiser has two different meanings in French. If you use it as a verb, it’s a Dirty French phrase. But if you use it as a noun, it’s a harmless
- VERB: “Baiser” = to fuck.
- NOUN: “un baiser” = a
kiss .
How to ask or say I want to kiss you in French
- Je peux to donner un baiser? (as a noun) Can I give you a
kiss - Je veux t’embrasser = I want to
kiss you. (more common) - On se fait la bise? = Shall we cheek
kiss Faire La Bise: Cheek Kiss: The Fine Art of Greeting A French Person
I wrote an entire article on the many ways to ask for a kiss in French here.
7- (Stroke My Pussy) = Caresser Ma Chatte
You think it means ≠ Pet My Cat
Stroke my pussy = stroke my pussy
Scenario: You’re French friends come over, and your cat jumps on his lap. You say go ahead, “Caresse ma chatte” (pet my cat) using the feminine article because your cat is a female. Your friend starts to laugh uncontrollably, and you have no idea why.
You just said a dirty French phrase and told him to “Stroke my pussy”
Chances are, a French person will know what you really meant to say nevertheless, it will always get giggles.
DOUBLE MEANING:
In French, a male cat is “un chat,” and a female cat is “une chatte.” “Chatte” has the same double meaning in French as it does in English: pussy.
How to say pet my cat
Just stick with the masculine “caresser mon chat,” even if your cat is female. You’ll avoid accidentally saying something that sounds sexual.
8- (To Have Sex / Shag) = S‘envoyer en l’air
You think it means ≠ throwing oneself In The Air.
This French expression literally means to throw oneself in the air. It sounds cute enough, but it has a double meaning, but not in a vulgar way.
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
This slang expression metaphorically links the pleasure of sex and the ascent to heaven. It can be used to imply having sex, or it can mean something similar to enjoying something immensely and touching the sky. You’ll often see it used in a non-sexual way in articles about the sky and roller coasters like this one. S’envoyer en l’air à Seattle pour moins de 30 dollars
9-(She dresses like a slut) = Elle s’habille comme une cochonne
You think it means ≠ [ She dresses like a pig ]
T’est une cochonne =You’re a slut, you’re a whore
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
The French word for pig is Cochon (for a man) and Cochonne (for a female).
In English, telling someone they dress like a pig isn’t very polite. However, if you translate it word for word to French, it means something even worse if you’re talking to a woman because the female pig “cochonne” has a double meaning in French, “slut” or “whore”.
5 ways to tell someone they don’t dress well or they’re messy dressers.
- “Tu t’habilles comme un plouc” = You dress like a slob/hillbilly/redneck.
- “Tu t’habilles comme un routie” = you dress like a truck driver.
- “Tu t’habilles effroyablement” = you dress appallingly.
- “Tu t’habilles ainsi?” = That’s how you’re dressing?
- “Tu t’habilles mal” = You dress badly.
10- (Do You Want To Fool Around With Me?) = Tu Veux Faire Des Galipettes Avec Moi?
You think it means ≠ Do Some Somersault With Me
Je veux faire des galipettes tous les jour avec toi = I want to make love with you every day.
On peux faire des galipettes = Can we fool around?
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
“Une galipette” is the French word for a somersault, but when you use the plural form, it usually changes it from a fun exercise into naughty somersaults in the bedroom.
How to say “do a somersault”
- Faire une galipette = Do a Somersault
- Faire la roulade = do Somersault
- Faire une culbute = do a Somersault
11- (I Want To Make Love or Give Into Temptation) = Je Veux Croquer la pomme
You think it means ≠ Bite Into The Apple
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
Croquer la pomme literally means “bite into the apple.
Idiomatically, it means to give in to the temptation. Its origins are biblical and refer to Eve in the Garden of Eden when she took a bite out of the forbidden fruit (apple).
However, you can use it in a non-sexual way. For example, you can give in to the temptation of chocolate.
12- (I’m very wet ) = Je suis très mouillée
You think it means ≠ I am very wet, as in you just got rained on.
You make me wet = Tu me fais mouiller
I am wet for you = Je suis très mouillée pour toi
I’m horny and wet = Je suis chaude et mouillé”
Lost in translation:
In French, the verb Mouiller means wet.
And just like in English, it can be used in a sexual way.
Here’s how to use it in a non-sexual way.
- My hair is wet = Mes cheveux sont mouillés
- I’m cold and all wet = J’ai froid et je suis tout mouillé.
- I’m wet = Je suis mouillé (non sexual)
13- (The Boob in Paris) = Le Sein à Paris
You think it means ≠ The Seine river In Paris
Les Seines = Breasts, boobs
Scenario: You’re on a guided tour in Paris, and you say to the tour guide, “I can’t wait to see the “le Sein” in Paris.” But you mispronounce the word “Seine” and use “le” instead of “la.” Now you’ve changed the meaning altogether and just told your guide you want to see “one single booby in Paris.” LOL.
Your tour guide will most likely get that you meant the Seine River and not a breast.
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
It’s very easy for French language learners to mispronounce something and completely change its meaning.
- La Seine: The river that runs through Paris. (Pronounced, La Senn)
- Le Sein: The breast as in a female breast. (Pronounced, Le Sahn) The N sound is nasally from the back of your mouth. It’s a sound that doesn’t exist in English. Click below to hear it.
There are actually many French words that English speakers easily mispronounce. For example, the French word for street is “Rue,” which most English speakers mispronounce as “Roue,” which is the French word for wheel.
Another example is the French word “aimant” (magnet) and “amant” (lover.)
- You have a good lover = tu as un bon amant.
- You have a good magnet =tu as un bon aimant
Wrapping up French dirty talk
Whether you want to avoid accidentally saying something sexual, intentionally looking for sexy things to say in French or want to learn how to talk dirty in French, it’s important to approach these phrases with respect and sensitivity.
So, the next time you find yourself engaging in a conversation en français, remember to tread carefully and embrace the beauty of the French language’s playful nature.
I encourage you to read Flirting In French: 67 Flirty, dirty & cheesy French pick-up lines so bad they’re good
Bonne chance et amusez-vous bien! (Good luck and have fun!)
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